Google Rolls Out Gmail Redesign for Web Browsers, Featuring Email Snoozing, Confidential Mode, and More

[MacRumors]

Google launched its redesigned Gmail web interface today, introducing several new features including some the company trialed in its Inbox for Gmail app. The launch is a phased rollout, so not all users will have immediate access to all the changes listed below, and those who do will need to opt-in to them.

The major visual difference comes in the form of a new right-hand sidebar that provides multiple options for customization. Users can choose to add Google Calendar, Google Keep, or Google Tasks in the side window, or collapse it completely and focus only on their inbox. Likewise, the left-hand panel can be collapsed now, too.

The inbox view has also been updated with the ability to perform actions on messages without opening them. Hovering over an email with the mouse cursor displays buttons to archive, delete, mark as read, and a new "snooze" feature.

Opting to snooze an email hides the message until later in the day, tomorrow, or later in the week. The function has been brought over from Inbox for Gmail, but currently there doesn't seem to be any way to activate it for an email that's currently open.

Google has also introduced a new AI-powered feature that "nudges" the user to follow up and respond to messages it thinks are important, offering up quick reminders for them to take action. Also, the smart reply function has been brought over from the Gmail mobile apps, allowing users to respond to emails quicker.

In addition, Gmail is rolling out a number of security/privacy features in the coming weeks, one of which is a new confidential mode. This lets the sender set a time-limit in which a message can be accessed, should the email contain sensitive information. It works by sending a link to the content in your inbox that the recipient clicks, rather than sending the content in the email itself.

There will also be a new two-factor authentication (2FA) option for confidential individual messages, which means recipients can be asked to authenticate with a passcode via SMS message before they're granted access to the content of an email.

Elsewhere, Gmail now includes integrated rights management (IRM), which allows business users to block the forwarding, copying, downloading, or printing of specific messages, offering a welcome extra line of defense against accidentally sharing certain emails.

Also new under the hood are a series of machine learning algorithms to help protect users from phishing scams. The user-facing element of this redesign comes in the form of warning banners and color-coded alerts.

In tandem with the web interface redesign, Google is also launching a new Google Tasks mobile app later today on both iOS and Android. For more information on the new Gmail web features, click here.

Article Link: Google Rolls Out Gmail Redesign for Web Browsers, Featuring Email Snoozing, Confidential Mode, and More

 

[omglolbbq]

Finally I can ditch Inbox seeing as they are taking so long to add X screen size support.

 

[martyjmclean]

Not that I use Gmail much, but this new layout seems nice and clean!

 

[DanielDD]

Gmail, white edition!

 

[GadgetBen]

Just an FYI for UK and European folk, its not released here yet. I've been told it may be 24 hours.

If you have G Suite for your business like me, you should be able to activate it here:

Apps > G Suite > Settings for Gmail > Advanced settings > End User Settings

 

[TwoBytes]

What happened to https://inbox.google.com ?
I thought that might be the new gmail. It works so much better.

Taken from the wiki:
"In December 2017, Google introduced an "Unsubscribe" card that lets users easily unsubscribe from mailing lists. The card appears for email messages from specific senders that the user hasn't opened for a month."

 

[4jasontv]

Elsewhere, Gmail now includes integrated rights management (IRM), which allows business users to block the forwarding, copying, downloading, or printing of specific messages, offering a welcome extra line of defense against accidentally sharing certain emails.

Um... what? No. I mean, sure I can always take a screenshot, but my mail is mine. Don’t want people to share what you said, then don’t say it.

Maybe I do not get it. When is this going to be a good idea for a company to use? They aren’t going to use it on a coupon because if it really is a one time use they would just make the coupon only work once. If it’s for a rather unfriendly message it will only fuel the fire when the recipient sees it can’t be shared. I get that there are some documents a recipient might not want to share, but that should be their call and not the business.

 

[MrGuder]

Where is night mode? Too much white.

 

[sesnir]

Um... what? No. I mean, sure I can always take a screenshot, but my mail is mine. Don’t want people to share what you said, then don’t say it.

Maybe I do not get it. When is this going to be a good idea for a company to use? They aren’t going to use it on a coupon because if it really is a one time use they would just make the coupon only work once. If it’s for a rather unfriendly message it will only fuel the fire when the recipient sees it can’t be shared. I get that there are some documents a recipient might not want to share, but that should be their call and not the business.

It says business users. You can always maliciously get around it, but that's not the point of the feature.

 

[AngerDanger]

This lets the sender set a time-limit in which a message can be accessed, should the email contain sensitive information. It works by sending a link to the content in your inbox that the recipient clicks, rather than sending the content in the email itself.

Elsewhere, Gmail now includes integrated rights management (IRM), which allows business users to block the forwarding, copying, downloading, or printing of specific messages, offering a welcome extra line of defense against accidentally sharing certain emails.

The five people in the world who sext over email, rejoice!

 

[Kaibelf]

Um... what? No. I mean, sure I can always take a screenshot, but my mail is mine. Don’t want people to share what you said, then don’t say it.

Maybe I do not get it. When is this going to be a good idea for a company to use? They aren’t going to use it on a coupon because if it really is a one time use they would just make the coupon only work once. If it’s for a rather unfriendly message it will only fuel the fire when the recipient sees it can’t be shared. I get that there are some documents a recipient might not want to share, but that should be their call and not the business.

