More than 1.4 billion users are using Gmail worldwide, that is free for personal use and available to buy for businesses. Previously Gmail was updated in 2011, so an updated was essential to cope-up with the competitors. Google has announced its much needed and important update on Wednesday, that has used AI enabled features and machine learning tricks. In short, an AI makeover will be given to the Gmail that is going to make the users fall in love with Gmail.
Gmail has redesigned its web user interface that is based on quick productivity actions. The static inbox experience is going to be more interactive for the users, as many new features are being introduced by Google including hover actions, attachment chips, and hover cards.
Google is going to surface the lab features that will allow the users to create multiple inboxes (called canned responses) and they can also customize their preferences for multiple inboxes using a preview pane. Google is also going to focus on the previously hidden lab features.
If you are looking for extra security for your Gmail account, the confidential mode is an exciting new feature is being introduced that will restrict the users from downloading, copying, forwarding and printing your emails. You can set an expiry date for the emails that according to your requirements that can be a day, a week, a month, 3 months or 5 years. You will be glad to know that now set a passcode for an email that the recipient will receive on their mobile phones via text message.
Another important feature will be introduced that will enhance your productivity is Google Tasks. A stand-alone mobile app has been introduced that will allow you to manage your routine tasks by creating your own to-do list. By using this app adding and reordering tasks can be done easily. It also allows the users to drag emails into their do list. While you can write your quick notes using Google keep.
If you are sick of finding your attachments from your inbox, an exciting new feature will make your life easier by surfacing your files in Google docs, sheets and slides right below subject line. You will be able to archive, delete, snoozing or marking unread messages straight from your inbox without having to open the email. New buttons have been introduced for this purpose and these buttons appear when you hover over individual threads.
The offline mode is another inspiring feature that is going to be introduced in this update. You will be able to write emails while you are offline that can be sent as soon as you are connected to the internet.
A lot of smart useful features have also been introduced that are incorporated using Artificial Intelligence. If you are tired of getting notifications for all the emails, you can enable the new feature and you will be notified about the most important 3 % messages that are received in your inbox. The importance of messages will be decided based on your usage incorporating AI. The nudging feature will remind the users to respond to their messages and follow up.
You must be aware of Smart Replies feature that is available for the smartphones, it suggests 3 replies for your email that you can use. Now you will have this feature on Google desktop. “10 percent of all replies on email start with Smart Replies”, stated Jacob Bank who is Google’s product management lead for Gmail.
Based on a feature that was introduced by Microsoft in 2015, Gmail will allow you to mention individual people in the email using a “+” sign and these mentioned people will be added to your list of recipients.
You might be interested in finding out when these features will be available for the users. According to David Thacker, who is the VP Product manager for G Suite, “Nudging, offline support, and confidential mode will roll out to all users in the next few weeks”. Gmail has been criticised by the critics for being an outdated source of communication as compared to its competitors. But with the introduction of these exciting new features incorporating AI, Gmail cannot be considered outdated anymore.
Sources: MIT Technology Review , South China Morning Post
