If you have searched Gmail for a reminder button, you did not miss it: there isn't one. Gmail gives you five features that do parts of the job instead, and each suits a different situation. Some bring the email back later, some turn it into a to-do, and one puts it on your calendar. Here is how to use each one, and how to choose.
The short version: snooze the email if you just need to see it again, add it to Tasks if it means work, create a calendar event if it has a time, and use a phone call reminder for anything you cannot afford to miss.
1. Snooze an Email Until Later
This is the closest thing Gmail has to "remind me about this". The email leaves your inbox and comes back at the top at the time you choose.
On a computer, hover over the email in your inbox and click the snooze icon (the clock) on the right.
In the phone app, open the email, tap the three dots at the top right and choose Snooze.
Pick a time, such as later today or tomorrow, or choose your own date and time.
Changed your mind? Snoozed emails wait in the Snoozed folder in the left sidebar, or you can search for in:snoozed. If someone replies in the meantime, the email usually comes back straight away.
2. Add an Email to Google Tasks
Best when an email means work you have to do, such as sending a quote or filling in a form.
On a computer, open the email and click Add to Tasks at the top. If you do not see it, look under More.
In the phone app, open the email, tap the three dots at the top right and choose Add to Tasks.
Open the task and add a date and time. The task links back to the email, and it appears in the side panel in Gmail and in the Google Tasks app.
Watch out: a task with no date and time has nothing to alert you at. It just sits on your list until you look at it. Our guide to setting a reminder in Google Calendar explains how tasks and events differ.
3. Create a Calendar Event From an Email
The right choice when an email mentions something happening at a set time, such as a call, an appointment or a deadline.
Open the email on a computer, click More above the message and choose Create event. Google Calendar opens in a new tab.
Check the details. The subject becomes the event title and the message text goes in the description. Set the correct date and time.
Add a notification, then save. Choose how long before the event you want to be alerted.
Watch out: Gmail adds the sender as a guest. If the event is only a reminder for you, remove them before you save, or Google Calendar may offer to send them an invitation.
4. Turn On Nudges for Follow-Ups
Nudges bring older emails back to the top of your inbox when Gmail thinks you should reply or chase someone. You do not choose the time, and Gmail decides which emails qualify, so treat them as a safety net and not a reminder you can count on.
Open Gmail on a computer, click the gear icon and choose See all settings.
On the General tab, find Nudges and tick the options for emails to reply to and emails to follow up on.
Scroll down and save your changes.
5. Schedule an Email to Yourself
An old trick that still works. It is handy for a note with details you will need later, such as a booking reference or an address.
Write an email to your own address. Put the reminder in the subject line so you can read it at a glance.
On a computer, click the arrow next to Send and choose Schedule send. In the phone app, tap the three dots at the top right and choose Schedule send.
Pick the date and time. It may arrive a few minutes after the time you set. You can change or cancel it from the Scheduled folder.
Which One Should You Use?
| Best for | How it alerts | You pick the time? | Easy to miss? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snooze | Emails to deal with later | Returns to your inbox | Yes | Yes, in a busy inbox |
| Add to Tasks | To-dos from an email | Notification, once it has a time | Yes | Yes, one short alert |
| Create event | Anything at a set time | Calendar notification | Yes | Yes, if notifications are muted |
| Nudges | Replies and follow-ups | Returns to the top of your inbox | No | Yes, and it may never appear |
| Schedule send | Notes to your future self | A new email | Yes | Yes, in a busy inbox |
| Remindavo call | Calendar events you cannot miss | Your phone rings | Yes | Hard to miss |
Why Gmail Reminders Still Get Missed
- The reminder is another email. Snoozed and scheduled emails land in the same inbox you were struggling to keep up with, and you only see them when you next look.
- Gmail notifications are limited or off. Many people set the phone app to high priority only or switch it off altogether. A returning email may not make a sound.
- The task has no time. A task saved without a date and time will not alert you at all.
- Your phone is silenced. Do Not Disturb and Focus can hold notifications back. Our guides for iPhone and Android show what to check.
If an email has already led to a missed event, see Google Calendar notifications not working for the full checklist.
Get a Phone Call for the Emails That Really Matter
When an email is about something you cannot miss, like a client call or a medical appointment, a ringing phone is much harder to ignore than a bolded line in your inbox. Turn the email into a calendar event using the steps in section 3, and Remindavo calls your phone before it with a voice that reads the event name, for example "Client call in 30 minutes". If the event moves, the call moves with it.
Sign in at web.remindavo.com with your Google account.
Connect Google Calendar. Every timed event gets a reminder automatically, including ones you create from an email later.
Verify your phone number and choose how early you want the call. Add the iPhone or Android app for instant alerts too.
The free plan includes 5 real reminder calls or 14 days, whichever comes first, with no credit card. App alerts stay free after that, and Premium is $10 a month for unlimited calls. Remindavo reminds you about calendar events and does not read your email.