Google Overhauls Gmail and Introduces Several Exciting Features
In what represents a significant change, Google has overhauled Gmail and introduced several exciting new features. As the world’s most popular email service Google has generally been cautious about implementing new features in case of alienating their enormous and varied userbase, but the new changes bring a new user interface that appear to build-on already existing features rather than a redesign. The changes, while are available to both personal and business users, would appear targeted at the business end of the market. We’re looking at what’s new, what’s changed and of course how to enable it
Self Destructing Emails
The update includes a new mode called Confidential Mode. This means you can set an expiration date on email or retract it entirely. It works by the recipient seeing they have received a confidential message with a warning about time limit. It also prevents them forwarding it on and when the time is up they can’t see the message. You can add extra measures such as a passcode. But, keep in mind that although the messages are encrypted they aren’t hidden from Google and can still be screenshotted.
Integrated Rights Management (IRM)
IRM This allows you to block the forwarding, copying, downloading or printing of any particular messages. Whilst this can’t prevent data extraction from emails, what it prevents is situations where people accidentally share information with those that they shouldn’t.
Hover menu
If you hold your cursor above each message, a menu will appear allowing you to archive, delete, mark as read or snooze for later … which leads into our next feature.
Email Snoozing
Email Snoozing isn’t quite what it sounds. By holding your cursor above the email the hover menu will appear, then if you click the clock icon you can then snooze the email to appear in your inbox again at a later date when it might be a better time to deal with it - rather than flagging it to follow up later.
Email Nudging
Google analyses the content of your emails using a heap of signals like who it came from, what content it contains, where it’s time sensitive and requires action or response. Email nudging works by resurfacing these emails to the top of your inbox where they might have got lost a fair way down. It kicks in after 3 days and you can turn it off if you would like, but Google promises they’ll only send you a maximum of 3 nudges.
Smart Reply
Similar to what is available on LinkedIn messaging, Google Smart Reply will offer 3 possible replies to the email, which you can edit or add to before you hit send
User Interface
While all the icons remain in the same place, they have had a much needed refresh. But the biggest change is that the left-side panel that contained all your folders and the usual navigation links in now collapsible to offer more screen real estate
So how do I turn this on?
Turning on these new features will depend on whether you are a personal user or a G Suite User (professional). The new Gmail is not available by default as it is only rolling out so may not be available for you yet but will be very soon if it isn’t.
Personal Gmail Users
- Click the gear icon in the top right corner
- Press “try the new gmail”
G Suite Users
If you are a G Suite User your system admin will need to enable it for your organisation in the admin console, then every individual account will receive the option to try the new Gmail. If you are a G Suite User and it’s been enabled, follow the steps above.
We continue to recommend G Suite as an email and collaborative working service for our clients and these features make it an even more suitable solution. At $5 a month per user, it’s also extremely cost effective. As a cloud service, G Suite offers far more benefits than using a local solution. Over here, we’ve outlined why you should consider moving your business to the cloud.
If you think you should make the switch, let’s have a chat about how you can make G Suite work for you
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