Gmail Refreshes for Spring
After a string of the new features leaked over the past couple of weeks, Google officially launched their new Gmail updates and features today! It won’t be a complete overhaul of what we’ve been used to though. It is a refreshed design that stays within the comfort zone of what the user is used to.
One of the more buzz worthy leaks that was finally revealed was the expiring email feature. For confidential information you can send a security heavy email (via a link) that expires after a certain date (i.e. 1 day, 1 week, 1 year) and the recipient will need to enter in a code to confirm their identity. An added security measure: no copy, paste, or print! But screen shots still hold up.
Inbox Updates
The most useful of the updates is the addition of action icons when you hover over your inbox messages. These options include archive, delete, mark as read, and also snooze. With the snooze option, much like your alarm clock, Google will remind you to read it at a later time (to which again, like an alarm clock, you can snooze again and again). Another reminder feature is the “nudge.” By nudging an email Google will make sure it is resurrected at a later time.
Spring Cleaning
For those of us with cluttered inboxes and a habit of signing up for radio contests, promotions, and online shopping accounts, Google has implemented unsubscribe suggestions which will prompt you to opt out of that daily email blast you never read. Comparatively, there is also the high priority feature in which Google will notify you of messages that seem extra time sensitive and that probably shouldn’t be nudged or glanced over.
A Little to the Right
Pushing chat notifications from the busy left side of your account (which can include Inbox, Spam, sub folders, etc.) allows a refreshing and more spacious email account. Another available feature is the Google calendar widget – it sits cozily in the upper right and when clicked allows you to view and edit by day while still in your inbox. New additions in the sidebar also include Google Keep and Google Tasks. Google Keep is for note taking and Google Tasks allows you to drag and drop emails into the sidebar to create new tasks.
What Is Staying
Although these are welcomed updates to Gmail, many of the classic features won’t be going anywhere. The three density features will stay (default, comfortable and compact), priority star, and filters/folders will be staying to name a few.
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