Category Archives: Official Gmail Blog

News, tips and tricks from Google’s Gmail team and friends

Hitting send on the next 15 years of Gmail

Back in 2004, email looked a lot different than it does today. Inboxes were overtaken by spam, and there was no easy way to search your inbox or file messages away. Plus, you had to constantly delete emails to stay under the storage limit. We built Gmail to address these problems, and it’s grown into a product that 1.5 billion users rely on to get things done every day. Today, on Gmail’s 15 birthday, we’re taking a look back and sharing where we’re headed next.

Different from day one

On April 1, 2004 we launched Gmail (despite the timing, not a joke). It had the power of Google Search built right in and grouped your messages into conversation threads, making it easier to find and reply to them. You could also store 1GB of data for free—nearly 100 times what was available at the time. No wonder the world thought it was a prank.

2004_Gmail_UI.jpg

In the mid-2000s, email spam was a serious issue. Gmail blocked spam before it ever reached your inbox, and created a way for people to report suspected spam when they saw it, to help make email safer. Over the years, we’ve enhanced our spam filtering capabilities with artificial intelligence and today, AI helps us block nearly 10 million spam emails every minute. Here's a throwback video from 2007 where our team explains how Gmail fights spam.

When Gmail launched, the first Android-powered smartphones were still years away. As mobile devices became ubiquitous, Gmail evolved from being desktop-only to also work on your phone or tablet, helping you get more done on the go. Gmail's tabbed inbox feature was the first of its kind, helping you organize messages by category, so you can see what’s new at a glance. AI-powered features like Smart Reply and Nudges helped you reply faster and stay on top of your to-dos.

What’s next for Gmail

Gmail has evolved a lot over the past 15 years. Before we blow out our birthday candles, here’s a rundown of new features coming your way.

First off, we’re making Gmail more assistive. You may have already used Smart Compose, an AI-powered feature that helps you write emails quicker. It’s already saved people from typing over 1 billion characters each week—that’s enough to fill the pages of 1,000 copies of "Lord of the Rings.” Today, we’re updating Smart Compose to include more languages (Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese) and bringing it to Android (previously, it was only available on Pixel 3 devices), with iOS coming soon.

SMART_COMPOSE_PERSONALIZED_GREETINGS_MOBILE.gif

Smart Compose is also getting, well, smarter. It will personalize suggestions for you, so if you prefer saying “Ahoy," or “Ello, mate” in your greetings, Smart Compose will suggest just that. It can also suggest a subject line based on the email you’ve written.

SMART_COMPOSE_SUGGESTED_SUBJECT_DESKTOP.gif

Next up, you can decide when your email gets delivered to someone else’s inbox. Today, we added a new feature that lets you schedule email to be sent at a more appropriate date or time, which is helpful if you’re working across time zones, or want to avoid interrupting someone’s vacation.

SHEDULE_SEND_MOBILE.gif

Lastly, you can now take action without leaving your inbox. You can respond to a comment thread in Google Docs, browse hotel recommendations and more, directly within emails. This way you don’t have to open a new tab or app to get things done.

Dynamic_email_Google Docs(Birthday).gif

We may have launched Gmail on April Fools’ Day, but the last 15 years have been no joke. And we’re looking forward to what’s to come.

Source: Gmail Blog


Hitting send on the next 15 years of Gmail

Back in 2004, email looked a lot different than it does today. Inboxes were overtaken by spam, and there was no easy way to search your inbox or file messages away. Plus, you had to constantly delete emails to stay under the storage limit. We built Gmail to address these problems, and it’s grown into a product that 1.5 billion users rely on to get things done every day. Today, on Gmail’s 15 birthday, we’re taking a look back and sharing where we’re headed next.

Different from day one

On April 1, 2004 we launched Gmail (despite the timing, not a joke). It had the power of Google Search built right in and grouped your messages into conversation threads, making it easier to find and reply to them. You could also store 1GB of data for free—nearly 100 times what was available at the time. No wonder the world thought it was a prank.

2004_Gmail_UI.jpg

In the mid-2000s, email spam was a serious issue. Gmail blocked spam before it ever reached your inbox, and created a way for people to report suspected spam when they saw it, to help make email safer. Over the years, we’ve enhanced our spam filtering capabilities with artificial intelligence and today, AI helps us block nearly 10 million spam emails every minute. Here's a throwback video from 2007 where our team explains how Gmail fights spam.

