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Gmail is rolling out its first major update since 2011 and it’s filled with useful new features. These features will make Gmail more secure and convenient for you to use.
This update is rolling out over the next few months but you can get it now. Check out the new features, then see how to get this important update to Gmail.
New Safety Features in Gmail
Google has added features to Gmail to make it more secure for users.
Confidential Mode for Email Messages
Sometimes you need to have a secure way to send an email message. If you’re sharing your social security number, login passwords, or financial information, you may want to be certain that the person opening the message is your intended recipient.
With New Gmail you can send email messages in Confidential Mode. Gmail messages sent in Confidential Mode cannot be printed, copied, downloaded or forwarded to another email address. (Note that someone can still take a screenshot of the message to preserve it.)
You can also set a date for the email message to expire. After that, the email message can no longer be opened by the recipient.
Confidential Mode also allows you to require that a password be used to open that email message. The password is sent via text message to the recipient, so the sender must have the cell phone number of the person who will be receiving the password.
Users can restrict access to Confidential Mode emails even before they expire. Go to your Sent folder, open the Confidential email, then click “Remove access.” The recipient will no longer be able to access the Confidential email.
Suspicious Email Warnings
If you’ve ever mindlessly opened a suspicious email without considering the consequences, you not may have realized that it was sent by a fake account, hacker or phishing account.
The New Gmail has more prominent warnings when it detects suspicious email messages, reducing the chances that you will accidentally act on the message.
Smart Features in New Gmail
Gmail’s new features make using the service more convenient and efficient. You may save a lot of time and trouble by learning about these new smart Gmail tools.
Smart Reply
With Smart Reply, Gmail is making it easier for you to reply to emails. When you open an email message, Gmail might suggest quick replies to the sender.
Click on the one you want, then send it as a reply to save yourself time and keystrokes.
Notifications for Important Emails
If you’ve ever checked your inbox repeatedly for an important email, you’ll appreciate this new feature. Gmail can now send you notifications when you receive emails using the Gmail app for Android and iOS (iPhone/iPad).
See More from Your Inbox
New Gmail lets you do more from your inbox without even opening an email message. From your email inbox you can see which messages have attachments, such as documents, PDF’s and photos. You can also open the attachments by clicking on them, again without even opening the email message.
Tip => Make sure before you open an attachment that the email is truly from the sender and not from a spam account.
See More of Your Inbox
You can view more of your inbox on the screen with New Gmail. Click on the Menu icon (three stacked lines) in the upper left corner of your Gmail inbox to hide the left side bar. Click it again to have the side bar return.
New Toolbar
Gmail adds a toolbar to the right side of your inbox. There you can quickly access Google Calendar, Google Keep (a note app) and Google Tasks.
Google Tasks is a new service that can help you become organized, get reminders and more. You can get the new Google Tasks app for iPhone/iPad and Android to help organize your life.
Snooze Messages
There are times when you don’t want to, or can’t, deal with an email message right away. You may want to wait to reply, but then that message gets drowned out by other messages and soon gets lost in the clutter of your inbox.
New Gmail has a Snooze feature that lets you schedule a message to return to the top of your inbox at a later time.
Hover your cursor over a message in your Gmail inbox and a series of icons will appear on the right side. Click on the clock icon, then choose how long until the message appears at the top of your inbox.
You can choose a specific date and time or choose “Someday” and let Google choose when to return the message to the top of your inbox.
Google Can Nudge
Sometimes we have a difficult time responding to all of our emails in a timely manner. With New Gmail, Google will highlight the message you haven’t yet responded to with a reminder to reply.
Unsubscribing Is Even Easier
Google will suggest that you unsubscribe from email subscriptions that no longer seem to interest you. A single click will unsubscribe you from that email subscription.
How to Update to the New Gmail
If you can’t wait to use these new Gmail features, you can update to New Gmail easily. Don’t worry, if you find you don’t like New Gmail you can switch back to the classic format.
To update to New Gmail, click on the gear icon in the upper right corner above your inbox. A drop-down menu will appear. Click “Try the new Gmail.”
If you don’t see that option, close Gmail and open it again.
Gmail will refresh and you’ll see this window with an option for you to choose the inbox display you want to view. That means how many emails you see in your inbox when you open Gmail.
Try New Gmail to get familiar with it and see if you enjoy using the new features.
Switching Back to the Old Gmail
If you regret your move to New Gmail, you can switch back to the old Gmail easily. Click on the gear icon again and choose “Go back to classic Gmail.”
Learn More About New Gmail
You can learn more about New Gmail at Google’s Gmail Help Page.
Note that not all of these features may be available in New Gmail when you start using it. Confidential Mode does not appear to be working yet, for example. Google has said some of the features of New Gmail will be available in the coming weeks.
Your Thoughts
Have you tried New Gmail? Do you like the new smart and safe features? Which features are most compelling for you?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
Woohoo!! So excited about the new changes and features! I love Gmail and will always continue to use it. Definitely makes life much easier. Thanks for sharing this with us, Carolyn!
Hi Bren, Yes, there are so many features that are exciting in this update. It really is packed with new tools we will use frequently. I’m glad we don’t have to wait to update to the New Gmail. We can take a few seconds and start using these new features now!
Hello
Carolyn,
Happy to read your post. Here, great to know about new features of Gmail and these features looks really cool. I am a big fan of Gmail and always use this service in my daily life. I am really excited to know about the new features of Gmail. I am going to update my Gmail.
The step by step features guide of Gmail is amazing. You have well explained the whole post.
Thanks for sharing. Waiting for your next blog post.
Best wishes,
Praveen verma
Hi Praveen, I’m so glad you found this article helpful. I use Gmail too and really am enjoying this update. The features are very useful and easy to learn.
I hope you enjoy using this Gmail update too, Praveen!
Very cool. Sometimes I wish Google made managing multiple accounts even easier. Its hard when you’re managing multiple emails, google plus and evverything else. These tips will definitely help me tho, thanks a bunch 🙂
Hi Aaron, Excellent point. People often have multiple email addresses for home and business, yet switching between the two can be cumbersome and confusing.
I hope that Gmail’s next update addresses this issue and that the update is sooner than seven years, as this one was!
I didn’t realize those were the updates; Well Thank you so much for sharing all in details;
Hi Satya, Yes, these updates really do make Gmail easier to use. They save steps and time. Users will quickly become spoiled by all these new features of Gmail!