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Google Data » Gmail (Google Mail) https://googledata.org Everything Google: News, Products, Services, Content, Culture Fri, 06 Jan 2017 18:14:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.13 Save time with smart scheduling in Google Calendar https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/save-time-with-smart-scheduling-in-google-calendar-2/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/save-time-with-smart-scheduling-in-google-calendar-2/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2016 17:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=255b2e3bd257cc0faf359c430aecb1ed Posted by Federico Asara, Software Engineer

Some topics are best discussed in face-to-face meetings, but setting them up takes too much time. Whether you’re coordinating across time zones, hunting for a room, or just trying to find a time that works for more than a couple of people — it really adds up.

If you’re using G Suite, “Find a time” already lets you set up meetings much faster in Calendar on Android. Today it’s coming to iOS and by the end of the year, the web. We’re also adding smart room booking, so you can easily find a place to meet as well.

Powered by Google’s machine intelligence, “Find a time” suggests meeting times and available rooms based on your preferences, which saves you lots of time and gets everyone together faster. Time and room suggestions are smart, too: They don’t just identify the first free slot in a grid, they also locate the next best slots as a back-up. For example, when Calendar doesn’t find availability for your preferred time, it then looks for conflicts across the group that are easier to resolve, such as recurring 1:1 meetings. And although “Find a time” makes smart suggestions, you're always in control — just tap the grid to pick a time that's a better fit.

Start saving time for the important things by downloading Google Calendar for Android or iOS (and look out for this update on the web soon).]]> Posted by Federico Asara, Software Engineer

Some topics are best discussed in face-to-face meetings, but setting them up takes too much time. Whether you’re coordinating across time zones, hunting for a room, or just trying to find a time that works for more than a couple of people — it really adds up.

If you’re using G Suite, “Find a time” already lets you set up meetings much faster in Calendar on Android. Today it’s coming to iOS and by the end of the year, the web. We’re also adding smart room booking, so you can easily find a place to meet as well.

Powered by Google’s machine intelligence, “Find a time” suggests meeting times and available rooms based on your preferences, which saves you lots of time and gets everyone together faster. Time and room suggestions are smart, too: They don’t just identify the first free slot in a grid, they also locate the next best slots as a back-up. For example, when Calendar doesn’t find availability for your preferred time, it then looks for conflicts across the group that are easier to resolve, such as recurring 1:1 meetings. And although “Find a time” makes smart suggestions, you're always in control — just tap the grid to pick a time that's a better fit.

Start saving time for the important things by downloading Google Calendar for Android or iOS (and look out for this update on the web soon).]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/save-time-with-smart-scheduling-in-google-calendar-2/feed/ 0 Better emails, tailored to all your devices https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/better-emails-tailored-to-all-your-devices/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/better-emails-tailored-to-all-your-devices/#comments Wed, 14 Sep 2016 18:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=02d8d9abff54de5fcb9b18d4b6c95411 Posted by Pierce Vollucci, Product Manager

Have you ever opened an email on your phone and something about the formatting just looks … off? Maybe the text is hard to read, or the buttons and links too small to tap. That’s because many emails are still formatted for computers' larger screens, which means reading them on mobile can be a hassle.

Starting later this month, Gmail and Inbox by Gmail will support emails created with responsive design, meaning their content adapts to fit screens of all sizes. Text, links, and even buttons will enlarge to make reading and tapping easier on a smaller screen. If you’re on desktop, you’ll also see improvements, since emails designed for mobile can also adapt to fit larger screens.

Example of an email before and after responsive design

These changes will make your email experience as comfortable and intuitive as possible. And as responsive design becomes more common, you’ll continue to see emails that fit better on all your screens and devices.

P.S. Are you an email designer? Check out our post on the Google Apps Developer Blog for all the crunchy details on what this update means for you.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/better-emails-tailored-to-all-your-devices/feed/ 0 Inbox by Gmail: Evolving the inbox to save you time https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-evolving-the-inbox-to-save-you-time/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-evolving-the-inbox-to-save-you-time/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2016 16:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=5e83e63ed72dd4bba49d6b490a96f8fe Posted by Thijs van As, Product Manager

Staying on top of your to-do list can be a challenge. In order to get things done, you often need to hunt through your inbox to find what you’re looking for, whether it’s info about upcoming events, your next trip, or a news article you want to share with colleagues.

The team behind Inbox has made its mission to help you organize your email and save you time. Starting today, you'll discover more integrations that make it easier to see what's happening and then act with organized Trello and GitHub project updates and Google Alerts previews. You'll also see updates based on your feedback, including Google Drive integration.

Get organized Trello and GitHub project updates
The Inbox team has worked with Trello, a project management application, and GitHub, a software collaboration platform, to improve email notifications. If you use Trello, you'll get a summary of what's new with your Trello projects, so you can stay up-to-date on the latest updates. And for those of you who use GitHub, you’ll get a summary of code changes and filed issues for each repository.

Stay on top of your Google Alerts
To help you stay in the know on topics you care about, you can scan through your Google Alerts just like a newsletter. New alerts are summarized right in the inbox. If one of them catches your eye, you can click to read more. If not, you can quickly mark it as done.

Enjoy other updates based on your feedback
You'll also see a number of highly-requested features based on your feedback (thank you!):

If you use Google Drive, you can now insert Drive links into emails, check and fix permissions for those links, and save email attachments to Drive.
You can now drag-and-drop contacts between to, cc, and bcc in compose on web.
You can delete right from the inbox just as easily as you can mark as done.

What’s next?
If you're a company that sends emails, and are excited about our Trello and GitHub updates and want to make your emails more useful, contact us here -- we are excited to work with more email senders directly over the coming months.

This is just the beginning: The Gmail team will continue to improve the email experience so you can spend less time dealing with email and more time being productive.]]> Posted by Thijs van As, Product Manager

Staying on top of your to-do list can be a challenge. In order to get things done, you often need to hunt through your inbox to find what you’re looking for, whether it’s info about upcoming events, your next trip, or a news article you want to share with colleagues.

The team behind Inbox has made its mission to help you organize your email and save you time. Starting today, you'll discover more integrations that make it easier to see what's happening and then act with organized Trello and GitHub project updates and Google Alerts previews. You'll also see updates based on your feedback, including Google Drive integration.

Get organized Trello and GitHub project updates
The Inbox team has worked with Trello, a project management application, and GitHub, a software collaboration platform, to improve email notifications. If you use Trello, you'll get a summary of what's new with your Trello projects, so you can stay up-to-date on the latest updates. And for those of you who use GitHub, you’ll get a summary of code changes and filed issues for each repository.

Enjoy other updates based on your feedback
You'll also see a number of highly-requested features based on your feedback (thank you!):

If you use Google Drive, you can now insert Drive links into emails, check and fix permissions for those links, and save email attachments to Drive.
You can now drag-and-drop contacts between to, cc, and bcc in compose on web.
You can delete right from the inbox just as easily as you can mark as done.

What’s next?
If you're a company that sends emails, and are excited about our Trello and GitHub updates and want to make your emails more useful, contact us here -- we are excited to work with more email senders directly over the coming months.

This is just the beginning: The Gmail team will continue to improve the email experience so you can spend less time dealing with email and more time being productive.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-evolving-the-inbox-to-save-you-time/feed/ 0 Google Calendar for Android: Find a time for my meeting https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/google-calendar-for-android-find-a-time-for-my-meeting/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/google-calendar-for-android-find-a-time-for-my-meeting/#comments Wed, 27 Apr 2016 15:30:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=e18d2a418f57ba268b7437db2b378630 Posted by Stella Schieffer, Product Manager

Smartphones have made productivity portable. You no longer have to be at your desk to catch up on meeting notes, dial into a conference call, or send an email. But scheduling meetings on the go is still difficult, as you have to open your laptop to check everyone’s calendar and find a time that works.