When Gmail launched, the first Android-powered smartphones were still years away. As mobile devices became ubiquitous, Gmail evolved from being desktop-only to also work on your phone or tablet, helping you get more done on the go. Gmail's tabbed inbox feature was the first of its kind, helping you organize messages by category, so you can see what’s new at a glance. AI-powered features like Smart Reply and Nudges helped you reply faster and stay on top of your to-dos.

What’s next for Gmail

Gmail has evolved a lot over the past 15 years. Before we blow out our birthday candles, here’s a rundown of new features coming your way.

First off, we’re making Gmail more assistive. You may have already used Smart Compose, an AI-powered feature that helps you write emails quicker. It’s already saved people from typing over 1 billion characters each week—that’s enough to fill the pages of 1,000 copies of "Lord of the Rings.” Today, we’re updating Smart Compose to include more languages (Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese) and bringing it to Android (previously, it was only available on Pixel 3 devices), with iOS coming soon.

SMART_COMPOSE_PERSONALIZED_GREETINGS_MOBILE.gif

Smart Compose is also getting, well, smarter. It will personalize suggestions for you, so if you prefer saying “Ahoy," or “Ello, mate” in your greetings, Smart Compose will suggest just that. It can also suggest a subject line based on the email you’ve written.

SMART_COMPOSE_SUGGESTED_SUBJECT_DESKTOP.gif

Next up, you can decide when your email gets delivered to someone else’s inbox. Today, we added a new feature that lets you schedule email to be sent at a more appropriate date or time, which is helpful if you’re working across time zones, or want to avoid interrupting someone’s vacation.

SHEDULE_SEND_MOBILE.gif

Lastly, you can now take action without leaving your inbox. You can respond to a comment thread in Google Docs, browse hotel recommendations and more, directly within emails. This way you don’t have to open a new tab or app to get things done.

Dynamic_email_Google Docs(Birthday).gif

We may have launched Gmail on April Fools’ Day, but the last 15 years have been no joke. And we’re looking forward to what’s to come.

Source: Gmail Blog


Take action and stay up-to-date with dynamic email in Gmail

Over the past decade, our web experiences have changed enormously—evolving from static flat content to interactive apps. Yet email has largely stayed the same with static messages that eventually go out of date, or are merely a springboard to accomplish a more complex task. If you want to take action, you usually have to click on a link, open a new tab and visit another website.

Starting today, we’re making emails more useful and interactive in Gmail. Your emails can stay up to date so you’re always seeing the freshest information, like the latest comment threads and recommended jobs. With dynamic email, you can easily take action directly from within the message itself, like RSVP to an event, fill out a questionnaire, browse a catalog or respond to a comment.

Take commenting in Google Docs, for example. Instead of receiving individual email notifications when someone mentions you in a comment, now, you’ll see an up-to-date thread in Gmail where you can easily reply or resolve the comment, right from within the message.

gmail_comment.gif

Businesses have also already started using dynamic email to make their emails more actionable and relevant, like Booking.com, Despegar, Doodle, Ecwid, Freshworks, Nexxt, OYO Rooms, Pinterest and redBus. Check out examples below—you’ll start to see these dynamic emails in the next few weeks.

First, Pinterest has made it easier to discover new ideas and save them to boards:

gmail_Pinterest.gif

Next, with OYO Rooms, you can browse recommended hotels and rentals, and view details in fewer clicks right from the email:

gmail_oyo.gif

And with Doodle’s dynamic email, you can respond to meeting without opening another website:

gmail_doodle.gif

Like the rest of Gmail, dynamic email is safeguarded by best-in-class privacy and security protections. To ensure added security, those who want to send dynamic email have to be reviewed by Gmail first before they can get started.  

Dynamic emails will begin rolling out to Gmail users on the web today. Mobile support is coming soon. If you’re a G Suite customer, you will be able to enable dynamic email for your organization in the Admin console in the next few days. Heads up: if you’re using another mail app with Gmail, you’ll simply see the static version, and you can always revert back to it in Gmail, if you prefer.

Lastly, if you’re a developer and would like to learn how to build, test and send AMP emails, check out our documentation or this blog post for inspiration.

