Google hastily removed an April Fools’ Day feature on Friday that allowed Gmail users to send emails and not see the replies, after the joke fell very flat with some people.
The prank, called “Mic Drop”, gave users the option of sending emails through a special send button that – if the person replied – did not show the response. Users could ignore the feature, but some apparently clicked in error on the special button instead of the usual button.
“Well, it looks like we pranked ourselves this year. Due to a bug, the Mic Drop feature inadvertently caused more headaches than laughs,” Google said in a Gmail blog post after its help forum filled with complaints.
“We’re truly sorry. The feature has been turned off. If you are still seeing it, please reload your Gmail page.”
A representative for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Gmail blog said the initial idea was to allow users to “have the last word on any email”.
“Everyone will get your message, but that’s the last you’ll ever hear about it. Yes, even if folks try to respond, you won’t see it.”