Starting today, if you use Google Apps for Work or Edu, you can schedule meetings from anywhere with "Find a time" in Google Calendar for Android.

With a single tap, “Find a time” helps you find meeting times that work for everyone—even if they're in different time zones—based on their availability and the times they usually have meetings. If there are no times that work, Calendar will look at which conflicting meetings can most easily be rescheduled. Designed specifically for organizations where sharing your calendar with colleagues is the norm, here's how it works:

“Find a time” makes suggestions, but you're still in control. You can tap to see everyone's schedule at a glance—perfect for making sure the timing works for all. And if you manage someone else's calendar, you can use the feature to schedule meetings on their behalf as well.

Download Google Calendar for Android to get easy, on-the-go scheduling. And yes, we're also working on bringing “Find a time” to iPhone, as well as easier ways to schedule on the web.
]]> Posted by Stella Schieffer, Product Manager

Smartphones have made productivity portable. You no longer have to be at your desk to catch up on meeting notes, dial into a conference call, or send an email. But scheduling meetings on the go is still difficult, as you have to open your laptop to check everyone’s calendar and find a time that works.

Starting today, if you use Google Apps for Work or Edu, you can schedule meetings from anywhere with "Find a time" in Google Calendar for Android.

With a single tap, “Find a time” helps you find meeting times that work for everyone—even if they're in different time zones—based on their availability and the times they usually have meetings. If there are no times that work, Calendar will look at which conflicting meetings can most easily be rescheduled. Designed specifically for organizations where sharing your calendar with colleagues is the norm, here's how it works:

“Find a time” makes suggestions, but you're still in control. You can tap to see everyone's schedule at a glance—perfect for making sure the timing works for all. And if you manage someone else's calendar, you can use the feature to schedule meetings on their behalf as well.

Download Google Calendar for Android to get easy, on-the-go scheduling. And yes, we're also working on bringing “Find a time” to iPhone, as well as easier ways to schedule on the web.
]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/google-calendar-for-android-find-a-time-for-my-meeting/feed/ 0 Inbox by Gmail: a better way to keep track of events, newsletters and links https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-a-better-way-to-keep-track-of-events-newsletters-and-links/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-a-better-way-to-keep-track-of-events-newsletters-and-links/#comments Wed, 20 Apr 2016 16:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=2e86ff1ab1f2a989cfa8c7033d78f467 Posted by Pras Sarkar, Software Engineer

Life can get really busy. Inboxes too. Just think about everything inside your own inbox, from personal messages and trip itineraries to promotional offers and yes, even bills. It's all (mostly) important, but it can be overwhelming to stay on top of everything. And sometimes, you might miss something really important amidst all the rest.

Starting today, you'll discover three new experiences in Inbox—streamlined events, glanceable newsletters and saved links—that help you better keep track of things that matter to you and feel more in control.

Keep up with Google Calendar events
Events can be hard to keep track of in your inbox because details—and people’s plans—may change. Inbox now gathers emails from a single event together and shows you what's changed at a glance. When you tap on an event, you'll see a comprehensive overview, all in one place.

Stay on top of your favorite email newsletters
Similarly, it’s now easier to preview the newsletters you read often and click through to the articles that interest you most. And once you've taken a look at the latest, newsletters will minimize to save space in the inbox.

Store links to remember with "Save to Inbox"
Lastly, your inbox is much more than just the emails sent to you. Chances are you've emailed yourself a link or two (or three)—to an article you want to read later or a recipe you want to try. Now instead of sending yourself a bunch of separate emails, try the new "Save to Inbox" feature to easily save links for later.

Simply share the link to Inbox on Android or iOS, or use the new Inbox by Gmail Chrome extension on web. When you check your email, you'll see your saved links grouped together in one place.

With these updates, Inbox helps you organize and access the information that matters most, saving time and reducing email overload. Take these new features for a spin by sharing to Inbox on mobile, installing the Chrome extension, subscribing to an email newsletter or scheduling an event.]]> Posted by Pras Sarkar, Software Engineer

Life can get really busy. Inboxes too. Just think about everything inside your own inbox, from personal messages and trip itineraries to promotional offers and yes, even bills. It's all (mostly) important, but it can be overwhelming to stay on top of everything. And sometimes, you might miss something really important amidst all the rest.

Starting today, you'll discover three new experiences in Inbox—streamlined events, glanceable newsletters and saved links—that help you better keep track of things that matter to you and feel more in control.

Keep up with Google Calendar events
Events can be hard to keep track of in your inbox because details—and people’s plans—may change. Inbox now gathers emails from a single event together and shows you what's changed at a glance. When you tap on an event, you'll see a comprehensive overview, all in one place.

With these updates, Inbox helps you organize and access the information that matters most, saving time and reducing email overload. Take these new features for a spin by sharing to Inbox on mobile, installing the Chrome extension, subscribing to an email newsletter or scheduling an event.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-a-better-way-to-keep-track-of-events-newsletters-and-links/feed/ 0 Reminders come to Google Calendar on the web https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/reminders-come-to-google-calendar-on-the-web/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/reminders-come-to-google-calendar-on-the-web/#comments Tue, 05 Apr 2016 16:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=53f1334acfe4a1e437175cb8c2bc3c61 Posted by Erick Johnson, Software Engineer

Starting this week, we’re bringing Reminders in Google Calendar to the web so you can keep track of your to-dos alongside your events.

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

Reminders stick around - If a reminder isn't completed, it will appear at the top of your calendar until you mark it done.
Reminders work across Google - Reminders you create in Inbox, Keep, and the Google app will also show in Google Calendar.
Reminders sync with mobile - Reminders created in mobile show up on the web and vice versa. So you can stay on track from just about anywhere.

With Reminders alongside your events on the web, Android and iPhone, you now have a single way to manage your day.]]> Posted by Erick Johnson, Software Engineer

Starting this week, we’re bringing Reminders in Google Calendar to the web so you can keep track of your to-dos alongside your events.

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

Reminders stick around - If a reminder isn't completed, it will appear at the top of your calendar until you mark it done.
Reminders work across Google - Reminders you create in Inbox, Keep, and the Google app will also show in Google Calendar.
Reminders sync with mobile - Reminders created in mobile show up on the web and vice versa. So you can stay on track from just about anywhere.

With Reminders alongside your events on the web, Android and iPhone, you now have a single way to manage your day.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/reminders-come-to-google-calendar-on-the-web/feed/ 0 Introducing Gmail Mic Drop https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/introducing-gmail-mic-drop/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/introducing-gmail-mic-drop/#comments Thu, 31 Mar 2016 22:15:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=c21d97caf1af9ee237d271f26fd942aa Posted by Victor-bogdan Anchidin, Software Engineer

Email's great, but sometimes you just wanna hit the eject button. Like those heated threads at work, when everyone's wrong except you (obviously). Or those times when someone's seeking group approval, but your opinion is the only one that matters (amirite?). Or maybe you just nailed it, and there's nothing more to say (bam).

Today, Gmail is making it easier to have the last word on any email with Mic Drop. Simply reply to any email using the new 'Send + Mic Drop' button. Everyone will get your message, but that's the last you'll ever hear about it. Yes, even if folks try to respond, you won't see it.

When you drop the mic, your email will also include an explanatory image--just to help set expectations.

Friends and family have been testing Gmail Mic Drop for months, and the response so far has been awesome:

"Sending email is so much easier when you don't have to worry about people responding!"
"Mic Drop is a huge improvement over Mute! I can finally let everyone know I'm just not interested."
"My team solves problems so much faster with Mic Drop. In fact, we stopped talking to each other entirely!"