Source: Gmail Blog


Take action and stay up-to-date with dynamic email in Gmail

Over the past decade, our web experiences have changed enormously—evolving from static flat content to interactive apps. Yet email has largely stayed the same with static messages that eventually go out of date, or are merely a springboard to accomplish a more complex task. If you want to take action, you usually have to click on a link, open a new tab and visit another website.

Starting today, we’re making emails more useful and interactive in Gmail. Your emails can stay up to date so you’re always seeing the freshest information, like the latest comment threads and recommended jobs. With dynamic email, you can easily take action directly from within the message itself, like RSVP to an event, fill out a questionnaire, browse a catalog or respond to a comment.

Take commenting in Google Docs, for example. Instead of receiving individual email notifications when someone mentions you in a comment, now, you’ll see an up-to-date thread in Gmail where you can easily reply or resolve the comment, right from within the message.

gmail_comment.gif

Businesses have also already started using dynamic email to make their emails more actionable and relevant, like Booking.com, Despegar, Doodle, Ecwid, Freshworks, Nexxt, OYO Rooms, Pinterest and redBus. Check out examples below—you’ll start to see these dynamic emails in the next few weeks.

First, Pinterest has made it easier to discover new ideas and save them to boards:

gmail_Pinterest.gif

Next, with OYO Rooms, you can browse recommended hotels and rentals, and view details in fewer clicks right from the email:

gmail_oyo.gif

And with Doodle’s dynamic email, you can respond to meeting without opening another website:

gmail_doodle.gif

Like the rest of Gmail, dynamic email is safeguarded by best-in-class privacy and security protections. To ensure added security, those who want to send dynamic email have to be reviewed by Gmail first before they can get started.  

Dynamic emails will begin rolling out to Gmail users on the web today. Mobile support is coming soon. If you’re a G Suite customer, you will be able to enable dynamic email for your organization in the Admin console in the next few days. Heads up: if you’re using another mail app with Gmail, you’ll simply see the static version, and you can always revert back to it in Gmail, if you prefer.

Lastly, if you’re a developer and would like to learn how to build, test and send AMP emails, check out our documentation or this blog post for inspiration.

Source: Gmail Blog


Making Gmail on mobile better for you

If you’ve used Gmail on the web in the past year, you probably noticed its new features that were designed to help you get things done quickly.

With machine learning, Gmail can help you draft emails faster using Smart Compose, or reply to messages quicker with suggested responses generated by Smart Reply. It can also “nudge” you to follow up on emails with subtle reminders in your inbox, and notify you to reply to threads so that you can prioritize what’s important or overdue.

Today, we’re kicking off the year with a new look for Gmail on mobile, too. As part of the new design, you can quickly view attachments—like photos—without opening or scrolling through the conversation. It’s also easier to switch between personal and work accounts, so you can access all of your emails without breaking a sweat. And just like on the web, you’ll get big, red warnings to alert you when something looks phish-y.

This update is part of a larger effort to make G Suite look and act like a family of products, designed in the Google Material Theme with ease-of-use in mind. We’ve already updated the web experiences for Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and most recently Google Docs and Sites. In the coming weeks, you’ll see the new mobile design in Gmail on Android and iOS, with more G Suite mobile apps to follow later this year.

Source: Gmail Blog


Making Gmail on mobile better for you

If you’ve used Gmail on the web in the past year, you probably noticed its new features that were designed to help you get things done quickly.

With machine learning, Gmail can help you draft emails faster using Smart Compose, or reply to messages quicker with suggested responses generated by Smart Reply. It can also “nudge” you to follow up on emails with subtle reminders in your inbox, and notify you to reply to threads so that you can prioritize what’s important or overdue.

Today, we’re kicking off the year with a new look for Gmail on mobile, too. As part of the new design, you can quickly view attachments—like photos—without opening or scrolling through the conversation. It’s also easier to switch between personal and work accounts, so you can access all of your emails without breaking a sweat. And just like on the web, you’ll get big, red warnings to alert you when something looks phish-y.

This update is part of a larger effort to make G Suite look and act like a family of products, designed in the Google Material Theme with ease-of-use in mind. We’ve already updated the web experiences for Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and most recently Google Docs and Sites. In the coming weeks, you’ll see the new mobile design in Gmail on Android and iOS, with more G Suite mobile apps to follow later this year.

