Gmail

623 'Gmail' stories June 2011 - February 2019

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Announced on April 1, 2004 with an unprecedented 1GB of user storage, many assumed that Gmail was just one of Google’s April Fools’ pranks. For comparison, competing services only had 2 to 4MB for users to store email messages and attachments. Currently, Gmail storage is combined with that of other Google products with 15GB available for free.

Gmail was released in beta with an invite system and was not open to the general public until February 2007. In July of 2009, it finally dropped its beta status. As of February 2016, Gmail is the most widely used web email provider with 1 billion active users worldwide.

Besides email, Gmail has a number of features, including integration with Google Drive for sending large attachments and choosing images from Google Photos. Users can fully search their email with advanced spam filtering and labels to manage messages. Google also scans emails to show context-related advertisements.

Since launch, the email service has gone through a number of redesigns. Apps are available for Android, iOS, and the mobile web.

Gmail leveraging TensorFlow to block 100 million more spam messages every day

Abner Li Feb 6 2019 - 9:00 am PT

Gmail for Android

With last week’s Google Material Theme, Gmail for Android added the bolder “dangerous” warnings first introduced on the web. Powered by machine learning, Google today shared how it is leveraging TensorFlow to block 100 million additional spam messages every day.

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Google spotted testing bundles, reminders, and other Inbox features in Gmail for Android

Abner Li Feb 1 2019 - 6:44 pm PT

Gmail for Android Material Theme

Google last year announced that it’s shutting down Inbox following the big redesign of Gmail. With that deprecation set for next month, the company is reportedly testing legacy features like bundles and reminders in the new Gmail for Android.

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Hands-on: Gmail for Android’s Google Material Theme isn’t radical, save for one new feature

Abner Li Jan 29 2019 - 4:14 pm PT

Gmail for Android

Last April, Google completely revamped Gmail on the desktop web with a focus on machine learning-powered features and other smart functionality. Now available on Gmail for Android, this redesign includes a handful of other changes beyond the Google Material Theme that are welcome carry-overs from the web counterpart.

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Gmail

[Update: Now working normally] Gmail is currently down for some users across the globe

Damien Wilde Jan 29 2019 - 4:37 am PT

Gmail for Android

It seems that Gmail is currently down for quite a large portion of users across the globe with reports in Europe, North America, South America and Asia.
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Google’s Jigsaw publishes new quiz to test your ability to identify phishing emails

Ben Schoon Jan 22 2019 - 12:25 pm PT

Millions of people fall for phishing emails on a daily basis. While some are incredibly obvious, others are actually fairly well hidden and average users can miss warning signs. Today, Google’s Jigsaw unit has published a quiz to test your ability to spot phishing emails.

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Gmail adding undo/redo & strikethrough shortcuts in Compose, .EML message downloads

Abner Li Jan 22 2019 - 11:33 am PT

As of September, the new Gmail on the web is now available for all users. Today, Google announced a handful of new Gmail features on he web related to the compose window and a new download option for messages.

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Inbox users being pushed to Gmail are realizing they don’t like the new Gmail

Kyle Bradshaw Nov 15 2018 - 1:47 pm PT

Gmail

Earlier this year, on the coattails of the latest Gmail redesign, Google announced that it was shutting down Inbox by Gmail by March of next year. While this announcement should have been enough of a nudge to transition many users off the platform, Google is now giving a stronger push, and not all Inbox users are liking what they find on the other side.

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Gmail iOS unified inbox

Gmail for iOS adds unified inbox to view emails from multiple accounts

Abner Li Oct 30 2018 - 10:10 am PT

This year, Google rolled out a brand new Gmail with Material Theme and other AI features on the web, while also announcing that it plans to kill Inbox in 2019. Gmail for iOS is now finally gaining a unified inbox view.

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Gmail

Gmail

Gmail introduces Compose Actions, integrations with Dropbox, Atlassian, more

Kyle Bradshaw Oct 18 2018 - 10:30 am PT

As a society, we spend a ridiculous amount of time on reading and writing emails, and though we’ve advanced, emails haven’t exactly kept pace. Today, Google has introduced Compose Actions, a new channel for integrating your other tools with Gmail.

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Basics

[Update: No longer possible] How to switch back to the classic Gmail on the web

Justin Duino Sep 29 2018 - 9:28 am PT

Overnight, Google began to roll out the revamped Gmail which introduces a handful of new features alongside a new design. But if you aren’t a fan of these changes, you can still switch it back to the classic design. Here’s how…

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Gmail

Smart Compose rolling out to G Suite as new Gmail becomes default next month

Abner Li Sep 26 2018 - 2:05 pm PT

Announced at I/O 2018, Smart Compose in Gmail takes Smart Reply a step further and leverages Google’s AI to write entire messages for users. It’s already rolled out to regular accounts and is now coming to G Suite and enterprise users.

