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Google Data » The Gmail Team https://googledata.org Everything Google: News, Products, Services, Content, Culture Wed, 18 Mar 2015 21:09:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.7.5 Google Calendar for iPhone. It’s about time. https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/google-calendar-for-iphone-its-about-time/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=google-calendar-for-iphone-its-about-time https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/google-calendar-for-iphone-its-about-time/#comments Tue, 10 Mar 2015 17:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=b324a97dea652d23efd7b094741a0ec4 Posted by Robin Züger, Product Manager

Today we’re bringing the new Google Calendar to iPhone.

Just like on Android, you’ll get the following features:

Events from Gmail, which turn emails into Calendar events automatically
Assists, which make suggestions that save you time creating events
Schedule View, which makes your calendar easy to scan and lovely to look at

Plus, Google Calendar for iPhone works with all the calendars you've already set up on your phone.

Of course if you're on Android, then definitely check out the recent improvements we made to Google Calendar for Android. Either way you can now spend less time managing your day, and more time enjoying it.]]> Posted by Robin Züger, Product Manager

Today we’re bringing the new Google Calendar to iPhone.

Just like on Android, you’ll get the following features:

Events from Gmail, which turn emails into Calendar events automatically
Assists, which make suggestions that save you time creating events
Schedule View, which makes your calendar easy to scan and lovely to look at

Plus, Google Calendar for iPhone works with all the calendars you've already set up on your phone.

Of course if you're on Android, then definitely check out the recent improvements we made to Google Calendar for Android. Either way you can now spend less time managing your day, and more time enjoying it.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/google-calendar-for-iphone-its-about-time/feed/ 0 The new Google Contacts: Bringing everyone together https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/the-new-google-contacts-bringing-everyone-together/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-new-google-contacts-bringing-everyone-together https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/the-new-google-contacts-bringing-everyone-together/#comments Tue, 03 Mar 2015 20:35:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=c7d42c1f3be3417154a48a43c9857150 Posted by Sean Purcell, Product Manager

From email to Hangouts to a good ol' fashioned phone call, you've got a lot of options to get in touch with someone. But keeping all those options organized for all your contacts...well, it can be a pain, especially when you need to find that information in a hurry!

So today we’re releasing a preview of the new Google Contacts that makes it easier to keep track of the people you know and get the info you need, fast. The new Google Contacts comes with a fresh look and feel, and conveniently pools together all your contacts, circles, and the people you talk to most in Gmail.

Easily get rid of duplicates
No one likes having duplicate contacts, but they inevitably crop up. So we’ve rebuilt our “Find duplicates” feature from the ground up to help give you a quick and painless way to clean up your duplicates.

Keep your contacts up to date automatically
As the people you know change jobs, cities, and names, it can be tough to stay up to date with their latest information. The new Contacts ensures that the info you see is still accurate and ready to use by blending your contact’s Google profile information with the stuff you already have.

See your recent emails & meetings
Finally, you can now see your most recent emails and meetings with a person directly in their contact card. So whether it’s been two days or two years since your last conversation, it’s easier than ever to pick up right where you left off.

For people looking to access the preview through Gmail, keep an eye out over the next few weeks. In the meantime, you can try the new Google Contacts today by visiting contacts.google.com/preview.

P.S. The new Contacts isn’t yet available for Google Apps customers, but we’re working on it.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/the-new-google-contacts-bringing-everyone-together/feed/ 0 Gmail now available in Myanmar (Burmese) https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-now-available-in-myanmar-burmese/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gmail-now-available-in-myanmar-burmese https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-now-available-in-myanmar-burmese/#comments Wed, 25 Feb 2015 21:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=d8a0e8a3027ac2148e21e0d863669382 Posted by Brian Kemler, Product Manager

In the summer of 2012 I travelled in Myanmar (Burma) and found inspiration in the temples of Bagan, the floating gardens of Inle Lake and the sweltering heat and teaming markets of Yangon. As a country of 53 million, Myanmar’s recent opening-up has triggered an explosion of people coming online. As recently as 2011, a mere 500,000 Myanmar citizens were able to access the internet, which was less than 1 percent of the population. That number has grown to 2.6 million people as the availability of mobile phones has made it easier to get online. As Myanmar speakers embrace online tools, our team has been working hard to ensure Google is ready to support this new community in their own language.

To capture the nuances of this language and make sure the translations were accurate, consistent and complete, we relied on an array of Myanmar speakers from within the country, and around the world. In April 2013 we launched Google Search in Myanmar, and today we’re excited to announce that Gmail now supports Myanmar (Burmese), our 74th language.

Myanma bhasa (Burmese) is the official language of Myanmar, spoken by over 33 million people as a first language, and 10 million people as a second language. Although primarily spoken in Myanmar, there are also significant numbers of Myanmar speakers in Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Myanmar speakers can switch their language in their Gmail settings starting today, and we couldn’t be happier that Gmail can now greet them with a hearty “Mingalaba” (မင်္ဂလာပါ)!]]> Posted by Brian Kemler, Product Manager

In the summer of 2012 I travelled in Myanmar (Burma) and found inspiration in the temples of Bagan, the floating gardens of Inle Lake and the sweltering heat and teaming markets of Yangon. As a country of 53 million, Myanmar’s recent opening-up has triggered an explosion of people coming online. As recently as 2011, a mere 500,000 Myanmar citizens were able to access the internet, which was less than 1 percent of the population. That number has grown to 2.6 million people as the availability of mobile phones has made it easier to get online. As Myanmar speakers embrace online tools, our team has been working hard to ensure Google is ready to support this new community in their own language.

To capture the nuances of this language and make sure the translations were accurate, consistent and complete, we relied on an array of Myanmar speakers from within the country, and around the world. In April 2013 we launched Google Search in Myanmar, and today we’re excited to announce that Gmail now supports Myanmar (Burmese), our 74th language.

Myanma bhasa (Burmese) is the official language of Myanmar, spoken by over 33 million people as a first language, and 10 million people as a second language. Although primarily spoken in Myanmar, there are also significant numbers of Myanmar speakers in Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Myanmar speakers can switch their language in their Gmail settings starting today, and we couldn’t be happier that Gmail can now greet them with a hearty “Mingalaba” (မင်္ဂလာပါ)!]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-now-available-in-myanmar-burmese/feed/ 0 Inbox by Gmail: now in more places https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-now-in-more-places/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=inbox-by-gmail-now-in-more-places https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-now-in-more-places/#comments Thu, 19 Feb 2015 14:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=19d57ef8b7a52863321d408d76f06ae6 Posted by Taylor Kourim, Software Engineer

It’s always hard to know when it’s time to share a new product, because there’s always just a _few_ more things you want to do. Today we’re happy to check off some of these to-dos for Inbox, making it easier to use on more devices and browsers.

If you're a big fan of tablets, you'll be excited to learn that Inbox has come to iPad and Android tablets. Download the app from the App Store and Google Play.

In addition, Inbox now supports Firefox and Safari, as well as Chrome. You can sign in at inbox.google.com.

As always, if you aren't using Inbox yet, now's a perfect time to jump in. Email inbox@google.com to request an invite and we'll email you as soon as more invites are available.

]]> Posted by Taylor Kourim, Software Engineer

It’s always hard to know when it’s time to share a new product, because there’s always just a _few_ more things you want to do. Today we’re happy to check off some of these to-dos for Inbox, making it easier to use on more devices and browsers.

If you're a big fan of tablets, you'll be excited to learn that Inbox has come to iPad and Android tablets. Download the app from the App Store and Google Play.

In addition, Inbox now supports Firefox and Safari, as well as Chrome. You can sign in at inbox.google.com.

As always, if you aren't using Inbox yet, now's a perfect time to jump in. Email inbox@google.com to request an invite and we'll email you as soon as more invites are available.

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-now-in-more-places/feed/ 0 A look inside how you’re using Inbox https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-look-inside-how-youre-using-inbox/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-look-inside-how-youre-using-inbox https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-look-inside-how-youre-using-inbox/#comments Thu, 29 Jan 2015 17:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=3403b6056177383a7cc171ca4ac2105d Posted by Gill Ward, Senior Quantitative UX Researcher

A little over three months ago, we introduced something new called Inbox, and it’s been exhilarating to see how people have embraced the experience. In fact, we’ve received over 100,000 pieces of feedback already. Thank you!

As we keep working to evolve Inbox based on your feedback, we thought it’d be fun to share how people are currently using the product to get things done, and focus on what really matters. Enjoy!

And one more thing. We're opening up invites to Inbox for a 24 hour #InboxHappyHour! If you're interested in trying Inbox, send an email to inbox@google.com from an @gmail.com address before 9am Friday PST and you'll get an invite shortly.
]]> Posted by Gill Ward, Senior Quantitative UX Researcher

A little over three months ago, we introduced something new called Inbox, and it’s been exhilarating to see how people have embraced the experience. In fact, we’ve received over 100,000 pieces of feedback already. Thank you!

As we keep working to evolve Inbox based on your feedback, we thought it’d be fun to share how people are currently using the product to get things done, and focus on what really matters. Enjoy!

And one more thing. We're opening up invites to Inbox for a 24 hour #InboxHappyHour! If you're interested in trying Inbox, send an email to inbox@google.com from an @gmail.com address before 9am Friday PST and you'll get an invite shortly.
]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-look-inside-how-youre-using-inbox/feed/ 0 Snooze in Inbox: Because not everything needs to be done right now https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/snooze-in-inbox-because-not-everything-needs-to-be-done-right-now/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=snooze-in-inbox-because-not-everything-needs-to-be-done-right-now https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/snooze-in-inbox-because-not-everything-needs-to-be-done-right-now/#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2015 17:52:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=5a387923c8331b8043293946b69a74c5 Posted by Xander Pollock, Interaction Designer

Snoozing the alarm in the morning is so satisfying. You get those extra few minutes of sleep without worrying you're going to miss anything. That's exactly what snoozing in Inbox is like. Whether you're in an inconvenient place or simply need to focus on something else first, you can snooze away emails and Reminders to a better time or place without worrying you're going to forget.

For example: maybe today’s crazy busy, but you still want to get back to your New Year's Resolution to clean the garage— whether that’s tonight, tomorrow, or next week. With Inbox you can either snooze using the convenient quick options or by setting a custom time. Inbox responds to your preferences, and adjusts its quick options to match.

Sometimes it makes more sense to snooze your emails to a place, instead of a time. For example, you might want to snooze your ticket to the game, a reminder to buy milk to the grocery store, or even the article Mom sent you to when you get home.

Once you start snoozing, you'll notice that Inbox can make the entire process a whole lot easier. For instance: you can name and save common places.

And if, say, you've resolved to call your Mom more this year, you can just create a reminder. Inbox will help you snooze to a time or place with Assists.

If you ever get ahead of schedule (lucky you!), you can check out all of your snoozed emails and reminders by opening the app menu, and tapping on Snoozed. From here you can edit snoozed items, move them back into your inbox, or just review everything you've snoozed to 'Someday.'

Ultimately, Inbox is about helping you get back to what matters. So give Snooze a try, and take back your inbox this January.

]]> Posted by Xander Pollock, Interaction Designer

Snoozing the alarm in the morning is so satisfying. You get those extra few minutes of sleep without worrying you're going to miss anything. That's exactly what snoozing in Inbox is like. Whether you're in an inconvenient place or simply need to focus on something else first, you can snooze away emails and Reminders to a better time or place without worrying you're going to forget.

For example: maybe today’s crazy busy, but you still want to get back to your New Year's Resolution to clean the garage— whether that’s tonight, tomorrow, or next week. With Inbox you can either snooze using the convenient quick options or by setting a custom time. Inbox responds to your preferences, and adjusts its quick options to match.

Once you start snoozing, you'll notice that Inbox can make the entire process a whole lot easier. For instance: you can name and save common places.

And if, say, you've resolved to call your Mom more this year, you can just create a reminder. Inbox will help you snooze to a time or place with Assists.

Ultimately, Inbox is about helping you get back to what matters. So give Snooze a try, and take back your inbox this January.

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/snooze-in-inbox-because-not-everything-needs-to-be-done-right-now/feed/ 0 Assists in Inbox: An extra helping hand for your Reminders https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/assists-in-inbox-an-extra-helping-hand-for-your-reminders/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=assists-in-inbox-an-extra-helping-hand-for-your-reminders https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/assists-in-inbox-an-extra-helping-hand-for-your-reminders/#comments Wed, 17 Dec 2014 19:50:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=cea6f62bad77a249a633c1fa6946eacc Posted by Tim Sohn, Software Engineer

During the busy holidays, who can say no to a little extra help? Inbox makes it easy to focus on your priorities by adding Reminders right to the top of your inbox, but we all know how easy it is to "save" to-dos for later. This is why Inbox provides over twenty different types of Assists–handy pieces of info to help you with the next step. Below are a few ways to give them a try, as well as a quick look behind the scenes.

To start, simply add an email address, phone number or link to a reminder.

Next, you could add a reminder to pick up your friend at the airport, pack for your trip to New York or watch a video. Assists may provide your friend's flight status, a weather report for the Big Apple or a link to that video.

There's actually a lot going on behind the scenes to make Assists work. For example, phone numbers and business hours come from Google Maps and customer support numbers from Google's Knowledge Graph. Your contacts and other emails (like flight confirmations, purchase receipts or bill notifications) also help Inbox provide Assists.

Some Assists even combine information from multiple sources to give you what you need. For example, when you create a reminder to return a product you purchased, the purchase date and business from your confirmation email, the business's return policy from the Knowledge Graph, and the current date all combine to give you a countdown of how many days you have left to return your purchase.

Another category of Assists are questions that, when answered, lead to another Assist. For example, if you want to call your dentist, Inbox will ask you who your dentist is and once answered, provide a link to call them.

And starting today, Assists are getting even better based on your requests to make them easier to discover. Assists now help you create Reminders faster by providing smart suggestions as you type (or tap!). If a suggestion has an icon next to it, that means you're guaranteed an assist.

We hope Assists will save you a bit of time over the holidays. As always, if you aren't using Inbox yet and would like an invite, email inbox@google.com and we'll email you as soon as more invites are available.

PS: In the spirit of saving time, Inbox on Android now works with Android Wear. You can now view messages, mark as done and reply without taking out your phone.

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/assists-in-inbox-an-extra-helping-hand-for-your-reminders/feed/ 0 Reject the unexpected – Content Security Policy in Gmail https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/reject-the-unexpected-content-security-policy-in-gmail/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=reject-the-unexpected-content-security-policy-in-gmail https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/reject-the-unexpected-content-security-policy-in-gmail/#comments Tue, 16 Dec 2014 19:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=aeb7c17c3a0f82b5cf5f41768799ab6b Posted by Danesh Irani, Software Engineer, Gmail Security

We know that the safety and reliability of your Gmail is super important to you, which is why we’re always working on security improvements like serving images through secure proxy servers , and requiring HTTPS. Today, Gmail on the desktop is becoming more secure with support for Content Security Policy (CSP). CSP helps provide a layer of defense against a common class of security vulnerabilities known as cross-site scripting (XSS).

There are many great extensions for Gmail. Unfortunately, there are also some extensions that behave badly, loading code which interferes with your Gmail session, or which compromises your email’s security. Gmail’s CSP helps protect you, by making it more difficult to load unsafe code into Gmail.

Most popular (and well-behaved) extensions have already been updated to work with the CSP standard, but if you happen to have any trouble with an extension, try installing its latest version from your browser’s web store (for example, the Chrome Web Store for Chrome users).

CSP is just another example of how Gmail can help make your email experience safer. For advice and tools that help keep you safe across the web, you can always visit the Google Security Center.

