To send a Gmail confidential message with an expiry date, set the access options before sending and check the recipient address carefully. The date limits access to the protected text and attachments; it does not promise that a recipient will forget or destroy information already viewed.
Set the expiry on a computer
- Open Gmail and choose Compose.
- At the bottom of the compose window, select Toggle confidential mode.
- Choose an expiration date from the available options.
- Select the passcode requirement, then choose Save.
- Review the address, content, and attachments before sending.
If confidential mode is already on, use Edit at the bottom of the draft to review its settings. In the Android or iPhone and iPad app, the confidential-mode control is in the compose window’s More menu rather than the desktop toolbar.
Choose the correct passcode route
With No SMS passcode, a recipient using Gmail can open the message directly. A recipient using another email client receives a passcode by email. With SMS passcode, the code is sent to the recipient’s phone number; do not enter your own number instead.
Google limits SMS passcodes to supported phone-number regions. Check the current list and the recipient’s actual number before relying on that option. An email delivered successfully does not establish that the recipient can receive the separate text message.
Explain the access boundary
Let the recipient know that the protected content has a deadline and that forwarding, copying, printing, and downloading controls are disabled. Choose an expiry appropriate to the legitimate task, rather than one so short that normal access becomes impractical.
You can later open the confidential message in Sent and choose Remove access before expiry. That stops future access through the protected view; it does not retrieve screenshots or photographs already taken.
If the account does not offer the feature or your organization’s policy prohibits this use, consult the administrator. Do not move business information into a personal account simply to obtain a missing compose option.
Browse Gmail & Google Account help
References
Reviewed against the linked official and developer guidance on October 27, 2026. Available options and screen labels can vary by account, device, region, and organization policy.