Based on materials from androidcentral.com
Earlier this month, Google announced that it was redesigning the desktop version of Gmail, and these changes are now in effect. Gmail has received a seriously revamped design, more in tune with the look Android, and Google has introduced a number of new features. The focus has been on safety and ease of use.
There's a new confidential mode that lets you customize expiration times for specific messages, smart replies, easy snooze and offline mode, high priority notification customization that filters out push notifications, and more. Let's take a closer look at these functions.
Confidential Mode
The main new feature in Gmail is confidential mode. It allows you to be very flexible in handling sensitive messages. Here you can disable the ability to forward, copy, download or print messages, and you can also set a message to expire until a specific time. There is also the possibility of completely denying access to the letter.
Google allows you to enable these settings by restricting access to the content itself. When you send a message in confidential mode, Gmail essentially creates a link to the content, and when the recipient clicks that link, the recipient sees the content as if it were a regular email if both are using Gmail. For other mail servers, the link will be redirected to a Google-owned site where it will be available until a specific date.
Google has also introduced two-factor authentication for specific emails, which will require the recipient to enter a code from the SMS before they can open the email.
Google hopes that new features such as confidential mode and two-factor authentication, based on their application to specific messages, will limit the ability of hackers to access sensitive information, especially in large organizations. Google Chief Product Officer Jacob Baker stated in an interview with TechRepublic:
“We see, especially in business scenarios, that a lot of leaks happen by accident or almost by accident. People don't realize that they shouldn't have forwarded the message, or they see the 'Do Not Forward' message and think it doesn't concern them, and clicking on Forward is so easy. '
Postponing letters
Along with redesigning the design, Google has come up with simple snooze options. The snooze option, along with the commonly used options for move to archive, delete and mark, will be available in the pop-up menu. Just hover over the email and you will see the options available.
Integration with Calendar, Tasks and Keep, Nudge option
Gmail now has a panel on the right that combines Google Calendar, Tasks, and Keep into a single email client. The panel allows you to copy and paste content from Gmail to other apps, or just quickly take notes or add tasks.
Gmail also got a Nudge option: Google will send emails it considers important to the top of your inbox. A machine learning algorithm will be used to intelligently search for emails that require a response. Baker notes:
“We don't use this option too often, but when it does, it can help people avoid really serious problems by skipping [the letter].”
Smart answers
Smart Answers first appeared in the app for Android last year and have finally been added to the web client. Everything works the same as Android, allowing you to use ready-made responses based on the content of the email.
New security options
Google will start sending alerts about phishing threats in emails, they will be displayed in colored banners at the top – red, yellow or gray, depending on the degree of threat. Gmail already had this option, but Baker says that displaying it at the top of the email will help better inform users about the risk:
'So, we made a significant effort to redesign our interface alerts. If you see this message at the top of the letter, you will not follow the link sent, since the warning is very noticeable and cannot be ignored, and it explains to the user in plain language what an attacker might be trying to do. '
Native offline mode
Google also offers an offline mode in Gmail, with the same interface as the online version. So you can continue to work in Gmail and offline, and all changes made are synchronized when you get online again.
High priority notifications
Most of the features described relate to how Gmail works on the web. However, Google also offers a high priority mobile notification setting that severely restricts push notifications. If you enable this option, Google will only send push notifications for emails deemed important or urgent. Baker says this cuts off '97% of all push notifications for Gmail users. '
When will all this be available?
Confidential mode will be available in the coming weeks, but if you can't wait to start using the new features right now, click on the gear in the upper right corner of your inbox and click 'Try the new version of Gmail' at the very top.
This option isn't available to everyone right away, but Google is promising to add it globally in several waves in the coming weeks and months.
What do you think about the new features of favorite mail, dear readers?