Gmail users losing draft messages - subject turns 'undefined', HTML code replaces body

For the past few months, a number of Gmail users have been reporting an issue that has caused them to lose their days worth of hard work. The problem is with the email service’s drafts feature. Those affected say that upon opening, their saved draft messages get corrupted.

Specifically, subject changes to ‘undefined’ and the main content – irrespective of whether it’s text, images, or both – gets replaced by either gibberish stuff or HTML code.

In some cases, main content isn’t corrupted, but subject and recipients disappear. Some also report encountering a scenario where-in Subject and To fields disappear altogether, or become non-editable.

Curiously, there have also been cases where-in the email was sent successfully, but the recipient got to see all code/jibberish upon opening it.

Going by user reports in the official Gmail forum, the issue doesn’t seem to be Web browser specific. Also, it’s there on both Web client and mobile app, and is affecting normal as well as G Suite users.

Officially, Google hasn’t said anything yet on the issue. However, as screenshots suggest, the problem is clearly there, and more likely than not, is at Gmail’s end only. As for user-suggested workarounds, we could only find one in this case, and thought it would be best to put it here in their own words:

“When after hitting ‘compose’ I exit full screen mode for the e-mail by clicking the button top right, the issue stops. Saving and resuming editing the e-mail is flawless.”

Don’t get your hopes too high, but do try out what this workaround suggests. Also, don’t forget to tell us in comments if it works for you. And finally, as always, stay tuned as we will bring you all latest developments related to this problem as and when they happen.

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