Gmail Mic Drop is launching first on the web, but mobile updates are on the way. So stay tuned, and stay saucy.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/introducing-gmail-mic-drop/feed/ 0 Smart Reply comes to Inbox by Gmail on the web https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/smart-reply-comes-to-inbox-by-gmail-on-the-web/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/smart-reply-comes-to-inbox-by-gmail-on-the-web/#comments Tue, 15 Mar 2016 16:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=2a99e0d6466f7052a5050ff8d2e75f77 Posted by Taylor Kourim, Software Engineer

Today, we're bringing Smart Reply to Inbox on the web.

Just like in the Inbox mobile app, Smart Reply saves you precious time by suggesting up to three responses based on the emails you get. Selecting an option starts a reply, ready for you to either edit or send:

10% of all your replies on mobile already use Smart Reply, so we’re excited to bring this same convenience to the web. It's particularly helpful when you're jamming through lots of emails on your laptop.

Keep the feedback coming using the "Help & Feedback" link in the app.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/smart-reply-comes-to-inbox-by-gmail-on-the-web/feed/ 0 Inbox by Gmail: Saving time with Snooze https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-saving-time-with-snooze/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-saving-time-with-snooze/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2016 17:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=43beaa736e9217e13ded4fd5b46b7602 Posted by Michael Landry, Software Engineer

Snoozing emails is great because it helps you focus on what you need to do now instead of what you can put off until later. Starting today, Snooze is getting a new look and two time-saving improvements — all based on your feedback.

First, Snooze is getting two highly-requested snooze times: Later this week and This weekend. These new options should hopefully save you some time, and decrease the need to use custom snooze.

Snooze’s new look
Second, just like you can set your preferred morning time to receive emails, you can now choose the weekend days that work best for you.

New weekend setting
This feature is especially useful for people living in places where the weekend spans different days of the week.

Look for these new options in Inbox over the next week. And don’t forget to continue sharing your feedback, so we can keep working on your top requests. Enjoy your snoozing :)]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-saving-time-with-snooze/feed/ 0 Productivity at your fingertips with rich text formatting and instant RSVPs https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/productivity-at-your-fingertips-with-rich-text-formatting-and-instant-rsvps/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/productivity-at-your-fingertips-with-rich-text-formatting-and-instant-rsvps/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2016 17:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=89953b37a820ae2dfc7ba1bc08a37fd8 Posted by Matthew Izatt, Product Manager

These days, more than two-thirds of all Gmail users check email with their phones, so having a really amazing mobile experience is more important than ever. That’s why today, we’re introducing two new Android features to help you manage your inbox on the go: rich text formatting and instant RSVPs.

Rich Text Formatting
Now you can add bold, italic, underlined, colored and highlighted text to your email—all from inside the mobile app. These new options are great for making a point or emphasizing what’s important.

Instant RSVPs
If you use Google Calendar or Microsoft Exchange, calendar invitations now include a one-tap option to show your schedule and respond. No more opening up separate apps just to see if you can squeeze in a meeting.

]]> Posted by Matthew Izatt, Product Manager

These days, more than two-thirds of all Gmail users check email with their phones, so having a really amazing mobile experience is more important than ever. That’s why today, we’re introducing two new Android features to help you manage your inbox on the go: rich text formatting and instant RSVPs.

Rich Text Formatting
Now you can add bold, italic, underlined, colored and highlighted text to your email—all from inside the mobile app. These new options are great for making a point or emphasizing what’s important.

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/productivity-at-your-fingertips-with-rich-text-formatting-and-instant-rsvps/feed/ 0 Gmailify: The best of Gmail, without an @gmail address https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmailify-the-best-of-gmail-without-an-gmail-address/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmailify-the-best-of-gmail-without-an-gmail-address/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2016 17:01:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=382e28c2d8a7619ef24d9891d0ac9105 Posted by Michael Käser, Software Engineer

For the last year, you’ve been able to access your email from other providers, like Yahoo! Mail or Outlook.com, in the Gmail app on Android. And we’ve been getting lots of great feedback from those of you that do. Many of you would like more of Gmail’s powerful features, like spam protection and inbox organization, on these accounts—but don’t want to go through the hassle of changing your email address.

We agree. So starting today, if you use Yahoo! Mail or Hotmail/Outlook.com, you now have the option to Gmailify your inbox.

Gmailify links your existing account to Gmail so that you get all the bells and whistles—spam protection, inbox organization and even Google Now cards based on your mail—without having to leave your current address behind.

All you need to do is open the Gmail app, sign in to your email account(s), and enable Gmailify. And of course, you're always in control—so if you ever change your mind, you can unlink your account(s) at any time, and continue to access them through the Gmail app without using Gmailify.
We’re really excited to bring the best of Gmail to more people, and we’re planning to add other email providers to Gmailify in the future.]]> Posted by Michael Käser, Software Engineer

For the last year, you’ve been able to access your email from other providers, like Yahoo! Mail or Outlook.com, in the Gmail app on Android. And we’ve been getting lots of great feedback from those of you that do. Many of you would like more of Gmail’s powerful features, like spam protection and inbox organization, on these accounts—but don’t want to go through the hassle of changing your email address.

We agree. So starting today, if you use Yahoo! Mail or Hotmail/Outlook.com, you now have the option to Gmailify your inbox.

Gmailify links your existing account to Gmail so that you get all the bells and whistles—spam protection, inbox organization and even Google Now cards based on your mail—without having to leave your current address behind.

All you need to do is open the Gmail app, sign in to your email account(s), and enable Gmailify. And of course, you're always in control—so if you ever change your mind, you can unlink your account(s) at any time, and continue to access them through the Gmail app without using Gmailify.
We’re really excited to bring the best of Gmail to more people, and we’re planning to add other email providers to Gmailify in the future.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/gmailify-the-best-of-gmail-without-an-gmail-address/feed/ 0 Making email safer for you https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/making-email-safer-for-you/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/making-email-safer-for-you/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2016 17:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=574f9dc94a7037616d8d6639af757f61 Posted by John Rae-Grant, Product Manager

It’s Safer Internet Day, and when it comes to the security of your email, we don’t mess around. Gmail has always supported encryption in transit using TLS, and will automatically encrypt your incoming and outgoing emails if it can. We support industry-standard authentication to help combat email impersonation. And there are tons of other security measures running behind the scenes to keep your email safe.

Of course, it takes at least two people to send and receive an email, so it’s really important that other services take similar measures to protect your messages---not just Gmail. Unfortunately, not all email services do. And that’s why, starting this week in Gmail on the web, you’ll see two changes that highlight any affected messages:

If you receive a message from, or are about to send a message to, someone whose email service doesn’t support TLS encryption, you’ll see a broken lock icon in the message.
If you receive a message that can’t be authenticated, you’ll see a question mark in place of the sender’s profile photo, corporate logo, or avatar.

Not all affected email will necessarily be dangerous. But we encourage you to be extra careful about replying to, or clicking on links in messages that you’re not sure about. And with these updates, you’ll have the tools to make these kinds of decisions.]]> Posted by John Rae-Grant, Product Manager

It’s Safer Internet Day, and when it comes to the security of your email, we don’t mess around. Gmail has always supported encryption in transit using TLS, and will automatically encrypt your incoming and outgoing emails if it can. We support industry-standard authentication to help combat email impersonation. And there are tons of other security measures running behind the scenes to keep your email safe.

Of course, it takes at least two people to send and receive an email, so it’s really important that other services take similar measures to protect your messages---not just Gmail. Unfortunately, not all email services do. And that’s why, starting this week in Gmail on the web, you’ll see two changes that highlight any affected messages:

If you receive a message from, or are about to send a message to, someone whose email service doesn’t support TLS encryption, you’ll see a broken lock icon in the message.
If you receive a message that can’t be authenticated, you’ll see a question mark in place of the sender’s profile photo, corporate logo, or avatar.