This post was updated on December 18th to add a description of the XSS defense benefit of CSP, and to more precisely define the interaction with extensions.]]> Posted by Danesh Irani, Software Engineer, Gmail Security

We know that the safety and reliability of your Gmail is super important to you, which is why we’re always working on security improvements like serving images through secure proxy servers , and requiring HTTPS. Today, Gmail on the desktop is becoming more secure with support for Content Security Policy (CSP). CSP helps provide a layer of defense against a common class of security vulnerabilities known as cross-site scripting (XSS).

There are many great extensions for Gmail. Unfortunately, there are also some extensions that behave badly, loading code which interferes with your Gmail session, or which compromises your email’s security. Gmail’s CSP helps protect you, by making it more difficult to load unsafe code into Gmail.

Most popular (and well-behaved) extensions have already been updated to work with the CSP standard, but if you happen to have any trouble with an extension, try installing its latest version from your browser’s web store (for example, the Chrome Web Store for Chrome users).

CSP is just another example of how Gmail can help make your email experience safer. For advice and tools that help keep you safe across the web, you can always visit the Google Security Center.

This post was updated on December 18th to add a description of the XSS defense benefit of CSP, and to more precisely define the interaction with extensions.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/reject-the-unexpected-content-security-policy-in-gmail/feed/ 0 Use your cúpla focal on Gmail, now in Irish https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/use-your-cupla-focal-on-gmail-now-in-irish/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=use-your-cupla-focal-on-gmail-now-in-irish https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/use-your-cupla-focal-on-gmail-now-in-irish/#comments Thu, 11 Dec 2014 14:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=94f81ded22c253d0e61763cb6b57b691 Posted by Laura Brassil, Google Localization

Language. It’s the foundation for communication, and an important part of cultural identity. And it’s for these reasons that we’ve made Gmail available in 71 different languages so far—about 95 percent of the world’s internet population. We’re always working to support more languages and the cultures they represent—from Cherokee and Welsh to Mongolian and Zulu—so today we’re proud to add Gaeilge (Irish).

Irish, in case you didn’t know, is the national and first language of the Republic of Ireland. It’s taught to all schoolchildren, and it’s spoken daily in the Gaeltacht, so for many Irish people it sparks memories of a shared history—from summers on the Western coast to the story of Peig and the Blasket Islands.

With Gmail as Gaeilge we’re honored to help bring this Irish tradition online. So whether you’re a committed Gaeilgeoir, or you just want to experience a cúpla focal (a few words of Irish), you can select Irish today in your Gmail language settings.

]]> Posted by Laura Brassil, Google Localization

Language. It’s the foundation for communication, and an important part of cultural identity. And it’s for these reasons that we’ve made Gmail available in 71 different languages so far—about 95 percent of the world’s internet population. We’re always working to support more languages and the cultures they represent—from Cherokee and Welsh to Mongolian and Zulu—so today we’re proud to add Gaeilge (Irish).

Irish, in case you didn’t know, is the national and first language of the Republic of Ireland. It’s taught to all schoolchildren, and it’s spoken daily in the Gaeltacht, so for many Irish people it sparks memories of a shared history—from summers on the Western coast to the story of Peig and the Blasket Islands.

With Gmail as Gaeilge we’re honored to help bring this Irish tradition online. So whether you’re a committed Gaeilgeoir, or you just want to experience a cúpla focal (a few words of Irish), you can select Irish today in your Gmail language settings.

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/use-your-cupla-focal-on-gmail-now-in-irish/feed/ 0 Reminders in Inbox: Your to-dos on your own terms https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/reminders-in-inbox-your-to-dos-on-your-own-terms/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=reminders-in-inbox-your-to-dos-on-your-own-terms https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/reminders-in-inbox-your-to-dos-on-your-own-terms/#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2014 18:20:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=9b309fc37f105607a18f4ccc5853b94d Posted by Vijay Umapathy, Product Manager

The holiday season is chock full of to-dos. Instead of having to keep a separate to-do list, Inbox makes it easy to focus on your priorities by letting you add Reminders right to the top of your inbox. In fact, Reminders go beyond your typical task list by actually helping you get stuff done. Here are just a few examples:

Inbox helps you cross items off your to-do list faster by providing Assists–handy pieces of information to help you get started, like customer service phone numbers, countdowns to important deadlines, and more.

And sometimes–who are we kidding, all the time–friends and family email you with things they want you to do. With Inbox you can add Reminders to emails: just pin the email, and you'll see a field where you can add a Reminder. Never re-read that to-do, disguised as an email, again!

Of course, it's safe to put off some to-dos. Whether you're dreading that call to your talkative Uncle or simply need to focus on something else first, you can snooze Reminders just like email. You can even set up repeating Reminders for to-dos that happen on a regular basis such as taking medication or paying rent.

Reminders go beyond your inbox. If you use Google Now and want to quickly set a reminder, you can simply say "Remind me to..." and it will appear in your inbox. And if you're using the new Google Calendar app, any reminder you snooze to a specific day and time will appear in your calendar automatically.

No matter what you need to remember, with Reminders, your inbox becomes a centralized place to keep track of the the things you need to get back to, and that's especially helpful during the holidays. As always, if you aren't using Inbox yet, you can email inbox@google.com to request an invite and we'll email you an invite as soon as more become available.

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/reminders-in-inbox-your-to-dos-on-your-own-terms/feed/ 0 Highlights in Inbox: Help during the holidays https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/highlights-in-inbox-help-during-the-holidays/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=highlights-in-inbox-help-during-the-holidays https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/highlights-in-inbox-help-during-the-holidays/#comments Tue, 25 Nov 2014 17:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=e0f27365466741f3192aea873f619b3a Posted by Clarence Yung, Designer

The holiday season is a busy time and your email is no different, with photos from friends and family, gift purchases and travel plans completely taking over. You find yourself with less time for email but lots more of it, and this is exactly where Highlights in Inbox can help. Highlights work together with Bundles to show you key information and actions at a glance — saving you time, and keeping you (mostly) sane this time of year :). For example:

Highlights surface quick actions like “Track package” and “RSVP” before you even open a message. This way you can actually do stuff, and not just view stuff with Inbox.

Thanks to Google Now, Highlights also include useful info from the web — like real-time flight status and package deliveries — even if it’s not in the original email.

And if you’re using the new Google Calendar app, your holiday travel will be highlighted by Inbox, as well as get added to your calendar automatically.

Highlights surface quick actions like “Track package” and “RSVP” before you even open a message. This way you can actually do stuff, and not just view stuff with Inbox.

Thanks to Google Now, Highlights also include useful info from the web — like real-time flight status and package deliveries — even if it’s not in the original email.

And if you’re using the new Google Calendar app, your holiday travel will be highlighted by Inbox, as well as get added to your calendar automatically.

We hope Highlights help you stay on top of your email during the holidays and beyond. If you're a developer interested in Highlights, learn how to create emails with structured data on the Developer Blog. If you aren't using Inbox by Gmail yet, look for an invite from a friend or email us at inbox@google.com to get an invitation as soon as more become available.

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/highlights-in-inbox-help-during-the-holidays/feed/ 0 Going under the hood of Inbox https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/going-under-the-hood-of-inbox/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=going-under-the-hood-of-inbox https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/going-under-the-hood-of-inbox/#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2014 18:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=8af554fa0522ef520bba08997f94f00d Posted by Garrick Toubassi, Engineering Director

Editor’s note: Be forewarned that the following post has much more technical mumbo-jumbo than our normal fare, taking you behind-the-scenes of the development of Inbox. So if you’re a practicing engineer, an aspiring hacker, or just plain interested in knowing how the sausage is made (mmmm sausage), read on!

Gmail was born over 10 years ago, entering a world dominated by flip phones, trucker hats, and based on today’s standards, sluggish web applications. Every click on a webpage meant a multi-second wait and a full page refresh. So when we developed Gmail, we took a different approach—building a new genre of web app that ran in the web browser and relied on rich javascript logic and a local data model. This allowed many of those clicks to be handled right within the browser without waiting for the server at all. Fast forward 10 years and this architecture is the norm, having been adopted by most websites and supported by a plethora of frameworks and tools (e.g. AngularJS, Meteor, Backbone, Ember, NodeJs).

But in those same 10 years, a lot has changed. The capabilities and diversity of devices has exploded. Users expect to be able to move from a laptop to a phone and have their apps work flawlessly. As a result, developers are facing a new challenge: how to build a high-quality app across platforms, such as Android, the web, and iOS, without sacrificing quality or execution velocity. As a developer, maybe you’ve asked yourself, do you rewrite your app three times to optimize it for each platform, wringing out every last bit of performance and polish? Or do you aim to get the app to market sooner by building a web-based “hybrid” app that leverages the same technologies across platforms (but potentially sacrifices integration and user experience)?

Facing the challenge
Those were the questions that weighed heavily on us when we first started building Inbox. We’d been working on Gmail for years and knew our users would expect whatever we built to be as fast and polished as Gmail is today right out of the gate. And that led us to the decision to build three separate native apps to fit seamlessly into each of our respective target platforms: Android (via Java+Android SDK), web (via JavaScript+DOM/CSS), and iOS (via Objective-C+UIKit).

Of course, there are a number of elements of Inbox that are shared across the three platforms: code for managing network communication, caching objects, local persistent storage, managing user edits both locally and remotely, and supporting it all while offline. This logic must be faithfully and correctly implemented and kept up to date on all three clients. Rewriting it three times in three different languages would soak up substantial engineering resources and slow down how quickly we make improvements to Inbox.

Cutting the Gordian Knot
In order to address this challenge we took a novel approach in which data model and application logic (conceptually the “Model” in “Model-View-Controller”) is written once in Java. This data model abstracts concepts unique to Inbox like Conversations, Reminders, Contacts, and Labels, and provides a fully observable data model for convenient binding to the user interface (UI) layer. We built the Inbox app for Android directly on top of this Java data model.

The plot thickens
On the web, the story gets more interesting. We use the open sourced GWT cross compiler to translate the Java data model into JavaScript, which we build on for Inbox for the web. In recent years, GWT has made great strides in being able to output translated code which is conveniently and performantly accessed from native Javascript. For example the Reminder.snooze() method provided by the Java data model is exposed in exactly the same way in JavaScript.

For iOS we developed the now open source J2ObjC cross compiler to translate our Java data model to Objective-C, and again we get a natural API on which to build our native iOS Inbox app (complete with -[Reminder snooze]). The astute reader may wonder how we deal with the impedance mismatch when translating from a garbage collected language (Java) to a reference counted one (Objective-C). Generally, J2ObjC relies on Objective-C autorelease pools, so objects normally garbage-collected are instead freed when a pool drains. One problem with this approach is reference cycles; in places that cycles exist in our Java data model, we use a Java annotation to identify the @WeakReference. When transpiled, the corresponding property in Objective-C will have the __weak modifier, thus breaking the retain cycle. In practice we’ve found this to be a relatively minor problem and we have automation tests that flag the rare cases of new cycles creeping into the object model.

Conclusion
If you’re building an application that (a) has significant UI independent client logic, (b) is targeting multiple platforms, (c) must not compromise on user experience and polish, you now have a new option to consider: a shared, cross compiled data model powering fully native application UIs. This has worked well for Inbox, where we are sharing roughly two-thirds of our client code, and have delivered a product with the same functionality and ship date, without having to rewrite the entire thing three times. Want to learn more about the technologies that power Inbox? Check out http://gwtproject.org and http://j2objc.org.
]]> Posted by Garrick Toubassi, Engineering Director

Editor’s note: Be forewarned that the following post has much more technical mumbo-jumbo than our normal fare, taking you behind-the-scenes of the development of Inbox. So if you’re a practicing engineer, an aspiring hacker, or just plain interested in knowing how the sausage is made (mmmm sausage), read on!

Gmail was born over 10 years ago, entering a world dominated by flip phones, trucker hats, and based on today’s standards, sluggish web applications. Every click on a webpage meant a multi-second wait and a full page refresh. So when we developed Gmail, we took a different approach—building a new genre of web app that ran in the web browser and relied on rich javascript logic and a local data model. This allowed many of those clicks to be handled right within the browser without waiting for the server at all. Fast forward 10 years and this architecture is the norm, having been adopted by most websites and supported by a plethora of frameworks and tools (e.g. AngularJS, Meteor, Backbone, Ember, NodeJs).

But in those same 10 years, a lot has changed. The capabilities and diversity of devices has exploded. Users expect to be able to move from a laptop to a phone and have their apps work flawlessly. As a result, developers are facing a new challenge: how to build a high-quality app across platforms, such as Android, the web, and iOS, without sacrificing quality or execution velocity. As a developer, maybe you’ve asked yourself, do you rewrite your app three times to optimize it for each platform, wringing out every last bit of performance and polish? Or do you aim to get the app to market sooner by building a web-based “hybrid” app that leverages the same technologies across platforms (but potentially sacrifices integration and user experience)?

Facing the challenge
Those were the questions that weighed heavily on us when we first started building Inbox. We’d been working on Gmail for years and knew our users would expect whatever we built to be as fast and polished as Gmail is today right out of the gate. And that led us to the decision to build three separate native apps to fit seamlessly into each of our respective target platforms: Android (via Java+Android SDK), web (via JavaScript+DOM/CSS), and iOS (via Objective-C+UIKit).

Of course, there are a number of elements of Inbox that are shared across the three platforms: code for managing network communication, caching objects, local persistent storage, managing user edits both locally and remotely, and supporting it all while offline. This logic must be faithfully and correctly implemented and kept up to date on all three clients. Rewriting it three times in three different languages would soak up substantial engineering resources and slow down how quickly we make improvements to Inbox.

Cutting the Gordian Knot
In order to address this challenge we took a novel approach in which data model and application logic (conceptually the “Model” in “Model-View-Controller”) is written once in Java. This data model abstracts concepts unique to Inbox like Conversations, Reminders, Contacts, and Labels, and provides a fully observable data model for convenient binding to the user interface (UI) layer. We built the Inbox app for Android directly on top of this Java data model.

The plot thickens
On the web, the story gets more interesting. We use the open sourced GWT cross compiler to translate the Java data model into JavaScript, which we build on for Inbox for the web. In recent years, GWT has made great strides in being able to output translated code which is conveniently and performantly accessed from native Javascript. For example the Reminder.snooze() method provided by the Java data model is exposed in exactly the same way in JavaScript.

For iOS we developed the now open source J2ObjC cross compiler to translate our Java data model to Objective-C, and again we get a natural API on which to build our native iOS Inbox app (complete with -[Reminder snooze]). The astute reader may wonder how we deal with the impedance mismatch when translating from a garbage collected language (Java) to a reference counted one (Objective-C). Generally, J2ObjC relies on Objective-C autorelease pools, so objects normally garbage-collected are instead freed when a pool drains. One problem with this approach is reference cycles; in places that cycles exist in our Java data model, we use a Java annotation to identify the @WeakReference. When transpiled, the corresponding property in Objective-C will have the __weak modifier, thus breaking the retain cycle. In practice we’ve found this to be a relatively minor problem and we have automation tests that flag the rare cases of new cycles creeping into the object model.

Conclusion
If you’re building an application that (a) has significant UI independent client logic, (b) is targeting multiple platforms, (c) must not compromise on user experience and polish, you now have a new option to consider: a shared, cross compiled data model powering fully native application UIs. This has worked well for Inbox, where we are sharing roughly two-thirds of our client code, and have delivered a product with the same functionality and ship date, without having to rewrite the entire thing three times. Want to learn more about the technologies that power Inbox? Check out http://gwtproject.org and http://j2objc.org.
]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/going-under-the-hood-of-inbox/feed/ 0 A bit about Bundles in Inbox https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-bit-about-bundles-in-inbox/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-bit-about-bundles-in-inbox https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-bit-about-bundles-in-inbox/#comments Wed, 19 Nov 2014 20:40:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=a9316f39255898701e34fbd92c5dea70 Posted by Shalini Agarwal, Product Manager

One of the first things you'll notice using Inbox is that it feels less cluttered and overwhelming with messages grouped into Bundles.