Source: Gmail Blog


Making Gmail on mobile better for you

If you’ve used Gmail on the web in the past year, you probably noticed its new features that were designed to help you get things done quickly.

With machine learning, Gmail can help you draft emails faster using Smart Compose, or reply to messages quicker with suggested responses generated by Smart Reply. It can also “nudge” you to follow up on emails with subtle reminders in your inbox, and notify you to reply to threads so that you can prioritize what’s important or overdue.

Today, we’re kicking off the year with a new look for Gmail on mobile, too. As part of the new design, you can quickly view attachments—like photos—without opening or scrolling through the conversation. It’s also easier to switch between personal and work accounts, so you can access all of your emails without breaking a sweat. And just like on the web, you’ll get big, red warnings to alert you when something looks phish-y.

This update is part of a larger effort to make G Suite look and act like a family of products, designed in the Google Material Theme with ease-of-use in mind. We’ve already updated the web experiences for Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and most recently Google Docs and Sites. In the coming weeks, you’ll see the new mobile design in Gmail on Android and iOS, with more G Suite mobile apps to follow later this year.

Source: Gmail Blog


Smart Compose comes to Pixel 3 and four new languages

In May, we introduced Smart Compose in Gmail on the web, which uses machine learning to help you draft emails faster. It has already saved people from typing over 1 billion characters each week and now it can help you write emails even faster while you’re on the go. We’re bringing Smart Compose to the Gmail mobile app, starting with Pixel 3. Smart Compose will offer writing suggestions as you type and if you like what you see, just swipe right to use it.

Demo 1 animation.gif

Smart Compose has already rolled out globally in English. In the coming months, we’ll bring the experience to four new languages: Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese. We’ll also bring it to more mobile devices beginning in 2019.

We’re excited to bring Smart Compose to more places and more languages to help you do more with Gmail—faster. Want to make it even better? Keep the feedback coming using the “Help & feedback” link on the web or mobile app.

Source: Gmail Blog


Smart Compose comes to Pixel 3 and four new languages

In May, we introduced Smart Compose in Gmail on the web, which uses machine learning to help you draft emails faster. It has already saved people from typing over 1 billion characters each week and now it can help you write emails even faster while you’re on the go. We’re bringing Smart Compose to the Gmail mobile app, starting with Pixel 3. Smart Compose will offer writing suggestions as you type and if you like what you see, just swipe right to use it.

Demo 1 animation.gif

Smart Compose has already rolled out globally in English. In the coming months, we’ll bring the experience to four new languages: Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese. We’ll also bring it to more mobile devices beginning in 2019.

We’re excited to bring Smart Compose to more places and more languages to help you do more with Gmail—faster. Want to make it even better? Keep the feedback coming using the “Help & feedback” link on the web or mobile app.

Source: Gmail Blog


Tips from the people behind your favorite Google products

I’m one of those people who always cuts it close at the airport—it’s a race through security, with just enough time to grab the airline essentials: water bottle, magazine, a soft pretzel if I’m lucky. But I just learned that I can whip out Google Maps to find my way around the airport (by searching the airport name and terminal number), so I no longer waste time running around looking for my snack of choice.

For two decades, Google has built products that make my life more useful. Eight of these products now have a billion users, and with all that extra time at the airport, I got to thinking—how many other unknown tips and tricks are out there? Since Google is celebrating its 20th birthday this month, I present a party favor: tips on Google’s most-used products, straight from the people who helped build them.

Search

  • For lovers of covers:Try searching for a song and then tapping “other recordings” for different renditions.
  • Don’t burn daylight: Make the most of your daylight hours by knowing when the sun will go down. Search [sunset] to get the time the sun will set today.
  • For content connoisseurs:If you’re a fan of bingeable TV shows or a movie buff, you can see all the places to stream any show or film by searching [watch] followed by the title. (Head’s up: this is available in the U.S., Great Britain, Australia, Germany and India). 
Emily Moxley, Director of Product Management


