Gmail is one of the most popular email services in the world, and it’s now getting the much-awaited revamp. Google has officially announced that it will be making major changes to Gmail. However, this is not a surprise for many of us who follow tech news closely because the proposed changes were leaked last month. There were a number of features that we saw including email snoozing and nudging. We also saw a major interface redesign that totally changes how Gmail looks on the web.
Google is now starting to roll out these changes and more in a phased debut worldwide. This means that it will take some time before all the 1.4 billion people who use Gmail will be able to see the changes. In addition to this, users will be given the option to opt in as opposed to a full blanket rollout that automatically affects all users. According to Jacob Bank, Gmail’s lead product manager, the redesign was developed in order to enhance safety and productivity for users. In a nutshell, Google is basically offering all its users some of the features that are available only to its business customers. The billions of users who use the free Gmail service will enjoy these new features without having to pay anything.
The new safety features are in particular quite interesting. They will be based on what Google is calling confidential mode. The mode allows an email sender to set a desired expiration date for an email they deem sensitive. The mode also allows them to revoke an email completely. This works in a very simple way. When you send the email on confidential mode, instead of going directly to the receiver’s inbox, it’s held by on your inbox as a link.
In order for the recipient to access the email, they will need to click on the link using a Gmail account or any other email account. You can control how much access the recipient has on the email. It’s a time-limited email access instead of someone having your email forever in their inbox. This feature is extremely vital if you are dealing with sensitive information.
Google has also added two-factor authentication to enhance the security of your Gmail account. There’s also a new integrated rights management feature. This is a business-centric feature that allows you to block the copying, forwarding, printing, and even downloading of certain messages. Email Snoozing is yet another thing to look out for. In addition to the option of marking an email as unread or read, and the option to delete it, there will be a snooze option in this menu.
But unlike in previous Gmail accounts, there will be a new hover menu that allows you to access these options quite easily. Google has also introduced email nudging. This feature identifies high-priority emails and makes sure that they are answered. These changes will come into full effect once Gmail’s revamp is completed.
