Best Gmail Features: 15 Gmail Tips and Tricks
It feels like yesterday that Gmail launched, giving us all a whopping 1GB of storage via a rudimentary blue and white interface. But today, Google’s email service has grown a lot. That’s right, Gmail is kind of over 15 years old. It was launched on April 1, 2004 and now has over 1.5 billion users.
If you’re one of those users, you might be wondering how to get the most out of your email client. Gmail is a robust platform with plenty of hidden features, so to get you up to speed, here are 15 of our favorites.
- Google Assistant tips and tricks
Best Gmail Features
Smart response
If only answering emails were as easy as reading them, especially when you’re on the go. At times like these, like when you’re trying to navigate the sidewalk or make sure you catch your train, it’s nearly impossible to dial a response. But Gmail makes it easy with the Smart Reply feature, which uses AI to suggest replies based on what you’re most likely to respond to.
Smart composition
As with the smart reply, there is also a smart dial feature. It helps you quickly compose an email by using AI to suggest the words you’re most likely to write next. The feature, which launched in 2018, is able to learn what your common phrases are to make it easier to write quick messages.
Nudge
If you receive a ton of emails throughout a workday, you might have noticed that it can get a bit hectic making sure you’ve responded to each one. Nudge helps you make sure you reply to everyone by resurfacing unanswered emails to the top of your inbox.
Gmail Search
The best feature of all is present from the very beginning. Google combined what it was best known for at the time – its search capabilities – with an email service. Gmail’s search bar lets you intuitively find a specific message or piece of information hidden away in that clutter of the inbox. You can even use words or symbols (or search operators) to filter your search results. There is also an advanced search, which allows you to search for emails based on the words they contain or the size of the files attached to them.
Archive your emails
Gmail offers users 15 GB of free space on all accounts. But if you use the archive feature often, you probably had to pay for more space. Gmail allows any user to archive their emails in order to tidy up their inbox without having to permanently delete the messages.
Cancel a sent mail
Whether it’s an important email with a glaring typo or an accidental reply to the “Reply all” question, there are times when you send an email you regret. immediately. But Gmail has had our backs since 2015, giving us the ability to delete a message up to 30 seconds after hitting send. Phew.
Switching from one Gmail account to another
If you’re someone who has work email and personal email, Google’s ability to effortlessly switch between multiple accounts has been a godsend. In the past, if you wanted to access a different email account, then you usually had to sign out and sign in to the other account. Gmail solved this problem in 2014 by adding the ability to stay signed in and switch between multiple Gmail accounts.
Add external accounts
Gmail is constantly improving, which is unfortunate if you’re still tied to an old Yahoo or AOL email service. We understand. It’s a hassle to change everything. But, thanks to a handy feature, that’s no longer a problem. In Gmail settings, you can connect your Yahoo or Hotmail address, for example, and start receiving and sending messages in the Gmail app.
Confidential mode
Confidential Mode allows you to add expiration dates to your emails to help ensure the privacy of the information you send through Gmail. Launched last year, Confidential Mode also helps prevent users from downloading their own version of the message, copying or printing it, and requires the recipient to use two-factor authentication to view it.
G-Suite apps and other add-ons
Gmail is integrated with Google’s G-Suite apps. For example, you can access Hangouts and manage your calendar right from the Gmail web app. You can also find and use third-party add-ons through the G-Suite Marketplace, such as Asana, Trello, Intuit, and Docusign.
Snooze emails
If you are someone who spends their time swiping email notifications to completely forget about them, this Snooze feature is super useful. Rolled out in 2018, it gives you the ability to resurface to that email, whether it’s later the same day, tomorrow, or even later.
Work offline
With Gmail’s offline feature, which can be enabled in settings, you can read, reply to, and search your messages even when you’re not connected to the internet. But you can only use Gmail offline in a Chrome browser window, not in Incognito mode.
Sending money
You can use Gmail to send money to any email address for free. You can also accept money someone has sent you or request money from someone. Google does not charge any fees for sending money. You can use your Google Pay balance, debit card, or bank account linked to Google Pay.
Sending large attachments
Gmail has set a 25MB limit for attachments in an email, but this limit can be easily bypassed using Google Drive. Just upload your file to Google Drive, then when you write your message, retrieve it using the Google Drive button. You can send files up to 10 GB in size.
Message programming
The ability to schedule messages is a feature we use endlessly. It’s perfect for when you want to send a quick note or response to your boss, but don’t want him to know you’re up until 4am on a Tuesday.