Bundles, illustrated by Manu Cornet, Software Engineer on Inbox

Bundles expand on Gmail's categories so you can stay organized with less effort and read the most important messages—like those from friends and family—first. You'll also experience less interruptions since bundled messages don't create a notification on your phone by default.

With Bundles, promotions are neatly organized, purchases are in one place, and all your trip information is together all so you can deal with related messages all at once. For example, you can open up a bundle, quickly pin the messages you want to keep in your inbox and sweep away the rest.

Of course that's not the only way you're in control. You can also teach Bundles to adapt to the way you work by choosing which messages you’d like to see grouped together and when they appear in your inbox: as they arrive, once a day, once a week or even skip the inbox entirely.

Bundles, illustrated by Manu Cornet, Software Engineer on Inbox

Try setting your Promos and Social bundles to once a day and see if that helps you focus on other messages first.

Bundles work together with Highlights to give you just the information you need at a glance so stay tuned for a closer look at Highlights next week. If you aren't using Inbox by Gmail yet, look for an invite from a friend or email us at inbox@google.com to get an invitation as soon as more become available.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-bit-about-bundles-in-inbox/feed/ 0 A more modern Gmail app for Android https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-more-modern-gmail-app-for-android/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-more-modern-gmail-app-for-android https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-more-modern-gmail-app-for-android/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2014 20:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=66c4e7ddc989bca63e469ece3cad1099 Posted by Matthew Izatt, Product Manager

Today, the Gmail app for Android is getting updated with a more modern style, sleeker transitions, and a few other handy improvements.

As part of the new design, there’s now a convenient reply button at the bottom of every message, making it quick and easy to continue a conversation when you’re on the go. And if you access the app on your Android tablet, you’ll notice it’s easier to switch between accounts and the different inbox categories.

Lastly, we know some of you have email addresses that aren’t Gmail (it’s okay to admit it). The updated Gmail app now supports all email providers, which means you can now set up a separate inbox for, say, your Yahoo Mail or Outlook.com addresses using POP/IMAP.

The updated Gmail app will support all Android 4.0+ devices, so look for it in Google Play over the next few days and let us know what you think!]]> Posted by Matthew Izatt, Product Manager

Today, the Gmail app for Android is getting updated with a more modern style, sleeker transitions, and a few other handy improvements.

The updated Gmail app will support all Android 4.0+ devices, so look for it in Google Play over the next few days and let us know what you think!]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-more-modern-gmail-app-for-android/feed/ 0 A new day for Google Calendar https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-new-day-for-google-calendar/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-new-day-for-google-calendar https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-new-day-for-google-calendar/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2014 18:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=20172feaaf38ac7744f326d892f92d5b Posted by Ian Leader, Product Manager

Today we’re introducing a brand new Google Calendar app. It’s designed to be a helpful assistant, so you can spend less time managing your day, and more time enjoying it.

It takes a lot of work to stay on top of your schedule, after all. You have to manually enter that hotel or dinner reservation, then update it if your plans change. You have to hunt around for addresses and phone numbers, then add them to your events. And if you’re on a mobile device, you might just give up on these kinds of tasks entirely.

Calendars (like email) should do better—especially on phones and tablets—so we set out to build one that’s always at your service. Here are just some of the ways the new Calendar app can help.

Events from Gmail: now emails can turn into Calendar events automatically
Every time you book a flight, buy concert tickets, or make a hotel reservation, odds are you get an email with dates, times and other important details. But who has the time (or patience) to copy and paste all this into their calendar? In the new Calendar app these kinds of emails become events automatically, complete with things like flight numbers and check-in times. They’ll even stay updated in real time if your flight's delayed, or you receive another email update.

Assists: suggestions that save you time
Of course, not all event info arrives in your inbox. You often have to piece together phone numbers, addresses and attendees from lots of different sources, then add them to your calendar manually. With Assists, Calendar can suggest titles, people and places as you type, as well as adapt to your preferences over time. For example, if you often go running with Peter in Central Park, Calendar can quickly suggest that entire event when you type ‘r-u-n.’

Schedule View: easy to scan and lovely to look at
Your calendar is more than just a list of dates and times—it’s your life! So Calendar’s new Schedule view includes photos and maps of the places you’re going, cityscapes of travel destinations, and illustrations of everyday events like dinner, drinks and yoga. These images will bring a little extra beauty to your day, and make it easy to see what’s going on at a glance—perfect for when you’re checking in from your phone or tablet.

The new Google Calendar will work on all Android 4.1+ devices. It’s available today on all devices running Android 5.0 Lollipop, and you’ll be able to download the update from Google Play in the coming weeks. (And yes, we’re also working on a version for iPhone!) Learn more on our website.

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-new-day-for-google-calendar/feed/ 0 An inbox that works for you https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/an-inbox-that-works-for-you/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=an-inbox-that-works-for-you https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/an-inbox-that-works-for-you/#comments Wed, 22 Oct 2014 17:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=097e8bef8cbe3249238c0db855b25378 Posted by Sundar Pichai, SVP, Android, Chrome & Apps

Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog

Today, we’re introducing something new. It’s called Inbox. Years in the making, Inbox is by the same people who brought you Gmail, but it’s not Gmail: it’s a completely different type of inbox, designed to focus on what really matters.

Email started simply as a way to send digital notes around the office. But fast-forward 30 years and with just the phone in your pocket, you can use email to contact virtually anyone in the world…from your best friend to the owner of that bagel shop you discovered last week.

With this evolution comes new challenges: we get more email now than ever, important information is buried inside messages, and our most important tasks can slip through the cracks—especially when we’re working on our phones. For many of us, dealing with email has become a daily chore that distracts from what we really need to do—rather than helping us get those things done.

If this all sounds familiar, then Inbox is for you. Or more accurately, Inbox works for you. Here are some of the ways Inbox is at your service:

Bundles: stay organized automatically
Inbox expands upon the categories we introduced in Gmail last year, making it easy to deal with similar types of mail all at once. For example, all your purchase receipts or bank statements are neatly grouped together so that you can quickly review and then swipe them out of the way. You can even teach Inbox to adapt to the way you work by choosing which emails you’d like to see grouped together.

Highlights: the important info at a glance
Inbox highlights the key information from important messages, such as flight itineraries, event information, and photos and documents emailed to you by friends and family. Inbox will even display useful information from the web that wasn’t in the original email, such as the real-time status of your flights and package deliveries. Highlights and Bundles work together to give you just the information you need at a glance.

Reminders, Assists, and Snooze: your to-do’s on your own terms
Inbox makes it easy to focus on your priorities by letting you add your own Reminders, from picking up the dry cleaning to giving your parents a call. No matter what you need to remember, your inbox becomes a centralized place to keep track of the things you need to get back to.

A sampling of Assists

And speaking of to-do’s, Inbox helps you cross those off your list by providing Assists—handy pieces of information you may need to get the job done. For example, if you write a Reminder to call the hardware store, Inbox will supply the store’s phone number and tell you if it's open. Assists work for your email, too. If you make a restaurant reservation online, Inbox adds a map to your confirmation email. Book a flight online, and Inbox gives a link to check-in.

Of course, not everything needs to be done right now. Whether you’re in an inconvenient place or simply need to focus on something else first, Inbox lets you Snooze away emails and Reminders. You can set them to come back at another time or when you get to a specific location, like your home or your office.

Get started with Inbox
Starting today, we’re sending out the first round of invitations to give Inbox a try, and each new user will be able to invite their friends. If Inbox can’t arrive soon enough for you, you can email us at inbox@google.com to get an invitation as soon as more become available.

When you start using Inbox, you’ll quickly see that it doesn’t feel the same as Gmail—and that’s the point. Gmail’s still there for you, but Inbox is something new. It’s a better way to get back to what matters, and we can’t wait to share it with you.]]> Posted by Sundar Pichai, SVP, Android, Chrome & Apps

Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog

Today, we’re introducing something new. It’s called Inbox. Years in the making, Inbox is by the same people who brought you Gmail, but it’s not Gmail: it’s a completely different type of inbox, designed to focus on what really matters.

Email started simply as a way to send digital notes around the office. But fast-forward 30 years and with just the phone in your pocket, you can use email to contact virtually anyone in the world…from your best friend to the owner of that bagel shop you discovered last week.

With this evolution comes new challenges: we get more email now than ever, important information is buried inside messages, and our most important tasks can slip through the cracks—especially when we’re working on our phones. For many of us, dealing with email has become a daily chore that distracts from what we really need to do—rather than helping us get those things done.

If this all sounds familiar, then Inbox is for you. Or more accurately, Inbox works for you. Here are some of the ways Inbox is at your service:

Bundles: stay organized automatically
Inbox expands upon the categories we introduced in Gmail last year, making it easy to deal with similar types of mail all at once. For example, all your purchase receipts or bank statements are neatly grouped together so that you can quickly review and then swipe them out of the way. You can even teach Inbox to adapt to the way you work by choosing which emails you’d like to see grouped together.

Highlights: the important info at a glance
Inbox highlights the key information from important messages, such as flight itineraries, event information, and photos and documents emailed to you by friends and family. Inbox will even display useful information from the web that wasn’t in the original email, such as the real-time status of your flights and package deliveries. Highlights and Bundles work together to give you just the information you need at a glance.

A sampling of Assists

And speaking of to-do’s, Inbox helps you cross those off your list by providing Assists—handy pieces of information you may need to get the job done. For example, if you write a Reminder to call the hardware store, Inbox will supply the store’s phone number and tell you if it's open. Assists work for your email, too. If you make a restaurant reservation online, Inbox adds a map to your confirmation email. Book a flight online, and Inbox gives a link to check-in.

Of course, not everything needs to be done right now. Whether you’re in an inconvenient place or simply need to focus on something else first, Inbox lets you Snooze away emails and Reminders. You can set them to come back at another time or when you get to a specific location, like your home or your office.

Get started with Inbox
Starting today, we’re sending out the first round of invitations to give Inbox a try, and each new user will be able to invite their friends. If Inbox can’t arrive soon enough for you, you can email us at inbox@google.com to get an invitation as soon as more become available.

When you start using Inbox, you’ll quickly see that it doesn’t feel the same as Gmail—and that’s the point. Gmail’s still there for you, but Inbox is something new. It’s a better way to get back to what matters, and we can’t wait to share it with you. ]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/an-inbox-that-works-for-you/feed/ 0 A first step toward more global email https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-first-step-toward-more-global-email/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-first-step-toward-more-global-email https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-first-step-toward-more-global-email/#comments Tue, 05 Aug 2014 16:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=ec0a46e8c7b00f59fae2562cd8bd71ac Posted by Pedro Chaparro Monferrer, Software Engineer

Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog

Whether your email address is firstname.lastname@ or something more expressive like corgicrazy@, an email address says something about who you are. But from the start, email addresses have always required you to use non-accented Latin characters when signing up. Less than half of the world’s population has a mother tongue that uses the Latin alphabet. And even fewer people use only the letters A-Z. So if your name (or that of your favorite pet) contains accented characters (like “José Ramón”) or is written in another script like Chinese or Devanagari, your email address options are limited.

But all that could change. In 2012, an organization called the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) created a new email standard that supports addresses with non-Latin and accented Latin characters (e.g. 武＠メール.グーグル). In order for this standard to become a reality, every email provider and every website that asks you for your email address must adopt it. That’s obviously a tough hill to climb. The technology is there, but someone has to take the first step.

Today we're ready to be that someone. Starting now, Gmail (and shortly, Calendar) will recognize addresses that contain accented or non-Latin characters. This means Gmail users can send emails to, and receive emails from, people who have these characters in their email addresses. Of course, this is just a first step and there’s still a ways to go. In the future, we want to make it possible for you to use them to create Gmail accounts.

Last month, we announced the addition of 13 new languages in Gmail. Language should never be a barrier when it comes to connecting with others and with this step forward, truly global email is now even closer to becoming a reality.
]]> Posted by Pedro Chaparro Monferrer, Software Engineer

Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog

Whether your email address is firstname.lastname@ or something more expressive like corgicrazy@, an email address says something about who you are. But from the start, email addresses have always required you to use non-accented Latin characters when signing up. Less than half of the world’s population has a mother tongue that uses the Latin alphabet. And even fewer people use only the letters A-Z. So if your name (or that of your favorite pet) contains accented characters (like “José Ramón”) or is written in another script like Chinese or Devanagari, your email address options are limited.

But all that could change. In 2012, an organization called the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) created a new email standard that supports addresses with non-Latin and accented Latin characters (e.g. 武＠メール.グーグル). In order for this standard to become a reality, every email provider and every website that asks you for your email address must adopt it. That’s obviously a tough hill to climb. The technology is there, but someone has to take the first step.

Today we're ready to be that someone. Starting now, Gmail (and shortly, Calendar) will recognize addresses that contain accented or non-Latin characters. This means Gmail users can send emails to, and receive emails from, people who have these characters in their email addresses. Of course, this is just a first step and there’s still a ways to go. In the future, we want to make it possible for you to use them to create Gmail accounts.

Last month, we announced the addition of 13 new languages in Gmail. Language should never be a barrier when it comes to connecting with others and with this step forward, truly global email is now even closer to becoming a reality.
]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-first-step-toward-more-global-email/feed/ 0 Gmail and Google Drive — working better together while you’re on-the-go https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-and-google-drive-working-better-together-while-youre-on-the-go/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gmail-and-google-drive-working-better-together-while-youre-on-the-go https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-and-google-drive-working-better-together-while-youre-on-the-go/#comments Thu, 24 Jul 2014 18:35:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=ca41fd6a299653085f4498ac58d4394d Posted by Simon Forsyth, Software Engineer

Important stuff doesn't always happen when you’re conveniently sitting at your desk. Maybe you're out to dinner when your boss tells you that she needs the latest project proposal ASAP, or your daughter calls you on your commute home to ask you to proofread her college essay (that’s of course due that night!). While we can't make your life more predictable, today's update to the Gmail iOS app, along with earlier updates to the Gmail Android app, makes it easier to get stuff done on-the-go.

Just like with Gmail on the web, you can now insert files from Google Drive directly into an email on your phone or tablet.

The apps will even tell you if your file isn’t shared with the person you’re sending it to so you can change the sharing settings before you send it. And to help you store all your files in a single place, if someone sends you an email attachment, you can save it directly to Drive with one tap.

On iOS, you can now also change your profile picture right from your Settings. So the next time you take that perfect selfie, you can make it your profile picture right away, all while out with friends. Lastly, if you have multiple Gmail accounts, you can choose which signed-in accounts you want visible in the app.

You can give these features a try by downloading the updated Gmail iOS app from the App Store, and if you’re using an Android phone or tablet, you can get the latest version of the Gmail Android app from the Google Play Store. ]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-and-google-drive-working-better-together-while-youre-on-the-go/feed/ 0 Thirteen new languages for Gmail https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/thirteen-new-languages-for-gmail/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=thirteen-new-languages-for-gmail https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/thirteen-new-languages-for-gmail/#comments Mon, 07 Jul 2014 17:06:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=6d3474bf75da93ef5478effd7d995326 Posted by Ian Hill, Senior Project Manager, Google Localization

Email is a universal way to communicate. No matter where you are, you can reach anyone else in the world with the press of a button. We take it for granted now, but it's so much easier to keep in touch with people than it was in the old days of pens, paper, and stamps. But there’s still an important barrier we need to overcome to make email truly universal: language. Gmail is already available in 58 languages, and today we’re bringing that total to 71—covering 94 percent of the world’s Internet population and bringing us closer to our goal of making sure that, no matter what language you write in, you can use it in Gmail.

