How to Report a Bug in Gmail (2024)

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Gmail includes a feedback tool to support bug reporting and new feature ideas

Heinz Tschabitscher

Writer

University of Vienna

A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.

lifewire's editorial guidelines

Updated on June 24, 2022

Reviewed by

Jerrick Leger

Reviewed byJerrick Leger

Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses.

What to Know

From your inbox, select the Support icon (question mark) and select Feedback to Google.
Optionally, select Include screenshot. Use the tools to hide your info and mark up the screenshot.
Be concise, provide error-log reports or other relevant info, and mention which browser and plugins you're using.

This article explains how to report a bug in Gmail. The instructions apply to Gmail.com in any web browser.

How to Report a Gmail Bug

To report a bug or to offer feedback:

Before you report a Gmail bug, check Gmail's status to make sure the problem isn't a known issue that Google is already addressing.

From your Gmail inbox screen, select the Support icon (question mark).
Select Send Feedback to Google.
Type your feedback into the box.
To include an optional screenshot, check the Include screenshot box. The browser window containing Gmail is automatically captured.
Optionally, select the overlay text on the screenshot that says Click to highlight or hide info.

If you're OK with the Gmail team seeing everything in the screenshot, skip this step and the next.
Use the yellow and black boxes to mark up the screenshot. Use yellow to emphasize problem areas and black to suppress private information you don't want Google's engineers to see. The tools draw rectangles of any size you wish. Click Done when you're finished with the tool.
Verify the text of your feedback and that the thumbnail of your screenshot (if it's included) match your expectations. Press Send.

Best Practices for Reporting a Gmail Bug or Sending Google Feedback

Specific information is always better than generic complaints. Saying that something "doesn't work" is less helpful to an engineer than to say that "button X does not activate when I've selected option Y."

Be calm: Bugs happen. Showering the tech-support team with angry comments or demands for speedy intervention will not help get the problem resolved with any additional speed.
Be concise: State the problem completely, but don't write a book. Focus on the problem only, and offer only one problem per support ticket or feedback session.
List the steps you took to generate the bug: If you can make the problem repeat, list the steps (in order) to make the bug reappear.
Share if the bug is repeatable: Was it a one-time glitch, or does it persist even after you've taken the usual troubleshooting steps of rebooting, clearing browser caches, etc.?
Provide evidence of the problem: Add screenshots, error-log reports, or file attachments (where possible) that show the problem in its context.
Offer relevant context: If you can't get a social-login button to work, for example, it's worth sharing whether you're running any privacy plugins with your browser.

FAQ

How do I fix Gmail not receiving emails?

If you're missing emails in Gmail, check your All mail, Spam, and Trash folders. Also, check for blocked and forwarded addresses.
How do I fix Gmail not sending emails?

Make sure you're using the latest version of your browser, clear the web browser's cache and cookies, and temporarily disable browser extensions and add-ons. Check the Google Workspace Status Dashboard to see if the problem lies with Google, in which case you'll just have to wait.
How do I fix Gmail not syncing?

If Gmail isn't syncing, perform a manual sync and enable automated sync. If you still have trouble, make sure the device is online, update the app, and clear your Gmail app data and storage.
How do I fix Gmail on my iPhone?

To fix Gmail on an iPhone, open Gmail in your iPhone's browser, then go to the following URL to allow access to your Gmail account: https://accounts.google.com/b/0/displayunlockcaptcha. If you still have issues, review your device activity and enable IMAP.

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