Google’s email service Gmail, which is the most widely used email service in the world has been revamped. This includes a brand-new look on the web, advanced security features, new applications of Google’s artificial intelligence and more.
According to a blog put out by Google, the redesign includes some simple changes such as being able to click on attachments without opening or scrolling through large conversations. Google has also introduced a snooze button to put off emails that users can’t get to at a particular moment.
Access to other commonly used apps such as Google Calendar, Tasks and Keep have also been made easy.
The new nudge feature will allow you to follow up and respond to messages. Gmail will display quick reminders next to email messages to help make sure important mails aren’t missed.
The Smart Reply feature, which lets you instantly reply with messages such as, ‘ok sure will do’, or ‘let’s do that’ will now be available one the web as well. The smart replies appear based on the content of the mail and this feature was so far only available on the mobile app.
It has also added new features on mobile such as high-priority notifications, which will let you customise what mails you want to be notified about. Gmail will also start suggesting users when to unsubscribe from newsletters or offers that aren’t read or looked at by users.
Security
Google has added a host of new features to ensure sensitive data of users is kept secure.
Google has introduced Gmail confidential mode. With this mode, users can protect sensitive content in emails by creating expiration dates or revoking previously sent messages.
“Because you can require additional authentication via text message to view an email, it’s also possible to protect data even if a recipient’s email account has been hijacked while the message is active,” the company says.
There are also new Built-in Information Rights Management (IRM) controls that allow you to remove the option to forward, copy, download or print messages. This helps reduce the risk of confidential information being accidentally shared with the wrong people. Confidential mode will begin to roll out to consumer Gmail users and a limited number of G Suite customers in the coming weeks.
It has also added new ‘bigger, bolder’ warnings in Gmail that alert users when potentially risky email comes through.
G Suite Apps
Google is also tightly integrating Gmail with other G Suite apps you use every day. It has introduce a side panel in the inbox to be able to easily reference, create or edit Calendar invites, capture ideas in Keep or manage to-dos in Tasks all from a side panel in your inbox.
The side panel also makes it easy to access Gmail Add-ons, too, like third-party business apps. “You’ll start to see the new side panel integration in other G Suite apps in coming months—like inside of your Calendar, Docs, Sheets and Slides apps,” the company said in its blogpost.
As part of the revamp, it has also introduced ‘Tasks’ app and a web version. Tasks can be used to create tasks and subtasks, and even add due dates with notifications. And because Tasks closely integrates with G Suite, users can simply drag and drop an email from Gmail into Tasks to create a to-do. Tasks with due dates can also appear in the Calendar.