These 13 new languages are joining the Gmail family: Afrikaans, Armenian, Azerbaijani (Azeri), Chinese (Hong Kong), French (Canada), Galician, Georgian, Khmer, Lao, Mongolian, Nepali, Sinhala, and Zulu.

As any native speaker knows, each language has its own nuances, so we worked closely with linguists to make sure the tone and style are just right. For example, both Hong Kong and Taiwan use traditional Chinese characters. However, you’ll notice that Gmail’s new Chinese (Hong Kong) language uses 收件箱 for “Inbox” instead of 收件匣, which is a word more common in Taiwan.

All 13 languages are rolling out today in Gmail on the web and feature phone browsers. Try out any one of them by going to your Settings. It’s much easier than finding the right postage.]]> Posted by Ian Hill, Senior Project Manager, Google Localization

Email is a universal way to communicate. No matter where you are, you can reach anyone else in the world with the press of a button. We take it for granted now, but it's so much easier to keep in touch with people than it was in the old days of pens, paper, and stamps. But there’s still an important barrier we need to overcome to make email truly universal: language. Gmail is already available in 58 languages, and today we’re bringing that total to 71—covering 94 percent of the world’s Internet population and bringing us closer to our goal of making sure that, no matter what language you write in, you can use it in Gmail.

These 13 new languages are joining the Gmail family: Afrikaans, Armenian, Azerbaijani (Azeri), Chinese (Hong Kong), French (Canada), Galician, Georgian, Khmer, Lao, Mongolian, Nepali, Sinhala, and Zulu.

As any native speaker knows, each language has its own nuances, so we worked closely with linguists to make sure the tone and style are just right. For example, both Hong Kong and Taiwan use traditional Chinese characters. However, you’ll notice that Gmail’s new Chinese (Hong Kong) language uses 收件箱 for “Inbox” instead of 收件匣, which is a word more common in Taiwan.

All 13 languages are rolling out today in Gmail on the web and feature phone browsers. Try out any one of them by going to your Settings. It’s much easier than finding the right postage.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/thirteen-new-languages-for-gmail/feed/ 0 The photos from your phone, now one click away https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/the-photos-from-your-phone-now-one-click-away/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-photos-from-your-phone-now-one-click-away https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/the-photos-from-your-phone-now-one-click-away/#comments Tue, 15 Apr 2014 11:43:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=dc7a237c8d20c75de375b62d64d06c01 Posted by Thijs van As, Product Manager

Unless you’re a budding Ansel Adams, odds are you take most of your photos using your phone. And whether it’s photos of your hiking trip or a night out, sending photos to friends and family just got easier. Starting today, you can save time and insert your Auto Backup photos from your phone into Gmail messages on the web using the new Insert Photo button.

When you click the button, you'll instantly access all the photos that are backed up from your mobile devices, starting with the most recent.

If you upload and organize your photos into albums on Google Photos, you can also share entire albums. Plus, you can now resize images while composing messages by dragging on any corner to make your snapshot picture perfect.

These new features will be rolling out today in Gmail on the web. If you haven’t already, turn on Auto Backup so you can easily include photos from your latest adventures in emails to family and friends.]]> Posted by Thijs van As, Product Manager

Unless you’re a budding Ansel Adams, odds are you take most of your photos using your phone. And whether it’s photos of your hiking trip or a night out, sending photos to friends and family just got easier. Starting today, you can save time and insert your Auto Backup photos from your phone into Gmail messages on the web using the new Insert Photo button.

When you click the button, you'll instantly access all the photos that are backed up from your mobile devices, starting with the most recent.

These new features will be rolling out today in Gmail on the web. If you haven’t already, turn on Auto Backup so you can easily include photos from your latest adventures in emails to family and friends.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/the-photos-from-your-phone-now-one-click-away/feed/ 0 Gmail Shelfies are so yesterday. Share your custom theme instead https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-shelfies-are-so-yesterday-share-your-custom-theme-instead/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gmail-shelfies-are-so-yesterday-share-your-custom-theme-instead https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-shelfies-are-so-yesterday-share-your-custom-theme-instead/#comments Wed, 02 Apr 2014 16:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=9cfc8da4428fcd052139d1f9712ede75 Posted by Greg Bullock, Software Engineer

Shelfies are so yesterday, so we’re saying goodbye to Gmail Shelfie. That said, many of you told us that you loved the concepts of themes and sharing together, so we worked through the night to update this feature into something even better. Today, we’re excited to announce that you can now share any custom theme—your favorite vacation spot, pet, family photo or even, yes, a selfie—with friends, loved ones or anyone.

If you’re using a custom theme that you want shared, simply click on “Share your theme” under Themes in Settings.

And if you opted into Gmail's top trending Shelfies theme, then you can either update to your own custom theme or follow the Gmail Google+ page where we’ll be sharing some of our favorites on “Theme Thursdays.”

]]> Posted by Greg Bullock, Software Engineer

Shelfies are so yesterday, so we’re saying goodbye to Gmail Shelfie. That said, many of you told us that you loved the concepts of themes and sharing together, so we worked through the night to update this feature into something even better. Today, we’re excited to announce that you can now share any custom theme—your favorite vacation spot, pet, family photo or even, yes, a selfie—with friends, loved ones or anyone.

If you’re using a custom theme that you want shared, simply click on “Share your theme” under Themes in Settings.

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-shelfies-are-so-yesterday-share-your-custom-theme-instead/feed/ 0 Introducing Gmail Shelfie https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/introducing-gmail-shelfie/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=introducing-gmail-shelfie https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/introducing-gmail-shelfie/#comments Tue, 01 Apr 2014 07:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=d196faf452963927829975b40491487d Posted by Greg Bullock, Software Engineer

Today, Gmail hits the double digits. Over the last 10 years, you—our users—have been our biggest inspiration. You've sent us ideas for features you want, and told us what you like (and didn't like...). So while it may be our birthday, we want to say thank you to you with a gift that is, well, all about you.

When custom themes launched back in 2012, we urged you to find “your perfect image and make Gmail your own.” And you did. Many of you rushed to take photos of yourselves to upload as your Gmail custom theme, which you started referring to as selfies.

An early selfie in Gmail
As you undoubtedly recall, this term quickly spread beyond email themes and has permeated our culture so thoroughly that the Oxford Dictionaries named it Word of the Year in 2013.

Custom themes catalyzed selfie generation
You all love setting selfies as your custom theme in Gmail, but you’ve told us there’s one major problem: there isn’t a way to share your selfie with others. As the pioneering platform for selfies, Gmail is committed to being at the forefront of innovation in the selfie space. And we think it's a tragedy that your handsome hair, luscious lashes and beautiful brows have been trapped in your own inbox. Until now, that is. Today, we’re proud to free your selfies by launching Gmail Shelfie, the SHareable sELFIE.

Gmail Shelfie is built on the idea that you shouldn’t be selfish with your selfie. With just a few clicks, your mom, your aunt, or that girl you have a crush on can set your Shelfie as their Gmail theme so they can enjoy checking, reading, and writing emails while seeing your friendly face in the background.

Got an awesome selfie? Upgrade it to a Shelfie! Simply open or refresh Gmail on the desktop and share it with your friends. If you're looking for inspiration, set your theme to Gmail's top trending Shelfies. You can also see who's currently trending on our Google+ page.

Spoiler alert: Word of the Year 2014 will be Shelfie... clearly.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/introducing-gmail-shelfie/feed/ 0 A new, more visual way to view your Promotions tab https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-new-more-visual-way-to-view-your-promotions-tab/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-new-more-visual-way-to-view-your-promotions-tab https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-new-more-visual-way-to-view-your-promotions-tab/#comments Tue, 25 Mar 2014 16:03:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=824770d7e81548c7c75fc51d250de921 Posted by Aaron Rothman, Product Manager

Promotional mail has a lot of images, from pictures of snazzy new shoes to photos of that rock-climbing gym you’ve been wanting to try. But right now, those images are buried inside your messages—and with only subject lines to go on, it can be a challenge to quickly pick out the deals and offers that interest you most. To help you find what you’re looking for faster, you can now sign up for a new field trial for Gmail that lets you view the Promotions tab in a more visual way.

To take part in this field trial, you can sign up at g.co/gmailfieldtrial and if you’re selected, a new grid view will bring to the top of your inbox key images from deals, offers, and other marketing emails if you have the Promotions tab enabled. Grid view also comes with infinite scrolling, making it easy to quickly scan through your messages and find the ones that look interesting.

You’ll be able to toggle between the new visual grid view and the standard list view by clicking a button at the top of the tab. We’re just experimenting for now, but we hope this view will make it a little bit easier for you to get things done. Sign up at g.co/gmailfieldtrial and if you're selected, we’ll follow up for your feedback!

Note: If you send promotional emails, check out the Gmail Developers site to learn how you can give your readers a better experience in Gmail using this feature.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-new-more-visual-way-to-view-your-promotions-tab/feed/ 0 Staying at the forefront of email security and reliability: HTTPS-only and 99.978% availability https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/staying-at-the-forefront-of-email-security-and-reliability-https-only-and-99-978-availability-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=staying-at-the-forefront-of-email-security-and-reliability-https-only-and-99-978-availability-2 https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/staying-at-the-forefront-of-email-security-and-reliability-https-only-and-99-978-availability-2/#comments Thu, 20 Mar 2014 16:43:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=926009d6854ac861d97c97a52f912fc8 Posted by Nicolas Lidzborski, Gmail Security Engineering Lead

Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog

Your email is important to you, and making sure it stays safe and always available is important to us. As you go about your day reading, writing, and checking messages, there are tons of security measures running behind the scenes to keep your email safe, secure, and there whenever you need it.

Starting today, Gmail will always use an encrypted HTTPS connection when you check or send email. Gmail has supported HTTPS since the day it launched, and in 2010 we made HTTPS the default. Today's change means that no one can listen in on your messages as they go back and forth between you and Gmail’s servers—no matter if you're using public WiFi or logging in from your computer, phone or tablet.

In addition, every single email message you send or receive—100% of them—is encrypted while moving internally. This ensures that your messages are safe not only when they move between you and Gmail's servers, but also as they move between Google's data centers—something we made a top priority after last summer’s revelations.

Of course, being able to access your email is just as important as keeping it safe and secure. In 2013, Gmail was available 99.978% of the time, which averages to less than two hours of disruption for a user for the entire year. Our engineering experts look after Google's services 24x7 and if a problem ever arises, they're on the case immediately. We keep you informed by posting updates on the Apps Status Dashboard until the issue is fixed, and we always conduct a full analysis on the problem to prevent it from happening again.

Our commitment to the security and reliability of your email is absolute, and we’re constantly working on ways to improve. You can learn about additional ways to keep yourself safe online, like creating strong passwords and enabling 2-step verification, by visiting the Security Center: https://www.google.com/help/security.]]> Posted by Nicolas Lidzborski, Gmail Security Engineering Lead

Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog

Your email is important to you, and making sure it stays safe and always available is important to us. As you go about your day reading, writing, and checking messages, there are tons of security measures running behind the scenes to keep your email safe, secure, and there whenever you need it.

Starting today, Gmail will always use an encrypted HTTPS connection when you check or send email. Gmail has supported HTTPS since the day it launched, and in 2010 we made HTTPS the default. Today's change means that no one can listen in on your messages as they go back and forth between you and Gmail’s servers—no matter if you're using public WiFi or logging in from your computer, phone or tablet.

In addition, every single email message you send or receive—100% of them—is encrypted while moving internally. This ensures that your messages are safe not only when they move between you and Gmail's servers, but also as they move between Google's data centers—something we made a top priority after last summer’s revelations.

Of course, being able to access your email is just as important as keeping it safe and secure. In 2013, Gmail was available 99.978% of the time, which averages to less than two hours of disruption for a user for the entire year. Our engineering experts look after Google's services 24x7 and if a problem ever arises, they're on the case immediately. We keep you informed by posting updates on the Apps Status Dashboard until the issue is fixed, and we always conduct a full analysis on the problem to prevent it from happening again.

Our commitment to the security and reliability of your email is absolute, and we’re constantly working on ways to improve. You can learn about additional ways to keep yourself safe online, like creating strong passwords and enabling 2-step verification, by visiting the Security Center: https://www.google.com/help/security.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/staying-at-the-forefront-of-email-security-and-reliability-https-only-and-99-978-availability-2/feed/ 0 Get your mail faster on the Gmail iOS app https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/get-your-mail-faster-on-the-gmail-ios-app/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=get-your-mail-faster-on-the-gmail-ios-app https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/get-your-mail-faster-on-the-gmail-ios-app/#comments Wed, 05 Mar 2014 16:34:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=d39575de14ab67ccc06adad486d061f9 Posted by Melissa Dominguez, Software Engineer

Whether you’re checking your email first thing in the morning or as you’re waiting in line at the grocery store, you want to get your messages as quickly as possible. With today’s update to the Gmail iOS App, it’s easier to do just that.

The app now fully supports background app refresh, which means your Gmail messages will be pre-fetched and synced so they’re right there when you open the app—no more annoying pauses while you wait for your inbox to refresh. This feature requires iOS 7, and you’ll also need to turn on background app refresh and notifications (badge or any other type) for the Gmail app.

The Gmail app also now supports sign-in across Google iOS apps, including Maps, Drive, YouTube and Chrome. Sign in to one, and you’ll be signed in to all (this also works for signing out). So you won’t have to type in that 27-character password or retrieve your 2-step verification code every time you navigate to another Google app. You may need to re-login after you update the app, but then you’ll be all set.

Head over to the App Store now to download the updated app so you can save a bit more time each day.]]> Posted by Melissa Dominguez, Software Engineer

Whether you’re checking your email first thing in the morning or as you’re waiting in line at the grocery store, you want to get your messages as quickly as possible. With today’s update to the Gmail iOS App, it’s easier to do just that.

The app now fully supports background app refresh, which means your Gmail messages will be pre-fetched and synced so they’re right there when you open the app—no more annoying pauses while you wait for your inbox to refresh. This feature requires iOS 7, and you’ll also need to turn on background app refresh and notifications (badge or any other type) for the Gmail app.

The Gmail app also now supports sign-in across Google iOS apps, including Maps, Drive, YouTube and Chrome. Sign in to one, and you’ll be signed in to all (this also works for signing out). So you won’t have to type in that 27-character password or retrieve your 2-step verification code every time you navigate to another Google app. You may need to re-login after you update the app, but then you’ll be all set.

Head over to the App Store now to download the updated app so you can save a bit more time each day.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/get-your-mail-faster-on-the-gmail-ios-app/feed/ 0 New holiday calendars https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/new-holiday-calendars/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-holiday-calendars https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/new-holiday-calendars/#comments Mon, 03 Feb 2014 17:07:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=46c646e02c68f9c4725980ef4fc48aee Posted by Ronnie Falcon, Associate Product Manager Intern

Interested in celebrating Carnival with your cousin in Argentina, or not sure when your friend in Zurich is off for the Swiss National Day holiday? You can now choose from 30 additional country holiday calendars in Google Calendar to help keep track of special occasions in different countries so there’ll be even more to celebrate.