Not all affected email will necessarily be dangerous. But we encourage you to be extra careful about replying to, or clicking on links in messages that you’re not sure about. And with these updates, you’ll have the tools to make these kinds of decisions.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/making-email-safer-for-you/feed/ 0 Inbox by Gmail: find answers even faster https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-find-answers-even-faster/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-find-answers-even-faster/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2016 16:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=6286c6a3d3944277dc2f27336b84a71c Posted by Govind Kaushal, Product Manager

Emails can contain all sorts of important information–from your friend's new address, to a flight confirmation number or a link to pay a bill. The challenge is, these bits of info are often buried inside larger conversations. Starting today, Inbox includes a number of improvements to help you find answers even faster.

Answers at a glance
Now when you're searching for a frequent flyer number or shipping status (for example), Inbox will show it at the top of search results–no more digging through individual emails to find what you're looking for.

Get addresses, phone numbers, membership numbers, flights, events, bills, package tracking and more in seconds.

Streamlined search results
Underneath any quick answers, you'll see a "Top results" section that orders emails by relevance. Below that is all the email results, ordered by date, but chances are you won't have to look here often.

Every second counts, so start saving time with Inbox, and spend it on what matters most.

]]> Posted by Govind Kaushal, Product Manager

Emails can contain all sorts of important information–from your friend's new address, to a flight confirmation number or a link to pay a bill. The challenge is, these bits of info are often buried inside larger conversations. Starting today, Inbox includes a number of improvements to help you find answers even faster.

Answers at a glance
Now when you're searching for a frequent flyer number or shipping status (for example), Inbox will show it at the top of search results–no more digging through individual emails to find what you're looking for.

Every second counts, so start saving time with Inbox, and spend it on what matters most.

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-find-answers-even-faster/feed/ 0 Sharing travel plans and memories with Inbox by Gmail https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/sharing-travel-plans-and-memories-with-inbox-by-gmail/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/sharing-travel-plans-and-memories-with-inbox-by-gmail/#comments Mon, 14 Dec 2015 17:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=de14a401bd8be3d77df90b2c248577eb Posted by Victor Anchidin, Software Engineer

The holidays are full of traveling, get-togethers and sharing memories. Now Inbox is making all of these things a bit easier, with an update to Trip Bundles and mobile attachments.

You've told us how much you love that Trip Bundles summarize all of the important info about your trip. So, starting this week, you'll be able to share those summaries with friends and family with one tap.

You can also add emails to a trip (a top feature request!) using the Move to... menu, and view trips offline—perfect for when you're on a plane or using spotty WiFi.

While you're traveling, you might end up taking a lot of photos. Improved mobile attachments give you quick access to your recent photos, and let you attach multiple photos at once.

These new features will be rolling out over the next week. Happy holidays!

]]> Posted by Victor Anchidin, Software Engineer

The holidays are full of traveling, get-togethers and sharing memories. Now Inbox is making all of these things a bit easier, with an update to Trip Bundles and mobile attachments.

You've told us how much you love that Trip Bundles summarize all of the important info about your trip. So, starting this week, you'll be able to share those summaries with friends and family with one tap.

These new features will be rolling out over the next week. Happy holidays!

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/sharing-travel-plans-and-memories-with-inbox-by-gmail/feed/ 0 Add to-dos to your Google Calendar using Reminders https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/add-to-dos-to-your-google-calendar-using-reminders/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/add-to-dos-to-your-google-calendar-using-reminders/#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2015 16:43:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=75e435bcb96cc66c1b7b0e7ce166b7d8 Posted by Vijay Umapathy, Product Manager

Our calendars should help us make the most of our time — scheduling meetings at work, remembering brunch with friends, and keeping track of all our other commitments. But often our to-do list is elsewhere, separate from the Calendar that organizes our day, and we end up overcommitted or miss something important because we forgot to check our list.

Now there's a single way to manage your day: starting this week, you can create Reminders in Google Calendar to keep track of your to-dos alongside your scheduled events.

Reminders stick around
You might already create calendar entries to remind you to call the doctor or pick up groceries on the way home. But while those entries come and go, Reminders stick with you over time so you can track them until they are actually done. If a Reminder isn't completed, it will appear at the top of your Calendar the next day. And the next. When you do finally call the doctor or pick up those necessities, just swipe the Reminder away ... and you're onto the next to-do.

Reminders help with the details
Another way Reminders are more useful than events is that Calendar adds things like phone numbers and addresses automatically. So if you add a Reminder to make a call or run an errand, the number or address will be right there when you need it. Just like Inbox by Gmail, Calendar uses information from your contacts, as well as Google's knowledge graph to provide this extra bit of help.

Reminders work across Google
You can also create Reminders from Inbox, Keep, and Google Now. This means you can create a Reminder when you're checking your email and it will show up on your calendar right away. Plans change? Just move the Reminder to a better time. Or if your hands are full, you can record your Reminders in Google Now一like, "Ok Google, remind me to buy birthday candles"一then mark it as done later in Calendar.

Reminders will be rolling out this week with the latest versions of Calendar on Google Play and the App Store. And don't worry, we're working on bringing Reminders to the web as well.

]]> Posted by Vijay Umapathy, Product Manager

Our calendars should help us make the most of our time — scheduling meetings at work, remembering brunch with friends, and keeping track of all our other commitments. But often our to-do list is elsewhere, separate from the Calendar that organizes our day, and we end up overcommitted or miss something important because we forgot to check our list.

Now there's a single way to manage your day: starting this week, you can create Reminders in Google Calendar to keep track of your to-dos alongside your scheduled events.

Reminders stick around
You might already create calendar entries to remind you to call the doctor or pick up groceries on the way home. But while those entries come and go, Reminders stick with you over time so you can track them until they are actually done. If a Reminder isn't completed, it will appear at the top of your Calendar the next day. And the next. When you do finally call the doctor or pick up those necessities, just swipe the Reminder away ... and you're onto the next to-do.

Reminders will be rolling out this week with the latest versions of Calendar on Google Play and the App Store. And don't worry, we're working on bringing Reminders to the web as well.

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/add-to-dos-to-your-google-calendar-using-reminders/feed/ 0 Computer, respond to this email: Introducing Smart Reply in Inbox by Gmail https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/computer-respond-to-this-email-introducing-smart-reply-in-inbox-by-gmail/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/computer-respond-to-this-email-introducing-smart-reply-in-inbox-by-gmail/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2015 14:30:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=acc6d6ae1a701d38c275794e308404e1 Posted by Bálint Miklós, Software Engineer

With the holidays approaching and emails coming in at a furious pace, we can all use a little help. Inbox is already on hand assisting you with the next step, organizing your trips, and even suggesting reminders.

But when you're checking email on the go, it can be cumbersome and time-consuming to reply to all or even some of them. What if there was a way for your inbox to guess which emails can be answered with a short reply, prepare a few responses on your behalf and present them to you, one tap away?

Well, starting later this week, Inbox will do just that with Smart Reply.

Smart Reply suggests up to three responses based on the emails you get. For those emails that only need a quick response, it can take care of the thinking and save precious time spent typing. And for those emails that require a bit more thought, it gives you a jump start so you can respond right away.

There's actually a lot going on behind the scenes to make Smart Reply work. Inbox uses machine learning to recognize emails that need responses and to generate the natural language responses on the fly. If you're interested in how Smart Reply works, including how researchers got machine learning to work on a data set that they never saw, you can read more about it on the Google Research Blog.

And much like how Inbox gets better when you report spam, the responses you choose (or don't choose!) help improve future suggestions. For example, when Smart Reply was tested at Google, a common suggestion in the workplace was "I love you." Thanks to Googler feedback, Smart Reply is now SFW :)

Smart Reply will be rolling out later this week on both Google Play and the App Store in English. If you've got a lot of emails on your plate, now's a great time to try Inbox and get through them faster than ever.]]> Posted by Bálint Miklós, Software Engineer

With the holidays approaching and emails coming in at a furious pace, we can all use a little help. Inbox is already on hand assisting you with the next step, organizing your trips, and even suggesting reminders.