Maps

  • Beat the crowds:Use Google Maps to find out the estimated wait times and popular times to visit your favorite restaurants and businesses. 
  • Don’t get lost in the parking lot:If you’ve ever spent way too long searching for your parked car, this tip’s for you. After navigating to your destination, tap on the blue dot and then “Set as parking location” so you can always find your way back to your parking spot.
  • Quickest route to the airport snacks:If you’re flying to a new place, you can use Google Maps to help you find your way around an airport. A quick search for an airport terminal name, say “SFO Terminal 1,” will show you the lay of the land, including nearby gates, lounges, restaurants and stores.
Dane Glasgow, VP of Product


YouTube

  • Just add popcorn:Developed to cut down on glare and give you that movie theater experience, Dark Theme turns your background dark while you’re watching YouTube. It’s available on desktop, iOS and now rolling out to Android. 
  • Pick your pace:Speed up or slow down the playback of a video by tapping on the three dots at the bottom right of any video. 
  • Take a shortcut:While watching a YouTube video, use the numbered keys to seek in a video. For example, hitting “2” will take you 20 percent into the video, “6” will take you to 60 percent into the video, “0” will restart the video. 
Brian Marquardt, Director of Product Management


Gmail

  • The ultimate to-do list: Open Tasks in your side panel within Gmail, then drag and drop emails to turn your messages into action items. 
  • Shhhh:Declutter your inbox with Gmail’s mute feature, which pushes the entire conversation to your archive and any future conversations on the thread bypass your inbox to be automatically archived as well. 
  • Take it back:Don’t fret over embarrassing typos, unintentional reply-alls, or other email taboos. In your Gmail settings, just implement a 5-30 second cancellation period on your sent emails and once you’ve fired one off, you’ll receive a prompt to “Undo.”

Kevin Smilak, Engineering Director


Google Drive

  • Give your docs a gold star:Find your favorite Drive items by starring your most important docs within the Drive main menu, and then bookmarking your Starred page. 
  • File_name_V2:Freeze moments in time by naming different versions of the docs you edit frequently. In a Doc, Sheet, or Slides go to File > Version History > Name current version. Name any version then access it easily from "Version history" by name. 
  • Your search is our command:Google Drive makes the text within all of the images and PDFs you upload searchable. Try searching for a phrase that you know is inside a picture or PDF, which is especially helpful when you can’t remember your filename. 
Alexander Vogenthaler, Director of Product Management


Android

  • Lost and found:If you’ve misplaced your Android phone, Find My Device lets you locate it by signing into your Google account. Or you can call it directly from a browser by typing “find my device” on Google. Lock your phone remotely or display a message on the lock screen, so if someone finds it they know who to contact. If you’re convinced it’s lost for good, you can erase all your data.
  • Always reachable:Don’t miss any urgent phone calls and messages from important contacts like close family members or your child’s school, even when you have Do Not Disturb turned on. Just add a star to people that matter to you, and then allow calls and messages from “starred contacts only” in Do Not Disturb settings. 
  • Use your voice:You can ask your Google Assistant to handle tasks on your Android phone (running Android 6.0 Marshmallow or later). Start by saying “OK Google,” then try “take a screenshot,” “turn on flashlight,” or “open WiFi setting.” You can even ask to “take a selfie”—this will open the camera app and start a countdown. Cheeeeeeeese. 
Sagar Kamdar, Director of Product Management


Google Play

  • When you’re good with faces, but not names:Just hit pause on your movie, tap the circle around the actor or actress's face, and learn more about them and what other movies they’ve been in.
  • Read like a superhero: When you’re reading a comic on your phone, tap on a voice bubble and use your volume buttons to zoom in on the dialogue between two characters.
  • What you wish for:You can create a wishlist to keep track of items you want to install or purchase on Google Play.
Kara Bailey, Global Merchandising Director


Chrome

  • Access history across devices:Open Chrome and click on “History.” From the drop down menu, click “Full History” and “Tabs From Other Devices.” If you’re signed into the same Google account on both your phone and your computer, you’ll see the article you were just about to finish on your way into work.
  • Keeping tabs on your tabs:You can save eight days of time per year using keyboard shortcuts. Try this one in Chrome: jump between tabs at light speed by pressing Ctrl and the tab number you want to go to (i.e., Ctrl+1, Ctrl+2, Ctrl+3).
  • ?☝? = ?. Right-click in any text field for a shortcut to access emoji on any platform Chrome can be found.
Ellie Powers, Group Product Manager, and Chris Beckmann, Product Management Director 

So many tips, so much saved time.

Source: Gmail Blog