The calendars, which will be rolled out over the next few days, also contain a wider variety of holidays and display dates for holidays further into the future, so you can have enough time to book a flight to Buenos Aires to join your cousin for the water games, or ask your friend to send you a dozen August-Weggen.
]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/new-holiday-calendars/feed/ 0 Reach the people you know more easily https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/reach-the-people-you-know-more-easily/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=reach-the-people-you-know-more-easily https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/reach-the-people-you-know-more-easily/#comments Thu, 09 Jan 2014 18:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=614e834e5dae582d6e8e52d23b63ff35 Posted by David Nachum, Product Manager

Have you ever started typing an email to someone only to realize halfway through the draft that you haven't actually exchanged email addresses? If you are nodding your head 'yes' and already have a Google+ profile, then you’re in luck, because now it's easier for people using Gmail and Google+ to connect over email. As an extension of some earlier improvements that keep Gmail contacts automatically up to date using Google+, Gmail will suggest your Google+ connections as recipients when you are composing a new email.

How it works
As you can tell from the example above, these emails work a bit differently so that your email address is only shared with the people you want. Your email address isn't visible to a Google+ connection unless you send that person an email, and likewise, that person’s email address isn’t visible to you unless they send you an email.

You're in control
You control whether people can reach you this way with a new setting in Gmail.

Emailing Google+ connections also takes advantage of Gmail's new inbox's categories. When someone in your circles emails you, the email will appear in the Primary category. But if you don't have them in your circles, it will be filtered into the Social category (if enabled) and they'll only be able start another conversation with you if you respond or add them to your circles.

Diana has sent an email to Peter and Peter decides if he wants to add Diana to his circles or reply.

This feature is rolling out over the next couple of days to everyone that uses Gmail and Google+. You'll get an email with information and a link to the setting when the feature is available.]]> Posted by David Nachum, Product Manager

Have you ever started typing an email to someone only to realize halfway through the draft that you haven't actually exchanged email addresses? If you are nodding your head 'yes' and already have a Google+ profile, then you’re in luck, because now it's easier for people using Gmail and Google+ to connect over email. As an extension of some earlier improvements that keep Gmail contacts automatically up to date using Google+, Gmail will suggest your Google+ connections as recipients when you are composing a new email.

Diana has sent an email to Peter and Peter decides if he wants to add Diana to his circles or reply.

This feature is rolling out over the next couple of days to everyone that uses Gmail and Google+. You'll get an email with information and a link to the setting when the feature is available.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/reach-the-people-you-know-more-easily/feed/ 0 Images Now Showing https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/images-now-showing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=images-now-showing https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/images-now-showing/#comments Thu, 12 Dec 2013 16:45:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=a6b78e0be2c660cf7f5ef03550b1ab45 Posted by John Rae-Grant, Product Manager

Have you ever wondered why Gmail asks you before showing images in emails? We did this to protect you from unknown senders who might try to use images to compromise the security of your computer or mobile device.

But thanks to new improvements in how Gmail handles images, you’ll soon see all images displayed in your messages automatically across desktop, iOS and Android. Instead of serving images directly from their original external host servers, Gmail will now serve all images through Google’s own secure proxy servers.

So what does this mean for you? Simple: your messages are more safe and secure, your images are checked for known viruses or malware, and you’ll never have to press that pesky “display images below” link again. With this new change, your email will now be safer, faster and more beautiful than ever.

Of course, those who prefer to authorize image display on a per message basis can choose the option “Ask before displaying external images” under the General tab in Settings. That option will also be the default for users who previously selected “Ask before displaying external content”.

Similar to existing features like default https access, suspicious activity detection, and free two-step verification, image proxying is another way your email is protected. This new improvement will be rolling out on desktop starting today and to your Gmail mobile apps in early 2014.]]> Posted by John Rae-Grant, Product Manager

Have you ever wondered why Gmail asks you before showing images in emails? We did this to protect you from unknown senders who might try to use images to compromise the security of your computer or mobile device.

But thanks to new improvements in how Gmail handles images, you’ll soon see all images displayed in your messages automatically across desktop, iOS and Android. Instead of serving images directly from their original external host servers, Gmail will now serve all images through Google’s own secure proxy servers.

So what does this mean for you? Simple: your messages are more safe and secure, your images are checked for known viruses or malware, and you’ll never have to press that pesky “display images below” link again. With this new change, your email will now be safer, faster and more beautiful than ever.

Of course, those who prefer to authorize image display on a per message basis can choose the option “Ask before displaying external images” under the General tab in Settings. That option will also be the default for users who previously selected “Ask before displaying external content”.

Similar to existing features like default https access, suspicious activity detection, and free two-step verification, image proxying is another way your email is protected. This new improvement will be rolling out on desktop starting today and to your Gmail mobile apps in early 2014. ]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/images-now-showing/feed/ 0 Download a copy of your Gmail and Google Calendar data https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/download-a-copy-of-your-gmail-and-google-calendar-data/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=download-a-copy-of-your-gmail-and-google-calendar-data https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/download-a-copy-of-your-gmail-and-google-calendar-data/#comments Thu, 05 Dec 2013 16:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=6e84bda805a06c726b6a2029ef7324d3 Posted by Nick Piepmeier, Software Engineer

Having access to your data and being able to take it with you is important, especially if that data contains precious memories like old love letters, your first job offer, or that 100-message thread discussing the merits of various cat videos. Starting today we're rolling out the ability to export a copy of your Gmail and Google Calendar data, making it easy to back up your data or move to another service.

You can download all of your mail and calendars or choose a subset of labels and calendars. You can also download a single archive file for multiple products with a copy of your Gmail, Calendar, Google+, YouTube, Drive, and other Google data.

The ability to download your Gmail messages will be rolled out over the next month while Calendar data is available to download for everyone today.
]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/download-a-copy-of-your-gmail-and-google-calendar-data/feed/ 0 Know where to go, stay up-to-date and more with Google Calendar https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/know-where-to-go-stay-up-to-date-and-more-with-google-calendar/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=know-where-to-go-stay-up-to-date-and-more-with-google-calendar https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/know-where-to-go-stay-up-to-date-and-more-with-google-calendar/#comments Wed, 04 Dec 2013 16:48:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=57096ca81811bf2c338b788b6ecdda25 Posted by Boris Khvostichenko, Product Manager

When life gets busy, you rely on your calendar to keep track of what you need to do and where you need to be. And to help you stay on top of things, Google Calendar is getting a bunch of improvements, just in time for the extra busy holiday season!

Know where to go with Google Maps autocomplete

Creating events in Google Calendar is now faster with autocomplete predictions from Google Maps. Calendar will autocomplete addresses as you type so you can quickly and accurately add locations to your events.

Your friends can then simply click on the “map” link to make sure you all end up at the right place.

Instantly see relevant events as you search

Don’t know which day you’re meeting a friend for lunch? You can now instantly see relevant events and contacts as you search in Calendar so you can save time and quickly find the information you’re looking for.

Stay up-to-date with events that update as Google Groups change

You can invite a lot of people to a Calendar event by sending an invitation to a single Google Group. To help your calendar stay up-to-date with group changes, event guest lists will now automatically update as people join or leave a group. This way you don’t have to worry about missing any events organized by a new group you joined or having your calendar filled with events that no longer matter.

]]> Posted by Boris Khvostichenko, Product Manager

When life gets busy, you rely on your calendar to keep track of what you need to do and where you need to be. And to help you stay on top of things, Google Calendar is getting a bunch of improvements, just in time for the extra busy holiday season!

Know where to go with Google Maps autocomplete

Creating events in Google Calendar is now faster with autocomplete predictions from Google Maps. Calendar will autocomplete addresses as you type so you can quickly and accurately add locations to your events.

Your friends can then simply click on the “map” link to make sure you all end up at the right place.

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/know-where-to-go-stay-up-to-date-and-more-with-google-calendar/feed/ 0 A new look for the Gmail app on iPad https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-new-look-for-the-gmail-app-on-ipad/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-new-look-for-the-gmail-app-on-ipad https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-new-look-for-the-gmail-app-on-ipad/#comments Thu, 14 Nov 2013 17:01:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=8be269a329cc857a06583a08cce2d42a Posted by Carmen Wilkinson, Software Engineer

Tablets are great because the large screen not only gives you a more immersive experience but also extra room for serious multitasking. And with today’s update to the Gmail iOS app, you’ll be able to do even more with your iPad.

If you hold your iPad in landscape mode, you’ll immediately notice the new left hand navigation bar, which allows you to quickly switch between inbox categories, or between multiple accounts, with a single tap. To help you get through your email faster, you’ll also see a new message counter for each category.

For those preferring a more focused immersive experience, hold your iPad in portrait mode to get a full screen view of individual messages.

In addition to improvements to scrolling performance, there’ll also be extra room to compose your messages in full screen.

Lastly you’ll notice several iOS 7 visual updates on both iPad and iPhone. You can download the app right now from the App Store.]]> Posted by Carmen Wilkinson, Software Engineer

Tablets are great because the large screen not only gives you a more immersive experience but also extra room for serious multitasking. And with today’s update to the Gmail iOS app, you’ll be able to do even more with your iPad.

If you hold your iPad in landscape mode, you’ll immediately notice the new left hand navigation bar, which allows you to quickly switch between inbox categories, or between multiple accounts, with a single tap. To help you get through your email faster, you’ll also see a new message counter for each category.

For those preferring a more focused immersive experience, hold your iPad in portrait mode to get a full screen view of individual messages.

In addition to improvements to scrolling performance, there’ll also be extra room to compose your messages in full screen.

Lastly you’ll notice several iOS 7 visual updates on both iPad and iPhone. You can download the app right now from the App Store. ]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/a-new-look-for-the-gmail-app-on-ipad/feed/ 0 Attachments in Gmail, now with the power of Google Drive https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/attachments-in-gmail-now-with-the-power-of-google-drive/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=attachments-in-gmail-now-with-the-power-of-google-drive https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/attachments-in-gmail-now-with-the-power-of-google-drive/#comments Tue, 12 Nov 2013 16:01:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=be7a21178f93cc1a426c89f075cb0cde Posted by Scott Johnston, Director of Product Management

Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog and Google Drive Blog

You're probably used to downloading email attachments, but each of those files takes time to download, eats up space on your device, and can get buried deep inside your "Downloads" folder. With today's update to Gmail, you can skip that whole process. Instead, you can view attachments and save files directly to Google Drive without ever leaving Gmail, making it easy to access them later from whatever device you’re on—computer, phone or tablet.

The next time you open an email with attachments, you’ll see new previews of the files at the bottom of the email, from photos and videos to spreadsheets and PDFs.

When you click on one of those previews, a full-screen view of the image or document will appear. You can read, search for a particular phrase, and even browse through multiple attachments right in Gmail.

You can now also save your attachments directly to Drive simply by clicking the Drive button that appears when you hover over the preview. Of course, if you prefer to download the attachment to your computer, you can—just click the arrow button.

This new attachment experience is available on desktop and will be rolling out over the next week. If you’re one of the more than 120 million active Drive users, you know that saving your files to Drive lets you get to them from any computer, phone or tablet. And if you aren’t taking advantage of Drive just yet, give it a try with your next Gmail attachment.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/attachments-in-gmail-now-with-the-power-of-google-drive/feed/ 0 Take even more actions right from your inbox https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/take-even-more-actions-right-from-your-inbox/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=take-even-more-actions-right-from-your-inbox https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/take-even-more-actions-right-from-your-inbox/#comments Mon, 11 Nov 2013 16:55:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=0b2ad1cfbc33c7b986ffcbbebba767ea Posted by Claudio Cherubino, Developer Programs Engineer

From holiday shopping and booking flights home to dinners out with friends and family, life gets busy this time of year. The last thing you need to spend your time doing is digging through an email for relevant information, such as links for tracking packages or flight check-ins. Gmail’s quick action buttons help you stay on top of your busy schedule by surfacing important information as “buttons” that appear in your inbox, and now, you’ll see even more buttons to get you through this action-packed season.

For example, you can rate and review restaurants you ordered from on Seamless and even modify OpenTable reservations—all without opening an email. And for the deal lovers out there, you can conveniently save a promotion from Google Offers with one click, making it easy to find and buy it when you’re ready.

If you’re an avid uploader of YouTube and Vimeo videos, you can view finished uploads with a single click with the new “View video” button. Similarly, you can also speedily open a Dropbox folder or Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides that have been shared with you.

The list goes on, and we’re continuing to add even more buttons to make it easier for you to get things done in Gmail. If you’re a developer looking to add this feature to emails you send, check out our Developers site to learn more.]]> Posted by Claudio Cherubino, Developer Programs Engineer

From holiday shopping and booking flights home to dinners out with friends and family, life gets busy this time of year. The last thing you need to spend your time doing is digging through an email for relevant information, such as links for tracking packages or flight check-ins. Gmail’s quick action buttons help you stay on top of your busy schedule by surfacing important information as “buttons” that appear in your inbox, and now, you’ll see even more buttons to get you through this action-packed season.

For example, you can rate and review restaurants you ordered from on Seamless and even modify OpenTable reservations—all without opening an email. And for the deal lovers out there, you can conveniently save a promotion from Google Offers with one click, making it easy to find and buy it when you’re ready.

The list goes on, and we’re continuing to add even more buttons to make it easier for you to get things done in Gmail. If you’re a developer looking to add this feature to emails you send, check out our Developers site to learn more. ]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/take-even-more-actions-right-from-your-inbox/feed/ 0 Handwriting input comes to Gmail and Google Docs https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/handwriting-input-comes-to-gmail-and-google-docs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=handwriting-input-comes-to-gmail-and-google-docs https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/handwriting-input-comes-to-gmail-and-google-docs/#comments Tue, 22 Oct 2013 15:38:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=2af229e69830e010d043c99f9bba3725 Posted by Xiangye Xiao, Product Manager

Cross-posted on the Google Drive blog

Gmail and Docs offer wide language support, however in some cases using the keyboard is less than ideal. Whether you’re a student trying to include a foreign phrase in your paper or an international consultant hoping to begin your message with a friendly local greeting, now you’ll be able to use your own handwriting to input words directly into Gmail and Google Docs with your mouse or trackpad.

To try it out, enable input tools in Gmail or Docs and select the handwriting input (represented by a pencil icon) of the language you want to use.

You can write single or even multiple characters at once in the panel to see them show up in your message or document. Currently, handwriting input is available in Google Docs for over 20 languages and in Gmail for over 50 languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Hindi and Russian.

Handwriting input makes the internet easier to use by people worldwide and is also part of a larger effort to break the barrier between languages, check it out in Google Mobile Search, Google Translate (Web, Android and iOS), and the Chrome browser. ]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/handwriting-input-comes-to-gmail-and-google-docs/feed/ 0 More On Gmail’s Delivery Delays https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/more-on-gmails-delivery-delays/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=more-on-gmails-delivery-delays https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/more-on-gmails-delivery-delays/#comments Tue, 24 Sep 2013 13:52:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=892a2df1ebef31e1f16819136d761833 Posted by Sabrina Farmer, Senior Site Reliability Engineering Manager for Gmail

On September 23rd, many Gmail users received an unwelcome surprise: some of their messages were arriving slowly, and some of their attachments were unavailable. We’d like to start by apologizing—we realize that our users rely on Gmail to be always available and always fast, and for several hours we didn’t deliver. We have analyzed what happened, and we’ll tell you about it below. In addition, we’re taking several steps to prevent a recurrence.

The message delivery delays were triggered by a dual network failure. This is a very rare event in which two separate, redundant network paths both stop working at the same time. The two network failures were unrelated, but in combination they reduced Gmail’s capacity to deliver messages to users, and beginning at 5:54 a.m. PST messages started piling up. Google’s automated monitoring alerted the Gmail engineering team within minutes, and they began investigating immediately. Together with the networking team, the Gmail team restored some of the network capacity that was lost and worked to repurpose additional capacity, clearing much of accumulated message backlog by 1:00 p.m. PST and the remainder by shortly before 4:00 p.m. PST.