But when you're checking email on the go, it can be cumbersome and time-consuming to reply to all or even some of them. What if there was a way for your inbox to guess which emails can be answered with a short reply, prepare a few responses on your behalf and present them to you, one tap away?

Well, starting later this week, Inbox will do just that with Smart Reply.

There's actually a lot going on behind the scenes to make Smart Reply work. Inbox uses machine learning to recognize emails that need responses and to generate the natural language responses on the fly. If you're interested in how Smart Reply works, including how researchers got machine learning to work on a data set that they never saw, you can read more about it on the Google Research Blog.

And much like how Inbox gets better when you report spam, the responses you choose (or don't choose!) help improve future suggestions. For example, when Smart Reply was tested at Google, a common suggestion in the workplace was "I love you." Thanks to Googler feedback, Smart Reply is now SFW :)

Smart Reply will be rolling out later this week on both Google Play and the App Store in English. If you've got a lot of emails on your plate, now's a great time to try Inbox and get through them faster than ever. ]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/computer-respond-to-this-email-introducing-smart-reply-in-inbox-by-gmail/feed/ 0 New Calendar illustrations in 30 languages https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/new-calendar-illustrations-in-30-languages/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/new-calendar-illustrations-in-30-languages/#comments Fri, 16 Oct 2015 16:02:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=60c58d7b2a3a2dc4fb1394cddaedc015 Posted by Stella Schieffer, Product Manager

Your calendar is more than just a list of dates and times — it’s your life! That’s why Calendar adds illustrations to many of your favorite events automatically.

Today we're improving these illustrations in two ways. First, you'll find over a dozen more of them for events like weddings and Halloween parties. Second, illustrations will now appear in 30 languages--from Dutch and Finnish to Catalan and Korean--giving our global community of users a new way to celebrate their day.

You be the artist

We’ll be making more illustrations soon, and we want your help creating them. Just tweet a photo of an event you love with the hashtag #makethemost. We’ll select our favorites as inspiration for the next set of Calendar illustrations.

]]> Posted by Stella Schieffer, Product Manager

Your calendar is more than just a list of dates and times — it’s your life! That’s why Calendar adds illustrations to many of your favorite events automatically.

Today we're improving these illustrations in two ways. First, you'll find over a dozen more of them for events like weddings and Halloween parties. Second, illustrations will now appear in 30 languages--from Dutch and Finnish to Catalan and Korean--giving our global community of users a new way to celebrate their day.

You be the artist

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/new-calendar-illustrations-in-30-languages/feed/ 0 Stay in control with Block and Unsubscribe https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/stay-in-control-with-block-and-unsubscribe/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/stay-in-control-with-block-and-unsubscribe/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2015 16:55:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=9f3c2607598bea4577c3b2fd3e1eb49b Posted by Sri Harsha Somanchi, Product Manager

Sometimes you get mail from someone who’s really disruptive. Hopefully it doesn’t happen often—but when it does, you should be able to say, “Never see messages from this person again.” That’s why you can now block specific email addresses in Gmail—starting today on the web, and over the next week on Android. Future mail will go to the spam folder (and you can always unblock in Settings).

In addition, the unsubscribe option is now making its way to Android, so you’ll be able to opt out of eligible mailing lists directly from the Gmail app. It’s perfect for those newsletters you subscribed to a while back but don’t read any more.

So try block or unsubscribe when the situation calls for it. And stay in control of your inbox.

]]> Posted by Sri Harsha Somanchi, Product Manager

Sometimes you get mail from someone who’s really disruptive. Hopefully it doesn’t happen often—but when it does, you should be able to say, “Never see messages from this person again.” That’s why you can now block specific email addresses in Gmail—starting today on the web, and over the next week on Android. Future mail will go to the spam folder (and you can always unblock in Settings).

So try block or unsubscribe when the situation calls for it. And stay in control of your inbox.

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/stay-in-control-with-block-and-unsubscribe/feed/ 0 Inbox by Gmail: Snooze to just the right time https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-snooze-to-just-the-right-time/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-snooze-to-just-the-right-time/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2015 23:01:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=430d0ea9c211349754e693ead1f1e7ff Posted by Vijay Umapathy, Product Manager

Wouldn’t it be nice if your concert ticket appeared at the top of your inbox just before the event started, or your hotel confirmation came back right before you needed to check in?

Starting today, Snooze in Inbox is getting a bit more convenient—when you snooze an email that has dates and times (like event confirmations or shipping notifications), you’ll get a one-tap option to snooze to exactly the right time, like the day of your concert or the morning your package will arrive.

You'll see these new Snooze options on most of these types of emails:

Package tracking updates
Restaurant and event reservations
Calendar invites
Flight confirmations
Hotel reservations
Rental car reservations

So next time, try snoozing that email to the day before the event. Then sit back and relax, knowing your email will come back at just the right time.

]]> Posted by Vijay Umapathy, Product Manager

Wouldn’t it be nice if your concert ticket appeared at the top of your inbox just before the event started, or your hotel confirmation came back right before you needed to check in?

Starting today, Snooze in Inbox is getting a bit more convenient—when you snooze an email that has dates and times (like event confirmations or shipping notifications), you’ll get a one-tap option to snooze to exactly the right time, like the day of your concert or the morning your package will arrive.

You'll see these new Snooze options on most of these types of emails:

Package tracking updates
Restaurant and event reservations
Calendar invites
Flight confirmations
Hotel reservations
Rental car reservations

So next time, try snoozing that email to the day before the event. Then sit back and relax, knowing your email will come back at just the right time.

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-snooze-to-just-the-right-time/feed/ 0 The mail you want, not the spam you don’t https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/the-mail-you-want-not-the-spam-you-dont/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/the-mail-you-want-not-the-spam-you-dont/#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2015 18:15:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=ee87262d48ee621785666f84f0e5a323 Posted by Sri Harsha Somanchi, Product Manager

The Gmail team is always working hard to make sure that every message you care about arrives in your inbox, and all the spam you don’t want remains out of sight. In fact, less than 0.1% of email in the average Gmail inbox is spam, and the amount of wanted mail landing in the spam folder is even lower, at under 0.05%.

Even still, Gmail spam detection isn’t perfect. So today we’re sharing some of the new ways we are supporting the senders of wanted mail, and using the latest Google smarts to filter out spam.

Getting the mail you do want with Gmail Postmaster Tools
Gmail users get lots of important email from companies like banks and airlines—from monthly statements to ticket receipts—but sometimes these wanted messages are mistakenly classified as spam. When this happens, you might have to wade through your spam folder to find that one important email (yuck!). We can help senders to do better, so today we’re launching the Gmail Postmaster Tools.

The Gmail Postmaster Tools help qualified high-volume senders analyze their email, including data on delivery errors, spam reports, and reputation. This way they can diagnose any hiccups, study best practices, and help Gmail route their messages to the right place. For you, this means no more dumpster diving for that confirmation code ;-)

Google smarts for less spam
Since the beginning, machine learning has helped make the Gmail spam filter more awesome. When you click the “Report spam” and “Not spam” buttons, you’re not only improving your Gmail experience right then and there, you’re also training Gmail’s filters to identify spam vs. wanted mail in the future. Now, we are bringing the same intelligence developed for Google Search and Google Now to make the spam filter smarter in a number of ways.

For starters, the spam filter now uses an artificial neural network to detect and block the especially sneaky spam—the kind that could actually pass for wanted mail.
We also recognize that not all inboxes are alike. So while your neighbor may love weekly email newsletters, you may loathe them. With advances in machine learning, the spam filter can now reflect these individual preferences.
Finally, the spam filter is better than ever at rooting out email impersonation—that nasty source of most phishing scams. Thanks to new machine learning signals, Gmail can now figure out whether a message actually came from its sender, and keep bogus email at bay.

