Use Gmail Confidential Mode when Sending Sensitive Data

Confidential Mode is a feature in Gmail which allows for more securely sending sensitive data.

A sensitive data warning may now appear when composing emails. The pop-up shown below will warn you that your message content may contain sensitive data and will suggest using Confidential Mode:

Popup Window contains the title Check Message Content and describes that a message may contain sensitive data. There is a blue Back to editing option and a blue Send anyway button in the bottom right corner.

Note: Retiree accounts may also receive this popup message when attempting to send an email. Retiree accounts are managed by WFU and are bound by the same security policies as student, staff, and faculty accounts.

Using Confidential Mode

Use Confidential Mode to help you protect sensitive information from being shared accidentally or without your consent. In confidential mode, recipients are not given the option to forward, copy, print, or download either the message or its attachments. In confidential mode, the sender can set an expiration date for the message, revoke message access at any time, and ask for a verification code by text to open messages. See this 2-minute WFU-created video for more info.

To Use Confidential Mode:

1. Click on the lock icon in the menu at the bottom of the email composition window:

The email composition menu shows a blue Send button the bottom left corner. The mouse cursor is hovering over a lock icon. A tag says Toggle confidential mode.

2. The Confidential mode menu will appear. Select when you would like the email to expire from the Set Expiration drop down:

The Confidential mode menu window shows a set expiration dropdown. The options are Expires in 1 day, Expires in 1 week, Expires in 1 month, Expires in 3 months, and Expires in 5 years. A blue cancel text and blue Save button are in the bottom right corner.

3. Select whether a passcode will be required to access the email and then click Save:

The Confidential mode menu window shows a set expiration dropdown and a require passcode option. The set expiration field shows Expires in 1 week. The require passcode shows No SMS passcode. A blue cancel text and blue Save button are in the bottom right corner.

Once Confidential mode is setup on an email, a footer will appear on the sender's view of the email showing when the contents of the email expire:

An email footer states Content expires Mar 12, 2026. The remainder of the footer explains that recipients cannot forward, copy, print, or download the email and that Google Workspace admins may still be able to access the email.

The recipient's view of the email will also include a footer showing when the email expires:

An email footer states Content expires Mar 12, 2026. The remainder of the footer explains that the person who has received the email cannot forward, copy, print, or download the email and that Google Workspace admins may still be able to access the email.

What happens when an email sent with confidential mode expires?

If you are the sender of a confidential email, you will still be able to see the contents of the email, but the footer will change to state that the content is expired. There is an option to renew access, if needed:

The contents of an email are shown. An email footer states Content is expired. The remainder of the footer explains that the recipient cannot forward, copy, print, or download the email and that Google Workspace admins may still be able to access the email. There is a blue Renew Access option on the right side of the footer.

If you are the recipient of a confidential email, you will no longer be able to see the contents of the email. There will be a footer which states that the email has expired:

There are no email contents, only a footer. The email footer states Email has expired. The remainder of the footer explains that the sender set a limit on how much time is available to view the email.

If you need access to the email, but it has expired, reach out to the sender of the email to request access.

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