The impact on users’ Gmail experience varied widely. Most messages were unaffected—71% of messages had no delay, and of the remaining 29%, the average delivery delay was just 2.6 seconds. However, about 1.5% of messages were delayed more than two hours. Users who attempted to download large attachments on affected messages encountered errors. Throughout the event, Gmail remained otherwise available — users could log in, read messages which had been delivered, send mail, and access other features.

What’s next? Our top priority is ensuring that Gmail users get the experience they expect: fast, highly-available email, anytime they want it. We're taking steps to ensure that there is sufficient network capacity, including backup capacity for Gmail, even in the event of a rare dual network failure. We also plan to make changes to make Gmail message delivery more resilient to a network capacity shortfall in the unlikely event that one occurs in the future. Finally, we’re updating our internal practices so that we can more quickly and effectively respond to network issues. We’ll be working on all of these improvements and more over the next few weeks—even including this event, Gmail remains well above 99.9% available, and we intend to keep it that way!]]> Posted by Sabrina Farmer, Senior Site Reliability Engineering Manager for Gmail

On September 23rd, many Gmail users received an unwelcome surprise: some of their messages were arriving slowly, and some of their attachments were unavailable. We’d like to start by apologizing—we realize that our users rely on Gmail to be always available and always fast, and for several hours we didn’t deliver. We have analyzed what happened, and we’ll tell you about it below. In addition, we’re taking several steps to prevent a recurrence.

The message delivery delays were triggered by a dual network failure. This is a very rare event in which two separate, redundant network paths both stop working at the same time. The two network failures were unrelated, but in combination they reduced Gmail’s capacity to deliver messages to users, and beginning at 5:54 a.m. PST messages started piling up. Google’s automated monitoring alerted the Gmail engineering team within minutes, and they began investigating immediately. Together with the networking team, the Gmail team restored some of the network capacity that was lost and worked to repurpose additional capacity, clearing much of accumulated message backlog by 1:00 p.m. PST and the remainder by shortly before 4:00 p.m. PST.

The impact on users’ Gmail experience varied widely. Most messages were unaffected—71% of messages had no delay, and of the remaining 29%, the average delivery delay was just 2.6 seconds. However, about 1.5% of messages were delayed more than two hours. Users who attempted to download large attachments on affected messages encountered errors. Throughout the event, Gmail remained otherwise available — users could log in, read messages which had been delivered, send mail, and access other features.

What’s next? Our top priority is ensuring that Gmail users get the experience they expect: fast, highly-available email, anytime they want it. We're taking steps to ensure that there is sufficient network capacity, including backup capacity for Gmail, even in the event of a rare dual network failure. We also plan to make changes to make Gmail message delivery more resilient to a network capacity shortfall in the unlikely event that one occurs in the future. Finally, we’re updating our internal practices so that we can more quickly and effectively respond to network issues. We’ll be working on all of these improvements and more over the next few weeks—even including this event, Gmail remains well above 99.9% available, and we intend to keep it that way!]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/more-on-gmails-delivery-delays/feed/ 0 Gmail for feature phone browsers gets a new look https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-for-feature-phone-browsers-gets-a-new-look/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gmail-for-feature-phone-browsers-gets-a-new-look https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-for-feature-phone-browsers-gets-a-new-look/#comments Mon, 09 Sep 2013 23:21:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=f7cd6a6180eedf1c3af96590a8c1f356 Posted by Ari Bezman, Product Manager

People use all sorts of devices to access Gmail: their web browser, smartphone, tablet and, in many parts of the world, their feature phone. For those of you who use a feature phone to access Gmail on the go, starting today you're getting a brand new look that's faster and easier to use.

You'll get a number of improvements that reduce the number of button presses required to read, reply and compose emails. For example, you can reply directly to a message from the thread view, you can choose to move to the previous or next conversation, and much more.

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-for-feature-phone-browsers-gets-a-new-look/feed/ 0 Making calls from Hangouts — in Gmail and across the web https://googledata.org/uncategorized/making-calls-from-hangouts-in-gmail-and-across-the-web-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=making-calls-from-hangouts-in-gmail-and-across-the-web-2 https://googledata.org/uncategorized/making-calls-from-hangouts-in-gmail-and-across-the-web-2/#comments Tue, 09 Jul 2013 21:15:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=9900499164f5e2d0eb588ad6bca9b57c Posted by Alex Wiesen, Senior Software Engineer

For those of you who have taken the plunge and are using desktop Hangouts in Gmail, Google+, and the Chrome extension, we've heard loud and clear that you miss the ability to make calls from Gmail, so today, we're happy to announce it's back - and better than before! Even better: calls to the US and Canada are now free from all countries where Hangouts calling is available. And international rates remain super, super low.

Today's launch also improves the desktop calling experience in a number of ways. For example: you can add multiple phone numbers and video participants to the same call; and you can play sound effects (like applause or laughter) with the Google Effects app.

To make a call from Hangouts, just look for the new phone icon in Gmail, or for the new "Call a phone" menu item in Google+ and the Chrome extension. And of course: if you haven't yet tried Hangouts in Gmail, you can always click your profile photo in the chat list and select "Try the new Hangouts."

Making calls from Hangouts is rolling out over the next couple of days. As we’ve said before: Hangouts is designed to be the future of Google Voice, and making and receiving calls is just the beginning. So stay tuned for future updates.
]]> Posted by Alex Wiesen, Senior Software Engineer

For those of you who have taken the plunge and are using desktop Hangouts in Gmail, Google+, and the Chrome extension, we've heard loud and clear that you miss the ability to make calls from Gmail, so today, we're happy to announce it's back - and better than before! Even better: calls to the US and Canada are now free from all countries where Hangouts calling is available. And international rates remain super, super low.

Making calls from Hangouts is rolling out over the next couple of days. As we’ve said before: Hangouts is designed to be the future of Google Voice, and making and receiving calls is just the beginning. So stay tuned for future updates.
]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/making-calls-from-hangouts-in-gmail-and-across-the-web-2/feed/ 0 New Google Groups now available to everyone https://googledata.org/uncategorized/new-google-groups-now-available-to-everyone/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=new-google-groups-now-available-to-everyone https://googledata.org/uncategorized/new-google-groups-now-available-to-everyone/#comments Mon, 24 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=98f55fe613ae70eefc088ae89130176e Posted by Ryan Falor, Product Manager, Google Groups

With Google Groups, you can manage a mailing list, coordinate with your social club, and find experts who share your interests. Over the last year we have been working on improving the experience and adding new features while keeping our old version running.

Today we’re retiring the old version and excited to be bringing the new Google Groups to everyone. If you haven’t tried Groups in a while you’ll notice improved options for managing your groups and long time users may be surprised by all the features we have added along the way.

One of the recently improved features is the ability to create an inbox that allows you to collaboratively share, distribute and track responsibilities with others. Imagine you and a few friends are organizing an event for your school and want a single email address to coordinate with vendors, parents, and volunteers. Members of the group can work together to manage email, assign items to each other, and mark items resolved. This can be a great feature for teams seeking a really simple way to get things done without sharing passwords or losing track.

Additionally, there are several new moderation tools to make managing your forum easier and faster. For example, you can now use canned responses in forums and use streamlined options to make moderating forum posts easier. And if you are on the go, you can browse and moderate your groups with our mobile website.

You can learn more about the new Google Groups in the help center.

]]> Posted by Ryan Falor, Product Manager, Google Groups

With Google Groups, you can manage a mailing list, coordinate with your social club, and find experts who share your interests. Over the last year we have been working on improving the experience and adding new features while keeping our old version running.

Today we’re retiring the old version and excited to be bringing the new Google Groups to everyone. If you haven’t tried Groups in a while you’ll notice improved options for managing your groups and long time users may be surprised by all the features we have added along the way.

One of the recently improved features is the ability to create an inbox that allows you to collaboratively share, distribute and track responsibilities with others. Imagine you and a few friends are organizing an event for your school and want a single email address to coordinate with vendors, parents, and volunteers. Members of the group can work together to manage email, assign items to each other, and mark items resolved. This can be a great feature for teams seeking a really simple way to get things done without sharing passwords or losing track.

Additionally, there are several new moderation tools to make managing your forum easier and faster. For example, you can now use canned responses in forums and use streamlined options to make moderating forum posts easier. And if you are on the go, you can browse and moderate your groups with our mobile website.

You can learn more about the new Google Groups in the help center.

]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/new-google-groups-now-available-to-everyone/feed/ 0 A new inbox that puts you back in control https://googledata.org/uncategorized/a-new-inbox-that-puts-you-back-in-control/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-new-inbox-that-puts-you-back-in-control https://googledata.org/uncategorized/a-new-inbox-that-puts-you-back-in-control/#comments Wed, 29 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=d889e1d9e5e86a2db55c7201e9e4586d Posted by Itamar Gilad, Product Manager

We get a lot of different types of email: messages from friends, social notifications, deals and offers, confirmations and receipts, and more. All of these emails can compete for our attention and make it harder to focus on the things we need to get done. Sometimes it feels like our inboxes are controlling us, rather than the other way around.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Today, Gmail is getting a brand new inbox on desktop and mobile that puts you back in control using simple, easy organization.
On the desktop, the new inbox groups your mail into categories which appear as different tabs. You simply choose which categories you want and voilà! Your inbox is organized in a way that lets you see what’s new at a glance and decide which emails you want to read when.

You can easily customize the new inbox - select the tabs you want from all five to none, drag-and-drop to move messages between tabs, set certain senders to always appear in a particular tab and star messages so that they also appear in the Primary tab.

In the Gmail for Android 4.0+ and Gmail for iPhone and iPad apps, you'll see your Primary mail when you open the app and you can easily navigate to the other tabs.

If the new inbox isn't quite your style, you can simply switch off all optional tabs to go back to classic view, or switch to any of your other favorite inbox types.

The new inbox is rolling out gradually. The desktop, Android and iOS versions will become available within the next few weeks. If you'd like to try out the new inbox on Desktop sooner, keep an eye on the gear menu and select Configure inbox when it appears in the Settings options.
]]> Posted by Itamar Gilad, Product Manager

We get a lot of different types of email: messages from friends, social notifications, deals and offers, confirmations and receipts, and more. All of these emails can compete for our attention and make it harder to focus on the things we need to get done. Sometimes it feels like our inboxes are controlling us, rather than the other way around.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Today, Gmail is getting a brand new inbox on desktop and mobile that puts you back in control using simple, easy organization.
On the desktop, the new inbox groups your mail into categories which appear as different tabs. You simply choose which categories you want and voilà! Your inbox is organized in a way that lets you see what’s new at a glance and decide which emails you want to read when.

If the new inbox isn't quite your style, you can simply switch off all optional tabs to go back to classic view, or switch to any of your other favorite inbox types.

The new inbox is rolling out gradually. The desktop, Android and iOS versions will become available within the next few weeks. If you'd like to try out the new inbox on Desktop sooner, keep an eye on the gear menu and select Configure inbox when it appears in the Settings options.
]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/a-new-inbox-that-puts-you-back-in-control/feed/ 0 Search emails, Google Drive, Calendar and more as you type https://googledata.org/uncategorized/search-emails-google-drive-calendar-and-more-as-you-type/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=search-emails-google-drive-calendar-and-more-as-you-type https://googledata.org/uncategorized/search-emails-google-drive-calendar-and-more-as-you-type/#comments Thu, 23 May 2013 16:54:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=c5ba3b37e524b00c399719ba3396383e Posted by Balazs Racz, Software Engineer

As part of field trial we opened in October, it became possible to instantly see your relevant emails, Google Drive files, Calendar events, and more when you search in Gmail. Those of you who participated in the field trial told us that you like the time-saving convenience of searching for all your stuff from one place, and over the coming week, we'll be rolling out this feature in English to all U.S. users. Now you can find what you're looking for faster right in Gmail.

]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/search-emails-google-drive-calendar-and-more-as-you-type/feed/ 0 Take action right from the inbox https://googledata.org/uncategorized/take-action-right-from-the-inbox/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=take-action-right-from-the-inbox https://googledata.org/uncategorized/take-action-right-from-the-inbox/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 21:30:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=c4190f99d5c6f87f615d2bacf84af3b4 Posted by Shalini Agarwal, Product Manager

Email is an important part of how we get things done -- from planning an event with friends to organizing that family vacation to Costa Rica. And today, getting those things done is getting a little easier with new quick action buttons in Gmail, designed to help you tackle your digital to-do’s as quickly as possible.

These buttons appear next to certain types of messages in your inbox and let you take action on an email without ever having to open it. For example, you can RSVP to your friend's party invitation or rate that restaurant you went to last night all right from the inbox. You’ll be checking things off that to-do list in no time.

Flight confirmation emails are also becoming a bit more useful. Whether you’re frequently up in the air or just the occasional traveler, when you open a flight confirmation email in Gmail, all the important information about your flight will be displayed right at the top. You’ll be able to see whether your flight is on time, when your connection is and more -- no scrolling required.

These quick actions will roll out over the next few weeks, and we hope to add even more useful actions moving forward. If you are a developer and want to add actions to your emails, check out developers.google.com/gmail/schemas to learn more.
]]> Posted by Shalini Agarwal, Product Manager

Email is an important part of how we get things done -- from planning an event with friends to organizing that family vacation to Costa Rica. And today, getting those things done is getting a little easier with new quick action buttons in Gmail, designed to help you tackle your digital to-do’s as quickly as possible.

These quick actions will roll out over the next few weeks, and we hope to add even more useful actions moving forward. If you are a developer and want to add actions to your emails, check out developers.google.com/gmail/schemas to learn more.
]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/take-action-right-from-the-inbox/feed/ 0 Send money to friends with Gmail and Google Wallet https://googledata.org/uncategorized/send-money-to-friends-with-gmail-and-google-wallet/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=send-money-to-friends-with-gmail-and-google-wallet https://googledata.org/uncategorized/send-money-to-friends-with-gmail-and-google-wallet/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 19:01:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=39fdadbc2b13179ac5be8c1f606120e4 Posted by Travis Green, Product Manager, Google Wallet

Paying back your friends is now as simple as sending an email, whether you’re chipping in for lunch or reimbursing your roommate for your share of the rent.

Google Wallet is now integrated with Gmail, so you can quickly and securely send money to friends and family directly within Gmail -- even if they don’t have a Gmail address. It's free to send money if your bank account is linked to Google Wallet or using your Google Wallet Balance, and low fees apply to send money using your linked credit or debit card.

To send money in Gmail, hover over the attachment paperclip, click the $ icon to attach money to your message, enter the amount you wish to send, and press send.

While sending money in Gmail is currently only available on desktop, you can send money from Google Wallet at wallet.google.com from your phone or laptop. You will need to have set up Google Wallet to send and receive money, and Google Wallet Purchase Protection covers you 100% against eligible unauthorized payments.

We’re rolling out this feature over the coming months to all U.S. Gmail users over 18 years old, so keep an eye out for the $ icon in the attachment options. You can also get earlier access if your friends have the feature and send money to you.

To learn more, visit our website. ]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/send-money-to-friends-with-gmail-and-google-wallet/feed/ 0 Try out the new Hangouts experience in Gmail https://googledata.org/uncategorized/try-out-the-new-hangouts-experience-in-gmail/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=try-out-the-new-hangouts-experience-in-gmail https://googledata.org/uncategorized/try-out-the-new-hangouts-experience-in-gmail/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 18:22:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=86bb1d470f2f5f3e23b1a2139330cb44 Posted by Thijs van As, Product Manager

Today we announced Hangouts, a big improvement to Google’s real-time communication services. Instead of different versions of chat, video chat and calling across Google products, Hangouts gives you one consistent way to connect with the people you care about.
What does this mean for your Gmail? You now have the option to switch from the current version of chat to Hangouts. Simply click “Try it out” next to your chat list to switch to Hangouts and give your chat an instant facelift (literally!). You’ll now see the profile photos in the order of your most recent conversations. With Hangouts, you’ll also be able to quickly send messages, have video calls with up to ten people at once, and share photos. You can start a conversation with just one friend or even a whole group.