Ultimately, we aspire to a spam-free Gmail experience. So please keep those spam reports coming, and if you’re a company that sends email, then check out our new Postmaster Tools. Together we can get the wanted mail to the right place, and keep the spam where it belongs.]]> Posted by Sri Harsha Somanchi, Product Manager

The Gmail team is always working hard to make sure that every message you care about arrives in your inbox, and all the spam you don’t want remains out of sight. In fact, less than 0.1% of email in the average Gmail inbox is spam, and the amount of wanted mail landing in the spam folder is even lower, at under 0.05%.

Even still, Gmail spam detection isn’t perfect. So today we’re sharing some of the new ways we are supporting the senders of wanted mail, and using the latest Google smarts to filter out spam.

Getting the mail you do want with Gmail Postmaster Tools
Gmail users get lots of important email from companies like banks and airlines—from monthly statements to ticket receipts—but sometimes these wanted messages are mistakenly classified as spam. When this happens, you might have to wade through your spam folder to find that one important email (yuck!). We can help senders to do better, so today we’re launching the Gmail Postmaster Tools.

The Gmail Postmaster Tools help qualified high-volume senders analyze their email, including data on delivery errors, spam reports, and reputation. This way they can diagnose any hiccups, study best practices, and help Gmail route their messages to the right place. For you, this means no more dumpster diving for that confirmation code ;-)

Google smarts for less spam
Since the beginning, machine learning has helped make the Gmail spam filter more awesome. When you click the “Report spam” and “Not spam” buttons, you’re not only improving your Gmail experience right then and there, you’re also training Gmail’s filters to identify spam vs. wanted mail in the future. Now, we are bringing the same intelligence developed for Google Search and Google Now to make the spam filter smarter in a number of ways.

For starters, the spam filter now uses an artificial neural network to detect and block the especially sneaky spam—the kind that could actually pass for wanted mail.
We also recognize that not all inboxes are alike. So while your neighbor may love weekly email newsletters, you may loathe them. With advances in machine learning, the spam filter can now reflect these individual preferences.
Finally, the spam filter is better than ever at rooting out email impersonation—that nasty source of most phishing scams. Thanks to new machine learning signals, Gmail can now figure out whether a message actually came from its sender, and keep bogus email at bay.

A wider selection of themes
Themes can help you dress up your inbox, as well as distinguish between your home and work accounts, so they’ve been an important part of Gmail since they first appeared in 2008. Starting today there are hundreds more high-res options available (photographed by some fellow Googlers!). And of course, you can always upload your own.

Once you’ve found the right photo, you can now use editing tools like blur, vignette, and text background to make your image and messages look great together.

Emoji all the things
Sometimes you just can’t find the words to express how you’re feeling over email

. But fret no more, because today’s Gmail update includes emoji for just about every occasion

.

Excited about this weekend’s barbecue? Finalize the menu, dress code and after-dinner plans with just a few characters:

. Running a few minutes late? Let your friend know you’ll be there at

. Whatever the situation, sending emoji is now a piece of

All of today’s web updates are rolling out over the next few days, so check back soon if you don’t see them yet. Once you do, definitely share your favorite themes and emoji with us on Google+, Twitter and Facebook

!]]> Posted by Gaurav Vijay, Software Engineer

Your inbox is home to some of your most meaningful and entertaining messages—from that acceptance letter, to those throwback photos—so we think it’s important for Gmail to feel just as personal (and fun!). That’s why we offer lots of ways to customize your experience—from inbox categories, to email formatting, to shareable selfies—and why today we’re expanding your options with additional themes, and emoji.

Once you’ve found the right photo, you can now use editing tools like blur, vignette, and text background to make your image and messages look great together.

Emoji all the things
Sometimes you just can’t find the words to express how you’re feeling over email

. But fret no more, because today’s Gmail update includes emoji for just about every occasion

.

Excited about this weekend’s barbecue? Finalize the menu, dress code and after-dinner plans with just a few characters:

. Running a few minutes late? Let your friend know you’ll be there at

. Whatever the situation, sending emoji is now a piece of

! ]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/express-yourself-in-email-hundreds-more-themes-plus-emoji/feed/ 0 Inbox by Gmail: Say adios to “Oops” with Undo Send https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-say-adios-to-oops-with-undo-send/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-say-adios-to-oops-with-undo-send/#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2015 16:25:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=d7f21ce25092220e1f8f36af2c93e503 Posted by Phil Sharp, Product Manager

That moment when you press send and immediately realize you made a terrible mistake. But it's too late. We all need to travel back a few seconds every once in a while, so with Inbox you can take back an email right after sending. Undo Send in Inbox launched a few weeks ago, and now it’s available on Android, iOS and the web. So enjoy those second chances!

]]> Posted by Phil Sharp, Product Manager

That moment when you press send and immediately realize you made a terrible mistake. But it's too late. We all need to travel back a few seconds every once in a while, so with Inbox you can take back an email right after sending. Undo Send in Inbox launched a few weeks ago, and now it’s available on Android, iOS and the web. So enjoy those second chances!

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/inbox-by-gmail-say-adios-to-oops-with-undo-send/feed/ 0 Google Calendar for iPhone: more ways to stay on top of your schedule https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/google-calendar-for-iphone-more-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-your-schedule/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/google-calendar-for-iphone-more-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-your-schedule/#comments Tue, 23 Jun 2015 19:14:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=03fcd59f6f412e399c10549147664243 Posted by Stella Schieffer, Product Manager

Since the new Google Calendar app arrived, you've given us lots of great feedback that has guided our updates. Starting today, you'll see improvements to Google Calendar on iPhone that follow the recent improvements to the Android app.

To start, you can now see more events at a glance with 7-day week view and customize your calendar with week numbers on iPhone.

You can now also add Google Drive files, like Docs and Sheets or pictures and PDFs, directly to events on your iPhone and Google Calendar on the web, just like you can on Android. Drive will even check if everyone has access to the files and if not, ask you if you'd like to share with them.

Sometimes, getting notified of an upcoming event isn’t enough—you might need to contact other attendees, or figure out the best way to get there. With interactive notifications on the iPhone, you can now email guests and view maps with one tap.

We have a lot more improvements based on your feedback coming, so stay tuned!

P.S. If you're a developer, you can now add Drive files, including Docs, Sheets and Slides, to Google Calendar events created through the Calendar API.

]]> Posted by Stella Schieffer, Product Manager

Since the new Google Calendar app arrived, you've given us lots of great feedback that has guided our updates. Starting today, you'll see improvements to Google Calendar on iPhone that follow the recent improvements to the Android app.

To start, you can now see more events at a glance with 7-day week view and customize your calendar with week numbers on iPhone.

We have a lot more improvements based on your feedback coming, so stay tuned!

P.S. If you're a developer, you can now add Drive files, including Docs, Sheets and Slides, to Google Calendar events created through the Calendar API.

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/google-calendar-for-iphone-more-ways-to-stay-on-top-of-your-schedule/feed/ 0 New ways to add Reminders in Inbox by Gmail https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/new-ways-to-add-reminders-in-inbox-by-gmail-2/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/new-ways-to-add-reminders-in-inbox-by-gmail-2/#comments Wed, 17 Jun 2015 16:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=0f7ae0e112e132e5ab62b817d8605d4b Posted by Dave Orr, Google Research Product Manager

(Cross-posted from the Google Research Blog)

Last week, Inbox by Gmail opened up and improved many of your favorite features, including two new ways to add Reminders.

First up, when someone emails you a to-do, Inbox can now suggest adding a Reminder so you don’t forget. Here's how it looks if your spouse emails you and asks you to buy milk on the way home:

To help you add Reminders, the Google Research team used natural language understanding technology to teach Inbox to recognize to-dos in email.

And much like Gmail and Inbox get better when you report spam, your feedback helps improve these suggested Reminders. You can accept or reject them with a single click:

The other new way to add Reminders in Inbox is to create Reminders in Google Keep—they will appear in Inbox with a link back to the full note in Google Keep.

