Gmail is a free, advertising-supported email service developed by Google. With over 1.2 billion users, it is the second-most popular email client out there, available in over 72 languages. Users can access Gmail on the web and using third-party programs that synchronise email content through POP or IMAP protocols.
Get ready for a few changes to the Gmail screen billions of people will wake up to: Google is contemplating a new design and new features for Gmail. The company recently sent out notices to a few G Suite administrators, the ones who oversee your work email, alerting them to a new Gmail version coming soon through an opt-in Early Adopter Program. As spotted by TechCrunch, the new version of Gmail is expected to implement a “a fresh clean look for Gmail on the web” as well as several interesting new features.
The new version will offer support for “snoozing” your emails for a present period of time, the same way you tell your alarm to shut up for nine minutes each morning.
The new Gmail design also features a new sidebar, with the option of using Google’s calendar, Keep note-taking app, or tasks side-by-side with your email messages. It will also allow you to access other G Suite apps, directly from your inbox instead of maintaining six browser tabs for those various components. And it will bring mobile Gmail “smart reply” feature to the web along with offline support, according to the emailed notices.
G Suite has become a very important part of Google’s overall cloud story. Earlier this year Google disclosed cloud revenue figures for the first time, saying that the company is making $1 billion in revenue a quarter from the combined G Suite and Google Cloud Platform businesses.
Google is now planning to make this new design available to G Suite and Gmail users in the coming weeks. Google’s I/O developer conference starts on May 8th in Mountain View, and it’s reasonable to assume this new Gmail design will be part of the many announcements at the show.