Hangouts transition effortlessly between desktop and mobile -- in fact, Hangouts will be available in Gmail, Google+, Android phones and tablets, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch and as a Windows, Mac or Linux desktop application using the Chrome extension. You can start a Hangout on your phone, and pick it up in Gmail right where you left off!

The new Hangouts experience in Gmail is rolling out as an optional switch starting today. Click the “Try it out” button when it appears next to your chat list to switch right away, or you can switch later. Learn more about the new Hangouts here.

]]> Posted by Thijs van As, Product Manager

Today we announced Hangouts, a big improvement to Google’s real-time communication services. Instead of different versions of chat, video chat and calling across Google products, Hangouts gives you one consistent way to connect with the people you care about.
What does this mean for your Gmail? You now have the option to switch from the current version of chat to Hangouts. Simply click “Try it out” next to your chat list to switch to Hangouts and give your chat an instant facelift (literally!). You’ll now see the profile photos in the order of your most recent conversations. With Hangouts, you’ll also be able to quickly send messages, have video calls with up to ten people at once, and share photos. You can start a conversation with just one friend or even a whole group.

Hangouts transition effortlessly between desktop and mobile -- in fact, Hangouts will be available in Gmail, Google+, Android phones and tablets, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch and as a Windows, Mac or Linux desktop application using the Chrome extension. You can start a Hangout on your phone, and pick it up in Gmail right where you left off!

The new Hangouts experience in Gmail is rolling out as an optional switch starting today. Click the “Try it out” button when it appears next to your chat list to switch right away, or you can switch later. Learn more about the new Hangouts here.

]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/try-out-the-new-hangouts-experience-in-gmail/feed/ 0 Bringing it all together: 15 GB now shared between Drive, Gmail, and Google+ Photos https://googledata.org/uncategorized/bringing-it-all-together-15-gb-now-shared-between-drive-gmail-and-google-photos/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bringing-it-all-together-15-gb-now-shared-between-drive-gmail-and-google-photos https://googledata.org/uncategorized/bringing-it-all-together-15-gb-now-shared-between-drive-gmail-and-google-photos/#comments Mon, 13 May 2013 17:04:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=cfc47e7ec1fad0716117192fe9fcb9a7 Cross-posted from the Google Drive blog

Life gets a bit easier when your Google products work well together—whether that’s inserting a Drive file into an email or sharing a photo from Drive on Google+. As this experience becomes more seamless, separate storage doesn’t make as much sense anymore. So instead of having 10 GB for Gmail and another 5 GB for Drive and Google+ Photos, you’ll now get 15 GB of unified storage for free to use as you like between Drive, Gmail, and Google+ Photos.

With this new combined storage space, you won’t have to worry about how much you’re storing and where. For example, maybe you’re a heavy Gmail user but light on photos, or perhaps you were bumping up against your Drive storage limit but were only using 2 GB in Gmail. Now it doesn’t matter, because you can use your storage the way you want.

We’ll also be making updates to the Google Drive storage page, so you can better understand how you’re using storage space. Simply hover over the pie chart to see a breakdown of your storage use across Drive, Gmail, and Google+ Photos. And if you need more storage, this is your place to upgrade, with plans starting at $4.99/month for 100 GB.

Pro tip: This change means you’re no longer limited to a 25 GB upgrade in Gmail—any additional storage you purchase now applies there, too.

These changes to Google Drive storage will roll out over the next couple of weeks. Google Apps users will also be getting shared storage, so visit the enterprise blog to learn more.

Posted by Clay Bavor, Director of Product Management]]> Cross-posted from the Google Drive blog

Life gets a bit easier when your Google products work well together—whether that’s inserting a Drive file into an email or sharing a photo from Drive on Google+. As this experience becomes more seamless, separate storage doesn’t make as much sense anymore. So instead of having 10 GB for Gmail and another 5 GB for Drive and Google+ Photos, you’ll now get 15 GB of unified storage for free to use as you like between Drive, Gmail, and Google+ Photos.

We’ll also be making updates to the Google Drive storage page, so you can better understand how you’re using storage space. Simply hover over the pie chart to see a breakdown of your storage use across Drive, Gmail, and Google+ Photos. And if you need more storage, this is your place to upgrade, with plans starting at $4.99/month for 100 GB.

Pro tip: This change means you’re no longer limited to a 25 GB upgrade in Gmail—any additional storage you purchase now applies there, too.

These changes to Google Drive storage will roll out over the next couple of weeks. Google Apps users will also be getting shared storage, so visit the enterprise blog to learn more.

Posted by Clay Bavor, Director of Product Management]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/bringing-it-all-together-15-gb-now-shared-between-drive-gmail-and-google-photos/feed/ 0 Add events to Google Calendar from Gmail https://googledata.org/uncategorized/add-events-to-google-calendar-from-gmail-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=add-events-to-google-calendar-from-gmail-2 https://googledata.org/uncategorized/add-events-to-google-calendar-from-gmail-2/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 21:39:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=7e60ff6a862befd99746e1500b82f146 Posted by Boris Khvostichenko, Product Manager

If you do a lot of scheduling over email, it's now a little bit easier to create events directly from your Gmail. Starting today, dates and times within emails are lightly underlined: click them to schedule that conference call or lunch date without ever leaving Gmail.

When you click on one of these underlined dates, you’ll be able to preview your schedule for the day and change the title, date or time of the event. Clicking “Add to Calendar” will do exactly that -- add the event to your calendar, and for extra convenience, the calendar event will include a link back to the original email.

This new feature is rolling out over the next week to everyone with the English (US) language. We'll be adding other languages soon, so stay tuned.
]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/add-events-to-google-calendar-from-gmail-2/feed/ 0 Gmail: 9 years and counting https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-9-years-and-counting/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gmail-9-years-and-counting https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-9-years-and-counting/#comments Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=2a1e850fd6a4277b5e95b69cba27edfd Posted by Zohair Hyder, Software Engineer

This April marks Gmail’s 9th birthday, and as year ten gets underway, it’s a good opportunity to look at how much has changed: the curse of the Bambino was broken, Martin Scorsese finally won an Oscar, and we stopped referencing Xena the Warrior Princess in our blogposts. And during that time, Gmail—and online communication as a whole—evolved too.

So much of that evolution is a result of your feedback. In fact, Gmail was inspired by one user’s feedback that she was tired of struggling to find emails buried deep in her inbox. So we built a new email that leveraged the power of Google Search. You told us you were tired of spam, so we set to tackling that, and today your feedback makes it possible for Gmail to filter out well over 99% of incoming spam. You also said that you needed tools to deal with information overload, so we introduced Priority Inbox to help you manage your email (and we’re still exploring new ways to make it even easier).

Simply put, whether you’ve been a Gmail user for 9 years or 9 months, your input helps us continue to keep Gmail current and useful. Thanks for taking this journey with us, and onward to year ten!

]]> Posted by Zohair Hyder, Software Engineer

This April marks Gmail’s 9th birthday, and as year ten gets underway, it’s a good opportunity to look at how much has changed: the curse of the Bambino was broken, Martin Scorsese finally won an Oscar, and we stopped referencing Xena the Warrior Princess in our blogposts. And during that time, Gmail—and online communication as a whole—evolved too.

So much of that evolution is a result of your feedback. In fact, Gmail was inspired by one user’s feedback that she was tired of struggling to find emails buried deep in her inbox. So we built a new email that leveraged the power of Google Search. You told us you were tired of spam, so we set to tackling that, and today your feedback makes it possible for Gmail to filter out well over 99% of incoming spam. You also said that you needed tools to deal with information overload, so we introduced Priority Inbox to help you manage your email (and we’re still exploring new ways to make it even easier).

Simply put, whether you’ve been a Gmail user for 9 years or 9 months, your input helps us continue to keep Gmail current and useful. Thanks for taking this journey with us, and onward to year ten!

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-9-years-and-counting/feed/ 0 Google Calendar now disponible in Latin American Spanish https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/google-calendar-now-disponible-in-latin-american-spanish/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=google-calendar-now-disponible-in-latin-american-spanish https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/google-calendar-now-disponible-in-latin-american-spanish/#comments Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=f7b2cc7221058739b8cf9dbd7fab3bee Posted by Ian Hill, Project Manager, Google Localization

If you are one of the hundreds of millions of Spanish speakers in North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean, you’ve been able to use your Gmail in Latin American Spanish since last year. Today, you can now also switch your Google Calendar language to “Español (Latinoamérica).”

Of course, it isn’t easy to find a variation of Spanish that works for someone living in say, South America, but also feels natural to a Spanish speaker in the United States or Caribbean for example. The Spanish spoken in these regions differs greatly from one country to the next due to geography, separate cultures, customs, and histories. To give all of our Latin American Spanish speakers an option that looks, feels, and sounds right, Google Localization constructed a Spanish variant that combines the most common elements from the different dialects. So whether you speak Spanish or any one of Calendar’s 42 languages, it’s now even easier to keep up with your busy schedule!

If you’re new to Calendar but already using Gmail in Latin American Spanish, just visit google.com/calendar and language settings will be ready to go. If you’ve used Calendar in the past, you’ll need to update your language settings by clicking on the gear icon in the mid-upper right of Calendar, then selecting Settings:

Once in General Settings, Language you can select Español (Latinoamérica). If you are using Google Calendar for Android, Language Settings are controlled by your phone’s Settings menu. For any questions on getting started with Calendar, please check our help center.
]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/google-calendar-now-disponible-in-latin-american-spanish/feed/ 0 Introducing Gmail Blue https://googledata.org/uncategorized/introducing-gmail-blue/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=introducing-gmail-blue https://googledata.org/uncategorized/introducing-gmail-blue/#comments Mon, 01 Apr 2013 07:01:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=7bdb13a005482fdf62365aa74bf925dd Posted by Jonathan Zames, Project Manager

Gmail launched nine years ago on April 1st, 2004. Since then you've been able to use hundreds of new features that push the boundaries of what email can do and make it easier to get things done.

Starting today, you'll get to experience the next big step for Gmail, Gmail Blue. Watch the video to learn more:

Update: Was Gmail Blue an April Fool's joke? Take a look at developer Shon Dalezman's Gmail Blue Chrome Extension and then decide.]]> https://googledata.org/uncategorized/introducing-gmail-blue/feed/ 0 Gmail’s new compose now default https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmails-new-compose-now-default/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gmails-new-compose-now-default https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmails-new-compose-now-default/#comments Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:41:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=bfc391c15d6db7725b16bcd3e7adb661 Posted by Phil Sharp, Product Manager

You are busy people, so it's no surprise that an overwhelming number of you opted to try out Gmail's faster, simpler compose experience after it launched last October. In addition to telling us what you love about the new compose experience (like how much easier it is to multitask!) you’ve also been sending us helpful suggestions for what features you'd like to see added. As a result of your input, we're now ready to introduce the new compose experience as the default for everyone. We're looking forward to hearing what you think!

If you're already using the the new compose experience, you've probably noticed it's gotten a lot of upgrades over the last few months, from a new way to send files with Google Drive to much-requested features like pop-out replies. We’ve also added support for originally missing features like starring and labeling when composing and the Canned Responses lab.

The new compose will be rolling out to everyone over the next few days. You can learn more in our help center, or follow us on Google+, where we'll be posting more tips for using the new compose.
]]> Posted by Phil Sharp, Product Manager

You are busy people, so it's no surprise that an overwhelming number of you opted to try out Gmail's faster, simpler compose experience after it launched last October. In addition to telling us what you love about the new compose experience (like how much easier it is to multitask!) you’ve also been sending us helpful suggestions for what features you'd like to see added. As a result of your input, we're now ready to introduce the new compose experience as the default for everyone. We're looking forward to hearing what you think!

If you're already using the the new compose experience, you've probably noticed it's gotten a lot of upgrades over the last few months, from a new way to send files with Google Drive to much-requested features like pop-out replies. We’ve also added support for originally missing features like starring and labeling when composing and the Canned Responses lab.

The new compose will be rolling out to everyone over the next few days. You can learn more in our help center, or follow us on Google+, where we'll be posting more tips for using the new compose.
]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmails-new-compose-now-default/feed/ 0 Indic Languages in Gmail on your feature phone https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/indic-languages-in-gmail-on-your-feature-phone/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=indic-languages-in-gmail-on-your-feature-phone https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/indic-languages-in-gmail-on-your-feature-phone/#comments Thu, 28 Mar 2013 03:28:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=0454fc5cb4f8449285111c7789a6ed2c Posted by Ian Hill, Project Manager, Google Localization

Indian culture is diverse, with more than 100 languages and thousands of alphabets used every day. Depending on where you are, you might hear anything from Gujarati to Bengali and Tamil to Urdu. If you're a speaker of these languages and use a feature phone, communicating is about to get a little easier.

Starting today, we are rolling out support for 6 Indic languages in Gmail on the feature phone browser: Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu. Simply go to settings in Gmail and choose your language.

Some 500 million new users from around the world will join the Internet between now and 2015. Since most will experience the web for the first time on a mobile device, it’s important that people everywhere can communicate in the language they know best.

]]> Posted by Ian Hill, Project Manager, Google Localization

Indian culture is diverse, with more than 100 languages and thousands of alphabets used every day. Depending on where you are, you might hear anything from Gujarati to Bengali and Tamil to Urdu. If you're a speaker of these languages and use a feature phone, communicating is about to get a little easier.

Starting today, we are rolling out support for 6 Indic languages in Gmail on the feature phone browser: Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu. Simply go to settings in Gmail and choose your language.

Some 500 million new users from around the world will join the Internet between now and 2015. Since most will experience the web for the first time on a mobile device, it’s important that people everywhere can communicate in the language they know best.

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/indic-languages-in-gmail-on-your-feature-phone/feed/ 0 Swipe between messages in the Gmail app for iPhone https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/swipe-between-messages-in-the-gmail-app-for-iphone/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=swipe-between-messages-in-the-gmail-app-for-iphone https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/swipe-between-messages-in-the-gmail-app-for-iphone/#comments Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:56:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=7af47b2a0aa5282be22b00f028b63840 Posted by John Barr, Software Engineer

With today’s update to the Gmail app for iPhone and iPad, you can save even more time when you email on the go. Version 2.1 lets you swipe left or right to move between conversations on the iPhone without needing to return to the inbox. You'll be burning through those unread messages in a flash!

Additionally, it’s now easier for you to take action on multiple messages. Selecting a message in the inbox now enables edit mode. Once in edit mode, tap on messages to select them and then choose to archive, delete, or more, from the new actions bar at the top of the screen. You may select Cancel at any time to leave edit mode.

The latest version of Gmail is available in the App Store.
]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/swipe-between-messages-in-the-gmail-app-for-iphone/feed/ 0 Reply and search faster with the Gmail app for Android https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/reply-and-search-faster-with-the-gmail-app-for-android/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=reply-and-search-faster-with-the-gmail-app-for-android https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/reply-and-search-faster-with-the-gmail-app-for-android/#comments Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:22:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=562e81536b8ce51a7e5fe829c0c11e3a Posted by Andy Huang, Software Engineer

With today's launch of the new Gmail Android app, you can save time on the actions you use most often: reply, archive, and search. If you're using Gmail on an Android 4.1+ device, the updated app lets you reply and archive messages right from notifications with one quick tap.