Hopefully, this little extra help gets you back to what matters more quickly and easily. Try the new features out, and as always, let us know what you think using the feedback link in the app.
]]> Posted by Dave Orr, Google Research Product Manager

(Cross-posted from the Google Research Blog)

Last week, Inbox by Gmail opened up and improved many of your favorite features, including two new ways to add Reminders.

First up, when someone emails you a to-do, Inbox can now suggest adding a Reminder so you don’t forget. Here's how it looks if your spouse emails you and asks you to buy milk on the way home:

To help you add Reminders, the Google Research team used natural language understanding technology to teach Inbox to recognize to-dos in email.

And much like Gmail and Inbox get better when you report spam, your feedback helps improve these suggested Reminders. You can accept or reject them with a single click:

The other new way to add Reminders in Inbox is to create Reminders in Google Keep—they will appear in Inbox with a link back to the full note in Google Keep.

Hopefully, this little extra help gets you back to what matters more quickly and easily. Try the new features out, and as always, let us know what you think using the feedback link in the app.
]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/new-ways-to-add-reminders-in-inbox-by-gmail-2/feed/ 0 Trip Bundles in Inbox by Gmail https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/trip-bundles-in-inbox-by-gmail/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/trip-bundles-in-inbox-by-gmail/#comments Mon, 08 Jun 2015 16:22:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=9d2b1d004ab40cffeff5ddb8fad66ae9 Posted by Thijs van As, Product Manager

I frequently travel to Mountain View and Seattle and always have a mess of related emails at the end of my trip. For example, last time the final tally was four about my flight purchase, five about my hotel reservations, one rental car confirmation and five check-in reminders. The challenge is: I often need an important bit of information quickly—a flight confirmation number or hotel address—but the details are buried in email, making them hard to find.

Just a couple weeks ago, Inbox added Trip Bundles to improve this experience—whether you’re traveling up and down the West Coast, or flying across the pond. Now, all of your emails about a trip are bundled together and available the instant you open Inbox.

When it's time to fly, Inbox will even update your flight status so you'll know if your trip is on time or if your gate has changed.

You can open the bundle to see all your emails related to that trip, with the most important information (like flight times) right at the top.

Each section in the bundle gives you all the details about your flight, rental car, hotel or restaurant reservation. And when there are multiple emails about the same reservation, Inbox is smart enough to only show you the most up-to-date information.

Finally, if you want to take a look at your upcoming trips or take a trip down memory lane, just tap on Trips in the app menu.

Safe travels!

]]> Posted by Thijs van As, Product Manager

I frequently travel to Mountain View and Seattle and always have a mess of related emails at the end of my trip. For example, last time the final tally was four about my flight purchase, five about my hotel reservations, one rental car confirmation and five check-in reminders. The challenge is: I often need an important bit of information quickly—a flight confirmation number or hotel address—but the details are buried in email, making them hard to find.

When it's time to fly, Inbox will even update your flight status so you'll know if your trip is on time or if your gate has changed.

You can open the bundle to see all your emails related to that trip, with the most important information (like flight times) right at the top.

Finally, if you want to take a look at your upcoming trips or take a trip down memory lane, just tap on Trips in the app menu.

Safe travels!

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/trip-bundles-in-inbox-by-gmail/feed/ 0 Thanks to you, Inbox by Gmail is now open to everyone https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/thanks-to-you-inbox-by-gmail-is-now-open-to-everyone/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/thanks-to-you-inbox-by-gmail-is-now-open-to-everyone/#comments Thu, 28 May 2015 16:45:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=1e0f8ac4a2a2fce9845429cf9ecccc34 Posted by Alex Gawley, Director of Product Management

Back in October we introduced a new type of inbox—one that works for you. Since then you’ve told us what you like best about Inbox by Gmail, as well as how we can make it better. And we want to say thank you.

Because of your feedback, we’re improving many of your favorite features, and launching your most highly-requested ones. So sit back, relax and enjoy all the updates.
More ways to stay organized with Trip Bundles
For starters, you’ve mentioned how much you like seeing key information at a glance, like when your package is arriving. So today Inbox is adding Trip Bundles: All of your emails about a trip will now be bundled together and the most important details (like flight times and hotel reservation numbers) will be available the instant you open Inbox.

More control with Undo Send, Swipe to Delete and Signatures
Being able to control your inbox, like setting your custom Snooze times, is also something you’ve told us matters. So today Inbox is helping you be more productive:

With Undo Send—now for the first time on your phone—you can take back an email right after sending in case you spotted a mistake, or have second thoughts
If you’d rather get rid of messages, you can make ‘Delete’ the default swiping action
If you want to personalize your sent messages, you can now add a custom signature

More ways that Inbox saves you time
You’ve also let us know how much you appreciate a little extra help every now and then—like when Inbox adds phone numbers to Reminders, or finds that flight time in under a second. Today Inbox is adding a few more ways it can be of service:

When you create Reminders in Keep, they’ll now appear in Inbox
When someone emails you a to-do, Inbox might suggest adding a Reminder so you don’t forget
When you get an email from HotelTonight or Eat24, you can now open your reservations and food orders within their app, directly from Inbox

Reminders created in Keep now appear in Inbox

Open your order or booking directly from Inbox

With Undo Send—now for the first time on your phone—you can take back an email right after sending in case you spotted a mistake, or have second thoughts
If you’d rather get rid of messages, you can make ‘Delete’ the default swiping action
If you want to personalize your sent messages, you can now add a custom signature

When you create Reminders in Keep, they’ll now appear in Inbox
When someone emails you a to-do, Inbox might suggest adding a Reminder so you don’t forget
When you get an email from HotelTonight or Eat24, you can now open your reservations and food orders within their app, directly from Inbox

Reminders created in Keep now appear in Inbox

Open your order or booking directly from Inbox

No more invites: Inbox is now open
Finally, you’ve asked for invites. And we’d like to say yes to all of you, all at once. So as of today, Inbox is open to everyone—no invitation required. All your Gmail messages are ready and waiting. So if you haven't tried Inbox yet, download the app today, and start getting back to what matters.

p.s. While we’re still in the early stages of bringing Inbox to work, today we’re also expanding the Inbox early adopter program so any Google Apps for Work customer who wants to join can do so.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/thanks-to-you-inbox-by-gmail-is-now-open-to-everyone/feed/ 0 Time is on your side—welcoming Timeful to Google https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/time-is-on-your-side-welcoming-timeful-to-google/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/time-is-on-your-side-welcoming-timeful-to-google/#comments Mon, 04 May 2015 18:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=687e87ad26ed1233f1ae1b3a20586d6f Posted by Alex Gawley, Director of Product Management

With the proliferation of mobile phones and greater access to technology, it should be easy to get things done quickly and effortlessly. That’s why with tools like Gmail, Inbox, Calendar and Docs, we’ve built smart features to help you organize your life and take the work out of work—Inbox makes it easy to get started on your to-do list, Calendar automatically adds events from your Gmail, and Search gives you simple, concise answers about information that’s important to you.

But even as these tools have simplified our lives, we’re still inundated with too many updates, information and everyday tasks. And we still have to do a lot of logistical work ourselves—like deciding to what time exactly we should snooze that Reminder in order to get it done in time for Mom’s birthday, or figuring out when to work on that presentation so that it’s ready for next week’s sales pitch.

Today we’re excited to announce that Timeful, Inc. is joining the Google family to help make getting things done in your life even easier.

The Timeful team has built an impressive system that helps you organize your life by understanding your schedule, habits and needs. You can tell Timeful you want to exercise three times a week or that you need to call the bank by next Tuesday, and their system will make sure you get it done based on an understanding of both your schedule and your priorities. We’re excited about all the ways Timeful’s technology can be applied across products like Inbox, Calendar and beyond, so we can do more of the work for you and let you focus on being creative, having fun and spending time with the people you care about.