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smart reply

Gmail

Gmail will soon let you disable Smart Reply on the desktop

Stephen Hall Sep 19 2018 - 1:34 pm PT

A new report out of The Wall Street Journal has some humorous anecdotes about Smart Reply’s prototype struggles, but it also mentioned a handy new setting coming soon to desktop users…

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Gmail’s Smart Reply prototype thought ‘Sent from my iPhone’ was a good response

Stephen Hall Sep 19 2018 - 1:05 pm PT

The Wall Street Journal is out today with a quick story on the rollout and reception of Gmail’s new Smart Reply feature, and it comes with a few interesting bits of information and anecdotes from random users and Google alike — one of which is particularly humorous…

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Gmail Offline

Google retiring ‘Gmail Offline’ Chrome app in favor of new built-in functionality

Stephen Hall Sep 13 2018 - 10:21 pm PT

With the new Gmail, Google introduced an offline mode as part of the web app itself. That means that the longstanding Gmail Offline Chrome app that was used to enable offline functionality in the old Gmail is no longer necessary. So it makes sense that Google just announced its retirement…

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Google unsurprisingly killing Inbox next year, given overlap with Gmail

Abner Li Sep 12 2018 - 11:21 am PT

Inbox by Gmail

With the launch of the new Gmail earlier this year, many questioned the future of Inbox, the company’s experimental email client. Today, Google announced that Inbox by Gmail will be discontinued next year.

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Gmail

Don’t like Gmail’s new sidebar? Now you can hide it with a single click

Stephen Hall Sep 10 2018 - 9:07 pm PT

Gmail sidebar

Google launched a completely redesigned Gmail on the web, featuring the Google Material Theme, earlier this year. We’ve been fans of it for quite a while from purely an aesthetic perspective, but it’s definitely had some places where it feels like Google chose form over function. No longer!

Now, Google’s letting you hide that pesky new Gmail sidebar that you never use.

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Gmail for Android

Gmail for Android adds ‘Undo Send’ feature from desktop version

Abner Li Aug 20 2018 - 1:09 pm PT

One of the useful features that Gmail gained over the years is “Undo Send.” Like the name suggests, Gmail will allow you to take back an email after tapping the send button through an artificial delay. Long available on the web, this functionality is now making its way to Gmail for Android.

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Gmail

Gmail Confidential Mode rolls out to mobile as EFF warns of misleading claims

Kyle Bradshaw Aug 17 2018 - 11:17 am PT

Gmail for Android

Features of the new Gmail have been rolling out to users since its unveiling just before I/O. One such feature, Confidential Mode, which offers a suite of email protection options, is arriving now on mobile. However, the Electronic Frontier Foundation is advising users to be fully aware of how Confidential Mode works, and how its use can affect others.

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Google removing Contacts shortcut and old interface from legacy Gmail

Abner Li Aug 8 2018 - 1:18 pm PT

For the most part, the redesigned Gmail that launched in April maintained feature parity with the previous iteration. However, one minor grievance did emerge over the lack of a Google Contacts shortcut. This was an intentional change with Google now removing the Contacts shortcut and experience from legacy Gmail.

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Gmail for Android’s Google Material Theme will add new features from web, density, more

Abner Li Jul 25 2018 - 5:13 pm PT

Gmail for Android

During a session at Cloud Next 2018, Google showed off Gmail for Android’s upcoming Google Material Theme update. To match the recent web revamp, the mobile version of Gmail will gain traditional desktop features like density options and quick attachments in the inbox view.

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Google Material demo reel shows off revamped Gmail, Drive on mobile, Google Photos on web

Abner Li Jul 23 2018 - 10:23 am PT

Google’s transition to update all of its apps with the Material Theme is well underway. A new video now shows off elements of the company’s new design language, while featuring various concepts for refreshed Google apps and services.

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How to remove third-party access to your Gmail inbox w/ Google Security Checkup

Stephen Hall Jul 6 2018 - 10:56 am PT

Google Account sign-in

There’s been a lot of brouhaha this week about Gmail and the access that it’s giving third-party apps to your email. I already outlined exactly why this is not something to be particularly concerned about and how those headlines might be misleading to some. One of the key takeaways of my argument is that you still have control over your data and who gets to use it, so here’s how to do that…

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Third-party Gmail developers are not reading your emails unless you’ve allowed them to

Stephen Hall Jul 5 2018 - 2:40 pm PT

Gmail for Android

There’s been a lot of noise this week about Gmail and the access that some third-parties have to your Gmail inbox. Hidden under misleading headlines, reports have, I think rightfully, highlighted the parallels between Gmail’s system and Facebook’s prior third-party allowances which led to Cambridge Analytica-related repercussions. The public perception of these stories is much different, though.

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PSA: Some antivirus programs are causing connection issues with Google services

Kyle Bradshaw Jun 28 2018 - 7:49 am PT

This morning, some users have been reporting — and we’ve witnessed first-hand — a combination of issues with antivirus programs leading to not being able to access Google sites, including Gmail.

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