You can combine this with existing notification features like the ability to customize which messages you receive notifications for and set up different sounds for individual labels. So if you filter and label all the messages from your mom, you could set a ringtone to let you know you received a new mail from her and then quickly reply (because we know what can happen when you ignore your mother!).

The new app also introduces faster search and better search suggestions so you can find your messages quickly online and offline. You can get the latest version of Gmail on Google Play.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/reply-and-search-faster-with-the-gmail-app-for-android/feed/ 0 Free calling within the US and Canada through 2013 https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/free-calling-within-the-us-and-canada-through-2013/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=free-calling-within-the-us-and-canada-through-2013 https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/free-calling-within-the-us-and-canada-through-2013/#comments Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:28:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=776582cc8c93e2050661e3f9214e985e Posted by Mayur Kamat, Product Manager

Many of you call phones from Gmail to easily connect with friends and family. If you're in the US and Canada, you'll continue to be able to make free domestic calls through 2013. Plus, in most countries, you can still call the rest of the world from Gmail at insanely low rates.
]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/free-calling-within-the-us-and-canada-through-2013/feed/ 0 Drop in and get a call from Santa https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/drop-in-and-get-a-call-from-santa-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=drop-in-and-get-a-call-from-santa-2 https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/drop-in-and-get-a-call-from-santa-2/#comments Wed, 19 Dec 2012 06:21:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=f705cece07eed948efc7c08be40e2908 Posted by Patrick Glover, North Pole Operator

With the big day right around the corner, activity in the North Pole is hitting a fever pitch. Yet, Santa will always make time to send a personalized holiday phone calls from Santa to your friends and family via his personal Google Voice line (aka Send a Call from Santa).

To send a message, find the Call Center in Santa’s Village. You will be prompted to answer a few fun questions, then Google Voice will do the rest! The system will create a tailored phone call from Santa himself, and send it to whomever you wish.

To get an idea of what to expect, listen to a sample message.

And don’t forget: If you want to keep up with Santa as he travels around the globe delivering presents on Christmas Eve, you can track his journey on Google Maps’s Santa Tracker.

Happy holidays from all of us at Google!]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/drop-in-and-get-a-call-from-santa-2/feed/ 0 Get the whole family together over the holidays, from anywhere https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/get-the-whole-family-together-over-the-holidays-from-anywhere/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=get-the-whole-family-together-over-the-holidays-from-anywhere https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/get-the-whole-family-together-over-the-holidays-from-anywhere/#comments Tue, 18 Dec 2012 09:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=edf350cae43ffa0b63ae1e2e41162482 Posted by Kevin Maguire, Product Marketing Manager

‘Tis the season for tree trimming, gift giving, recipe sharing and catching up with loved ones over a cup of eggnog. For families that are spread out over cities or even countries, it can be a challenge to get everyone together during the holidays. This year, we’ve teamed up with the creators of Wallace and Gromit to add a little extra holiday magic to Google+ Hangouts with a custom invitation builder and a Holiday Effects app.

Click this link to schedule your holiday family hangout and we’ll send all your invitations out with a custom Wallace and Gromit video. Since hangouts let up to 10 people video chat at once, right from Google+ or Gmail, you can invite the whole family to join---and maybe a few friends too!

Don’t forget to put on a Santa hat, reindeer antlers or even wear Gromit’s ears by adding the Holiday Effects app to your family hangout.

Happy holidays from the Google+ and Gmail teams!

(Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog)]]> Posted by Kevin Maguire, Product Marketing Manager

‘Tis the season for tree trimming, gift giving, recipe sharing and catching up with loved ones over a cup of eggnog. For families that are spread out over cities or even countries, it can be a challenge to get everyone together during the holidays. This year, we’ve teamed up with the creators of Wallace and Gromit to add a little extra holiday magic to Google+ Hangouts with a custom invitation builder and a Holiday Effects app.

Click this link to schedule your holiday family hangout and we’ll send all your invitations out with a custom Wallace and Gromit video. Since hangouts let up to 10 people video chat at once, right from Google+ or Gmail, you can invite the whole family to join---and maybe a few friends too!

Don’t forget to put on a Santa hat, reindeer antlers or even wear Gromit’s ears by adding the Holiday Effects app to your family hangout.

Happy holidays from the Google+ and Gmail teams!

(Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog)]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/get-the-whole-family-together-over-the-holidays-from-anywhere/feed/ 0 The Gmail app for iPhone and iPad: version 2.0 https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/the-gmail-app-for-iphone-and-ipad-version-2-0/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-gmail-app-for-iphone-and-ipad-version-2-0 https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/the-gmail-app-for-iphone-and-ipad-version-2-0/#comments Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:20:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=51ccb557a8698387b88b7512ac61e1dc Posted by Matthew Izatt, Product Manager

Six months ago, our team set out to completely rebuild the Gmail app for iPhone and iPad to give you you a faster, sleeker, and easier experience on iOS. The result? Version 2.0. With version 2.0 of the app, you'll get a totally new look and feel, plus a bunch of improvements like profile pictures in messages, numerous new animations from swivels to transitions and infinite scrolling in the message lists.

The app also adds many new time-saving features. For example, when you search, autocomplete predictions will appear as you type, shaving off precious seconds (and typos). Plus, you can RSVP to Google Calendar invites as well as +1 and comment on Google+ posts directly from the app.

Last, but certainly not least, we've added a feature many of you have been waiting for: multiple account support. You can now login to up to five Google Accounts from the menu and switch between them with a couple taps.

You can download the app right now from the App Store. We're excited to hear what you think!

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/the-gmail-app-for-iphone-and-ipad-version-2-0/feed/ 0 Gmail and Drive – a new way to send files https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-and-drive-a-new-way-to-send-files-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gmail-and-drive-a-new-way-to-send-files-2 https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-and-drive-a-new-way-to-send-files-2/#comments Tue, 27 Nov 2012 17:20:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=d5080e525426fa3ea8f53f04010c753f Posted by Phil Sharp, Product Manager

Since Google Drive launched in April, millions of people have started using Drive to keep, create and share files. Starting today, it’s even easier to share with others: you can insert files from Drive directly into an email without leaving your Gmail.

Have you ever tried to attach a file to an email only to find out it's too large to send? Now with Drive, you can insert files up to 10GB -- 400 times larger than what you can send as a traditional attachment. Also, because you’re sending a file stored in the cloud, all your recipients will have access to the same, most-up-to-date version.

Like a smart assistant, Gmail will also double-check that your recipients all have access to any files you’re sending. This works like Gmail’s forgotten attachment detector: whenever you send a file from Drive that isn’t shared with everyone, you’ll be prompted with the option to change the file’s sharing settings without leaving your email. It’ll even work with Drive links pasted directly into emails.

So whether it’s photos from your recent camping trip, video footage from your brother’s wedding, or a presentation to your boss, all your stuff is easy to find and easy to share with Drive and Gmail. To get started, just click on the Drive icon while you're composing a message. Note that this feature is rolling out over the next few days and is only available with Gmail's new compose experience, so you'll need to opt-in if you haven't already.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmail-and-drive-a-new-way-to-send-files-2/feed/ 0 ᎭᎴᎾ ᏗᏓᏴᎳᏛᏍᎩ ᎬᏗ Gmail ᏣᎳᎩ (Get started with Gmail in Cherokee) https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/%e1%8e%ad%e1%8e%b4%e1%8e%be-%e1%8f%97%e1%8f%93%e1%8f%b4%e1%8e%b3%e1%8f%9b%e1%8f%8d%e1%8e%a9-%e1%8e%ac%e1%8f%97-gmail-%e1%8f%a3%e1%8e%b3%e1%8e%a9-get-started-with-gmail-in-cherokee/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=%25e1%258e%25ad%25e1%258e%25b4%25e1%258e%25be-%25e1%258f%2597%25e1%258f%2593%25e1%258f%25b4%25e1%258e%25b3%25e1%258f%259b%25e1%258f%258d%25e1%258e%25a9-%25e1%258e%25ac%25e1%258f%2597-gmail-%25e1%258f%25a3%25e1%258e%25b3%25e1%258e%25a9-get-started-with-gmail-in-cherokee https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/%e1%8e%ad%e1%8e%b4%e1%8e%be-%e1%8f%97%e1%8f%93%e1%8f%b4%e1%8e%b3%e1%8f%9b%e1%8f%8d%e1%8e%a9-%e1%8e%ac%e1%8f%97-gmail-%e1%8f%a3%e1%8e%b3%e1%8e%a9-get-started-with-gmail-in-cherokee/#comments Mon, 19 Nov 2012 17:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=15017135313aa0057b14969fcfb4eee5 Posted by Craig Cornelius (ᏇᎩ), Software Engineer

What happens when you put a Google engineer in a car with a member of the Cherokee Nation? Well, something we think is pretty amazing: Gmail in Cherokee, or ᏣᎳᎩ (pronounced "jaw la gee"), Gmail’s 57th language.

It was just coincidence that I, a Google engineer working on the internationalization of Google products, ended up carpooling back to San Francisco with Vance Blackfox, member of the Cherokee Nation (CN) from an event we’d both attended. But that coincidence kick-started a collaboration that would result in Google Web Search in Cherokee and, starting today, Gmail in Cherokee.

After a 2002 survey of the Oklahoma Cherokee population found that no one under 40 spoke conversational Cherokee, the Cherokee Nation saw an opportunity to use technology to encourage everyday use of the language among the younger generation. Vance connected me with the language technology department at the Cherokee Nation, and the Gmail team worked closely with their highly organized team of volunteers, which ranged from university students to Durbin Feeling--Cherokee living treasure and author of the Cherokee-English Dictionary. Together, we were able to find and implement the right words for hundreds of Gmail terms, from "inbox" (ᎧᏁᏌᎢᏱ) and “sign in” (ᏕᏣᏙᎥ ᎰᏪᎸᎦ) to “spam” (ᎤᏲᎢ).

Gmail in Cherokee and the Cherokee version of Google Web Search both include a virtual keyboard for typing the syllabary writing system invented by Sequoyah in the early 1800s. Now Cherokee students can easily contact their tribal elders, e.g., “Joseph wants to chat” (“ᏦᏏᏫ ᎤᏚᎵ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ”) and connect instantly. As Joseph Erb, Language Technologist at the Cherokee Nation put it, “Projects like these give more life to our language in our communities. It is not just about preserving our language and culture. It is about using our language each day and every day and continuing who we are as a people. And this give us that chance each time we check our email.”

So if you speak Cherokee (ᏣᎳᎩ) or know someone who does - or if you are just interested in learning more, you can switch to Cherokee in Settings.]]> Posted by Craig Cornelius (ᏇᎩ), Software Engineer

What happens when you put a Google engineer in a car with a member of the Cherokee Nation? Well, something we think is pretty amazing: Gmail in Cherokee, or ᏣᎳᎩ (pronounced "jaw la gee"), Gmail’s 57th language.

It was just coincidence that I, a Google engineer working on the internationalization of Google products, ended up carpooling back to San Francisco with Vance Blackfox, member of the Cherokee Nation (CN) from an event we’d both attended. But that coincidence kick-started a collaboration that would result in Google Web Search in Cherokee and, starting today, Gmail in Cherokee.

After a 2002 survey of the Oklahoma Cherokee population found that no one under 40 spoke conversational Cherokee, the Cherokee Nation saw an opportunity to use technology to encourage everyday use of the language among the younger generation. Vance connected me with the language technology department at the Cherokee Nation, and the Gmail team worked closely with their highly organized team of volunteers, which ranged from university students to Durbin Feeling--Cherokee living treasure and author of the Cherokee-English Dictionary. Together, we were able to find and implement the right words for hundreds of Gmail terms, from "inbox" (ᎧᏁᏌᎢᏱ) and “sign in” (ᏕᏣᏙᎥ ᎰᏪᎸᎦ) to “spam” (ᎤᏲᎢ).

Gmail in Cherokee and the Cherokee version of Google Web Search both include a virtual keyboard for typing the syllabary writing system invented by Sequoyah in the early 1800s. Now Cherokee students can easily contact their tribal elders, e.g., “Joseph wants to chat” (“ᏦᏏᏫ ᎤᏚᎵ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ”) and connect instantly. As Joseph Erb, Language Technologist at the Cherokee Nation put it, “Projects like these give more life to our language in our communities. It is not just about preserving our language and culture. It is about using our language each day and every day and continuing who we are as a people. And this give us that chance each time we check our email.”

So if you speak Cherokee (ᏣᎳᎩ) or know someone who does - or if you are just interested in learning more, you can switch to Cherokee in Settings.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/%e1%8e%ad%e1%8e%b4%e1%8e%be-%e1%8f%97%e1%8f%93%e1%8f%b4%e1%8e%b3%e1%8f%9b%e1%8f%8d%e1%8e%a9-%e1%8e%ac%e1%8f%97-gmail-%e1%8f%a3%e1%8e%b3%e1%8e%a9-get-started-with-gmail-in-cherokee/feed/ 0 Search for emails by size and more in Gmail https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/search-for-emails-by-size-and-more-in-gmail/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=search-for-emails-by-size-and-more-in-gmail https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/search-for-emails-by-size-and-more-in-gmail/#comments Wed, 14 Nov 2012 20:01:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=9f7cd131705090b69b7c911cab57efdc Posted by Christian Kurmann, Software Engineer

We're always looking for ways to make it faster and easier for you to find your messages using search in Gmail. So starting today, you can now search emails by size, more flexible date options, exact match and more.

This means, for example, to find emails larger than 5MB, you can search for size:5m or larger:5m or to find emails sent over a year ago, older_than:1y.

These changes go hand in hand with other recent enhancements to search such as the improved autocomplete predictions and a field trial for instant results from Gmail, Google Drive and more as you type.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/search-for-emails-by-size-and-more-in-gmail/feed/ 0 Introducing the new compose in Gmail https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/introducing-the-new-compose-in-gmail-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=introducing-the-new-compose-in-gmail-2 https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/introducing-the-new-compose-in-gmail-2/#comments Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=eb19450376e85db42441c2483c92a1bd Posted by Phil Sharp, Product Manager

We're always trying to make Gmail faster and easier to use, so today we're introducing a completely redesigned compose and reply experience that does just that.

Faster
How many times have you been writing an email and had to reference something in another message? Saving a draft, opening the old email, and then reopening your draft wastes valuable minutes. The new compose pops up in a window, just like chats (only larger).

This makes it easy to reference any other emails without ever having to close your draft. You can even do a search or keep an eye on new mail as it comes in. And because the compose window works the same way as chats, you can write multiple messages at once and minimize a message to finish it later.

Easier to use
The new compose is designed to let you focus on what's important: your message. The controls are still there when you need them but get out of the way when you don’t. We’ve even added some new features like the ability to easily insert inline images and have more to come.

And, when you add recipients to your message, you'll see profile pictures of your contacts in autocomplete helping you find the right person faster. You can also drag and drop the new address chips between to:, cc: and bcc:. When you’re done adding recipients, the address area collapses automatically to get out of your way.

You’ll also see these same changes when you respond to a message. The reply experience has been designed to fit better inline as part of your conversation -- replies take up much less vertical height, intelligently expand to fit your content, and always keep the recipients and other controls in view no matter how long your message gets.

We're rolling out a preview of the new compose and reply today. After we've added some finishing touches over the coming months, we’ll enable it for everyone.]]> Posted by Phil Sharp, Product Manager

We're always trying to make Gmail faster and easier to use, so today we're introducing a completely redesigned compose and reply experience that does just that.

Faster
How many times have you been writing an email and had to reference something in another message? Saving a draft, opening the old email, and then reopening your draft wastes valuable minutes. The new compose pops up in a window, just like chats (only larger).