Google April Fool Gmail Send Button Sparks Backlash

Google has removed an April Fool’s Gmail button, which sent a comical animation to recipients, after reports of people getting into trouble.

The button appeared beside Gmail’s regular send button and allowed users to shut down an email thread by sending a “gift” of a Minion dropping a microphone.

Google has said that the new Gmail function lets you “get the last word on any email — just send your message with the new Mic Drop button. Everyone will see your response and this GIF, but you’ll never see the conversation again,” informs Google. Just click the “compose” button and you’ll find a new feature called “send a drop mic,” which adds a GIF animation from Minions and archives the message.

However, a flurry of complaints about the button appeared on Google’s forums.

“It looks like we pranked ourselves this year,” Google said in a statement. “Due to a bug, the Mic Drop feature inadvertently caused more headaches than laughs. We’re truly sorry.”

A “mic drop” is a popular meme in which someone makes a conclusive statement or rebuttal before dropping a microphone and walking away.

Google was not immediately able to clarify details of the bug.

Google added that users who were still seeing the feature in their Gmail could switch it off by reloading or restarting Gmail.

Users had been informed of the button and what it would do via a message in Gmail when it first appeared.

Furthermore, users with the “undo send” capability enabled would have been able to retract a message within a certain time period after sending it.

Google originally announced the creation of Gmail on 1 April 2004 and, at the time, there was speculation as to whether the e-mail service was actually an April Fool’s stunt.