Welcome Timeful!]]> Posted by Alex Gawley, Director of Product Management

With the proliferation of mobile phones and greater access to technology, it should be easy to get things done quickly and effortlessly. That’s why with tools like Gmail, Inbox, Calendar and Docs, we’ve built smart features to help you organize your life and take the work out of work—Inbox makes it easy to get started on your to-do list, Calendar automatically adds events from your Gmail, and Search gives you simple, concise answers about information that’s important to you.

But even as these tools have simplified our lives, we’re still inundated with too many updates, information and everyday tasks. And we still have to do a lot of logistical work ourselves—like deciding to what time exactly we should snooze that Reminder in order to get it done in time for Mom’s birthday, or figuring out when to work on that presentation so that it’s ready for next week’s sales pitch.

Today we’re excited to announce that Timeful, Inc. is joining the Google family to help make getting things done in your life even easier.

The Timeful team has built an impressive system that helps you organize your life by understanding your schedule, habits and needs. You can tell Timeful you want to exercise three times a week or that you need to call the bank by next Tuesday, and their system will make sure you get it done based on an understanding of both your schedule and your priorities. We’re excited about all the ways Timeful’s technology can be applied across products like Inbox, Calendar and beyond, so we can do more of the work for you and let you focus on being creative, having fun and spending time with the people you care about.

Welcome Timeful!]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/time-is-on-your-side-welcoming-timeful-to-google/feed/ 0 Smartbox by Inbox: the mailbox of tomorrow, today https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/smartbox-by-inbox-the-mailbox-of-tomorrow-today/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/smartbox-by-inbox-the-mailbox-of-tomorrow-today/#comments Wed, 01 Apr 2015 01:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=27e4fae5c0c72a4e58b019799af037c8 Posted by Merrill Anovick, Project Manager

Mail is a wondrous thing. From the early days of the homing pigeon to the herculean efforts of the Pony Express, mail has connected us for generations. The advent of email brought the world even closer together. And yet, despite this leap forward, physical mail still just sits there. In a box. All day.

So today we’re excited to introduce Smartbox—a better, smarter mailbox that fuses physical mail with everything you love about the electronic kind:
Smartbox is currently in field trial—stuck in the ground, in a field—for Inbox by Gmail customers. If you’re not yet using Inbox, simply email inbox@google.com anytime before April 2 to be invited, and to reserve your spot on the Smartbox waitlist.]]> Posted by Merrill Anovick, Project Manager

Mail is a wondrous thing. From the early days of the homing pigeon to the herculean efforts of the Pony Express, mail has connected us for generations. The advent of email brought the world even closer together. And yet, despite this leap forward, physical mail still just sits there. In a box. All day.

So today we’re excited to introduce Smartbox—a better, smarter mailbox that fuses physical mail with everything you love about the electronic kind:
Smartbox is currently in field trial—stuck in the ground, in a field—for Inbox by Gmail customers. If you’re not yet using Inbox, simply email inbox@google.com anytime before April 2 to be invited, and to reserve your spot on the Smartbox waitlist.]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/smartbox-by-inbox-the-mailbox-of-tomorrow-today/feed/ 0 Custom Snooze in Inbox by Gmail: Rise and shine…on your time https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/custom-snooze-in-inbox-by-gmail-rise-and-shine-on-your-time/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/custom-snooze-in-inbox-by-gmail-rise-and-shine-on-your-time/#comments Tue, 31 Mar 2015 18:05:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=8eeebaba67f024cba03e4c3640f13dca Posted by Vijay Umapathy, Product Manager

As our lives change, so do our schedules. "Morning" probably means something different to a college kid than, say, a parent with a newborn baby. Whatever your schedule is, your inbox should adapt to your day (and not the other way around).

So starting later today, you'll be able to customize your morning, afternoon and evening Snooze times in Inbox. You don't even have to do any work: Inbox will adapt to your preferences. If you snooze to a custom time of 7:30AM, you'll see a prompt asking if you'd like to change your morning time to 7:30AM. One tap and you're all set!

When you update your morning, afternoon, or evening times, the rest of your snooze options will also adapt. ”This evening,” uses your evening time, while “Tomorrow” and “Next week” use your morning time. Of course, if you prefer, you can also manually change your snooze times using the new Snooze settings.

Custom snooze was one of your most highly requested features, but we’ve also been listening to the rest of your feedback. You've asked us for quick access to Contacts from Inbox on the web, and now it's just a click away:

We hope these small improvements help you tackle your email faster and get back to what matters. In the meantime, we’re also working to add easier access to delete as well as signature support in Inbox, two features you’ve told us you want. So stay tuned!

]]> Posted by Vijay Umapathy, Product Manager

As our lives change, so do our schedules. "Morning" probably means something different to a college kid than, say, a parent with a newborn baby. Whatever your schedule is, your inbox should adapt to your day (and not the other way around).

So starting later today, you'll be able to customize your morning, afternoon and evening Snooze times in Inbox. You don't even have to do any work: Inbox will adapt to your preferences. If you snooze to a custom time of 7:30AM, you'll see a prompt asking if you'd like to change your morning time to 7:30AM. One tap and you're all set!

We hope these small improvements help you tackle your email faster and get back to what matters. In the meantime, we’re also working to add easier access to delete as well as signature support in Inbox, two features you’ve told us you want. So stay tuned!

]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/custom-snooze-in-inbox-by-gmail-rise-and-shine-on-your-time/feed/ 0 All your mail, together in one place https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/all-your-mail-together-in-one-place/ https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/all-your-mail-together-in-one-place/#comments Mon, 30 Mar 2015 18:25:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=058df11f0868f48064554a1c8b3e0bdb Posted by Régis Décamps, Software Engineer

These days, many of us have more than one email address. If you’re a student, you may have one account for school, one for a campus group you lead, and one for your blog. If you’re a parent, you might have one for family and one for your business. However many email addresses you have, today’s improvements to the Gmail app for Android make it easy to manage all your mail from all your accounts (yes, even @yahoo and @outlook) while you’re on the go.

All your inboxes in one place
Starting today you’ll be able to view all your mail at once, regardless of which account it’s from, using the new “All Inboxes” option. This way you can read and respond to all your messages without having to hop between accounts.

Conversation view
You’ve told us threaded conversations are one of your favorite Gmail features because they keep your messages organized and give you all the context you need to reply to those long email threads. Now messages from your Yahoo, Outlook.com and other IMAP/POP accounts will get the same special treatment, appearing neatly stacked as one conversation.

Smarter search
Search is the cornerstone of Google, and of Gmail. The new Gmail app for Android has better auto-complete, so you can find what you need even faster.

And a few other cool things…
Today’s update also includes more responsive animations (like when you open and close a conversation), larger attachment previews to help you see what’s inside, and the ability to save to Drive with a single tap.

We hope these updates make it a little bit easier to manage mail from all your accounts (Gmail or otherwise!). Look for the update on Google Play as it rolls out over the next few days.]]> Posted by Régis Décamps, Software Engineer

These days, many of us have more than one email address. If you’re a student, you may have one account for school, one for a campus group you lead, and one for your blog. If you’re a parent, you might have one for family and one for your business. However many email addresses you have, today’s improvements to the Gmail app for Android make it easy to manage all your mail from all your accounts (yes, even @yahoo and @outlook) while you’re on the go.

Smarter search
Search is the cornerstone of Google, and of Gmail. The new Gmail app for Android has better auto-complete, so you can find what you need even faster.

We hope these updates make it a little bit easier to manage mail from all your accounts (Gmail or otherwise!). Look for the update on Google Play as it rolls out over the next few days. ]]> https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/all-your-mail-together-in-one-place/feed/ 0 Google Calendar for iPhone. It’s about time. https://googledata.org/gmail-google-mail/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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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.

]]> 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.

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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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.]]> 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.

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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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/ 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