If you are using gmail as a company email, then no that email isn’t yours. It’s theirs. This feature would be to prevent someone from quickly sending company info outside of a specific circle due to confidentiality. Think of accounting, HR, and legal.

 

[jedwards87]

The five people in the world who sext over email, rejoice!

Only 5 ? Is there a 3-way going on or someone sexting themselves here....lol

 

[usamaah]

Where is night mode? Too much white.

Hi,

With the old Gmail or this new Gmail, go to Settings (gears icon > Settings) > and all the way to the right is "Themes" > select a dark color

If you want it to change depending on context (time of day) there used to be a Theme for this but I can't find it now. Perhaps it will show up again later.

 

[4jasontv]

It says business users. You can always maliciously get around it, but that's not the point of the feature.

But google has a separate business suite, and since it promotes greater uptime as a core feature One would assume it runs on a different server. So put that “feature” there.
[doublepost=1524661791][/doublepost]

If you are using gmail as a company email, then no that email isn’t yours. It’s theirs. This feature would be to prevent someone from quickly sending company info outside of a specific circle due to confidentiality. Think of accounting, HR, and legal.

But this is not for gmail for business, it’s on the consumer gmail platform.

 

[now i see it]

I had to re read the title to the article again. A double take.
I was sure I read the word "snooping" instead of "snoozing". But on second thought, I think the title has a typo and the correct word IS snooping.

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

Just an FYI for UK and European folk, its not released here yet. I've been told it may be 24 hours.

If you have G Suite for your business like me, you should be able to activate it here:

Apps > G Suite > Settings for Gmail > Advanced settings > End User Settings

I don't see the option in my account...maybe its because I'm using an old Google Apps for Your Domain account? Or, maybe it just hasn't rolled out for me just yet; it's still early.

 

[hArrisburger]

Am I missing something or is snoozing not going to be available for the mobile app? Seems like a big gap.

I currently use Spark with my Google Apps account and thesame interface between mobile and desktop is key. Would consider going to native Google if they had a mobile option offering the same as desktop.

 

[zorinlynx]

What the heck is the point of confidential mode and such when you can just screenshot the E-mail?

I'd really rather companies not give people a false sense of security for sending sensitive information. If you can read it, you can save it. This is like Snapchat for E-mail, and everyone knows Snapchat isn't secure either, despite being a lot more proprietary and only accessible through an app.

 

[BuffaloTF]

Gmail rolls out Outlook.com.

 

[kyjaotkb]

What the heck is the point of confidential mode and such when you can just screenshot the E-mail?

I'd really rather companies not give people a false sense of security for sending sensitive information. If you can read it, you can save it. This is like Snapchat for E-mail, and everyone knows Snapchat isn't secure either, despite being a lot more proprietary and only accessible through an app.

It should delight people who make Excel files "secure" with Office passwords

 

[shyam09]

Only 5 ? Is there a 3-way going on or someone sexting themselves here....lol

Themselves.

Dear April 25, 2018 shyam09,

This is April 23, 2018 shyam09. Loved your dick pics in your last email. I know how much you like my dick as well sugar. Enjoy a few pics baby.

From,
April 23, 2018

Disclaimer: I don't know how to sext or emext?

 

[randomplaydo]

Um... what? No. I mean, sure I can always take a screenshot, but my mail is mine. Don’t want people to share what you said, then don’t say it.

Maybe I do not get it. When is this going to be a good idea for a company to use? They aren’t going to use it on a coupon because if it really is a one time use they would just make the coupon only work once. If it’s for a rather unfriendly message it will only fuel the fire when the recipient sees it can’t be shared. I get that there are some documents a recipient might not want to share, but that should be their call and not the business.

To give a plausible scenario that makes me happy about this. I'm an attorney and communication between my client and I is privileged unless one of us breaks privilege by inviting another person into the conversation. If my clients can't forward messages that I send to them, it provides an extra layer of security that prevents them from inadvertently breaking privilege through opening the conversation up to others.

 

[JGIGS]

Finally I can ditch Inbox seeing as they are taking so long to add X screen size support.

Even better could google please kill inbox after this? Why do they have two email applications anyway? If anything they could have just had a beta version of gmail with the inbox features this whole time.

My one Google gripe too many apps that do the same things.
[doublepost=1524674565][/doublepost]

Where is night mode? Too much white.

Gmail, white edition!

Well if you're ios users you should be used to a lot of white by now.
[doublepost=1524674797][/doublepost]

The function has been brought over from Inbox for Gmail, but currently there doesn't seem to be any way to activate it for an email that's currently open.​

This is incorrect at least on the web version you can snooze an open. The function is on the top left of the email. I almost missed it as well.

 

[ericg301]

it's live on my account. and after using inbox for the last year or so, i'm not sure this is enough to have me switch back. i was never an "inbox zero" guy before inbox -- now i can't live without it. there's still not a easy way to sweep messages in this new gmail...and the mobile app really needs snooze too.

i might continue to use inbox on my mobile devices and this new gmail interface on desktop.

 

[4jasontv]

To give a plausible scenario that makes me happy about this. I'm an attorney and communication between my client and I is privileged unless one of us breaks privilege by inviting another person into the conversation. If my clients can't forward messages that I send to them, it provides an extra layer of security that prevents them from inadvertently breaking privilege through opening the conversation up to others.

This isn't anything I know about, so this might be a stupid question, but as an attorney you work for the client right? So doesn't the client always have the right to share your communications. Isn't the privilege a restriction on you?