Google was all about AI at its annual I/O event last week. The tech giant wants its Gemini AI model everywhere and plans to put it in all of its devices.

It also plans on bringing its AI into more of its services. One of those services getting the AI upgrade is Gmail.

Over the course of the upcoming weeks, Gmail users will begin seeing AI summaries of their email, according to a blog post from Google. This summary will provide bullet points of what was in the email as well as any follow-up replies to make sure you're up to date.

This feature will only be available on emails in English. Those who don't care for AI summarizing their correspondence can opt out of the feature, but it will be enabled by default.

Google began instituting AI features into Gmail last year by having Gemini provide instant replies that no longer sounded generic.

Google's problems with AI

At the same time, Google is implementing new AI features, but some people have found the company's AI is far from perfect.

A post on Reddit went viral earlier in the week when a screenshot of an interaction with an AI summary on Google Search was unable to determine what the current year was.

In the screenshot, the individual did a Google search asking, "Is it 2025?" The AI summary they received apparently had issues with the question saying, "It is not 2025. The current year is 2024." Other people on X posted similar results.

Wired did multiple tests over this prompt and confirmed the issue. In one case, the AI summary reiterated that it was 2024, but said that in parts of New Zealand and Russia, it was 2025. It even went on to contradict itself, saying that it was 2025 after claiming it was 2024.

A Google spokesperson says it was working on the problem.

“As with all Search features, we rigorously make improvements and use examples like this to update our systems. The vast majority of AI Overviews provide helpful, factual information, and we're actively working on an update to address this type of issue,” Meghann Farnsworth, a Google spokesperson, told Wired.

As of the publication of this article, Googling "is it 2025" returns with an AI summary saying, "Yes, according to the provided information, the current year is 2025." It remains to be seen if this problem will happen again in 2026.

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Phishing attacks are not new, especially with Gmail. There are constant warnings from email companies about what to watch out for when receiving a weird email.

That still doesn't stop hackers. Some do keep with the painfully obvious phishing attacks using emails supposedly from Apple, Amazon, and Facebook, yet use random email handles to send the fake messages. Others, however, have gotten smarter and sneakier with their attacks, so now, it's close to impossible to tell if an email is fake or not.

Software developer Nick Johnson created a thread on X about a new kind of phishing attack. He received an email from an attacker that said Google had been served with a subpoena and that he needed to provide a copy of his Google account content.

An email like this would seemingly be easy to dismiss simply by looking at who sent it. In this case, the email did come from a valid, signed Google email account, no-reply@google.com. This email also passed a DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) check, which reaffirms it is legit, and in Gmail, this email sorted itself with other Google security alerts within the inbox.

Clicking on the link also led to a legit-looking Google sign-in page with the subtle difference that the URL was "sites.google.com" instead of "accounts.google.com." Johnson didn't proceed further as he believed that would have been where the hackers would have harvested his data.

So how did these hackers create an email that appears to be a completely valid email from Google and create a fake site that is still a Google website? Johnson came up with a theory.

The first task was to create a site using an old Google product.

"The fake portal is fairly straightforward. http://sites.google.com is a legacy product from before Google got serious about security; it allows users to host content on a http://google.com subdomain, and crucially it supports arbitrary scrips and embeds," Johnson tweeted.

After this fake page is made, they create a Google account using a fake domain that is registered. Johnson used the email of "me@domain."

They can create a Google OAuth application, which, for a knowledgeable developer, can be done in mere minutes. The application is given the name of the phishing message with all the spacing and wording found on a Google email, including a line for "Google Legal Support" in Johnson's case.

From here, they grant OAuth app access to the Google account they created, "me@domain," in the case of Johnson's example. This then causes a "Security Alert" message from Google to be generated, which has all the phishing wording in it. The attacker then forwards that email to the victim, and it passes a DKIM check, appears to come from a legitimate Google email, and has a link to the fake site.

Google is on it.

At the end of his thread, Johnson said he sent this issue to Google, and their response wasn't ideal.

"I've submitted a bug report to Google about this; unfortunately they closed it as 'Working as Intended' and explained that they don't consider it a security bug. Obviously I disagree - but until they change their mind, be on the lookout for deceptive security alerts from Google," Johnson wrote.

He later posted another message saying the company changed its stance.

"Outstanding news: Google has reconsidered and will be fixing the oauth bug," he tweeted.

Google confirmed it is working on a solution with Newsweek.

"We're aware of this class of targeted attack from the threat actor, Rockfoils, and have been rolling out protections for the past week. These protections will soon be fully deployed, which will shut down this avenue for abuse," the company told Newsweek. "In the meantime, we encourage users to adopt two-factor authentication and passkeys, which provide strong protection against these kinds of phishing campaigns."

I declared inbox bankruptcy a while back. With hundreds of new emails pouring in around the clock, inbox zero seemed like a pipe dream. I didn’t need another productivity tool; I needed an assistant to triage my inbox. So when at the 2024 I/O developer conference on Tuesday, Google demoed how Gmail’s new AI sidekick could soon sift, summarize, and analyze emails for me, I was intrigued. 

Google stepped into what it calls its “Gemini era” at this year’s I/O. In its lengthy two-hour-long Google I/O 2024 keynote, it showcased one after another how it plans to overhaul each of its key products, from Search to Android, with the capabilities of its new AI model front and center. But it was the series of Gmail upgrades that, if worked as intended, looked like they could end up truly delivering the most practical productivity boost for most people and exemplify Google’s theme for the next year: “making AI helpful for everyone.” 

I have a Workspace lab account that allows me to test out these new features early, so I immediately dove in to experience them for myself. Is it the AI Gmail assistant of my dreams, or is it too good to be true? 

Gmail’s Gemini era

At the heart of Gmail’s AI-powered upgrades is Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro model. It not only sees, hears, and reads closer to how humans do but also captures and recalls a far deeper context when needed. As a sidebar in your Gmail inbox, this will allow Gemini to quickly go through all of your correspondence, docs, spreadsheets, and other files and reference historical information to assemble a response. 

Even Gmail’s instant replies will no longer be generic; Onstage, Aparna Pappu, VP and GM of Google Workspace, demonstrated how while replying to a contractor, the Gmail app offered shortcuts to instantly draft an elaborate reply based on whether the sender wanted to decline and confirm the contractor’s proposed quotes as opposed to a simple “Sounds good” or “No, thanks.” Sometime in the future, you will also have the option to automate a workflow through a Gemini AI agent, such as automatically adding a receipt email to your expense spreadsheet. 

“I think about them as intelligent systems that show reasoning, planning, and memory,” said Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Gemini AI agents, “and are able to ‘think’ multiple steps ahead to get something done on your behalf.” 

It all sounded like just what I was looking to cut down the unread count on my Gmail inbox and after testing out the new Gemini sidebar in early access, it might just be. 

My experience living with an AI email butler

When I asked Gemini to build me a UK itinerary, for example, it extracted my travel dates from the scores of reservation confirmations in my inbox and personalized it to my accommodations. In a follow-up, I prompted it to fine-tune the itinerary so that it’s less hectic, and on the first day, it suggested joining a hostel activity since I was staying at a dormitory instead of a hotel. I also found it handy that Gemini could create a table out of it and import it into a Google spreadsheet as well as draft an out-of-office response based on the schedule. 

Setting it up takes no more than a few seconds either. Once you toggle on Gemini in Gmail, it works like any other chatbot — except in this case, in addition to the web’s far-reaching knowledge, it can search through your emails as well. It appears next to your list of emails in a sidebar and lets you prompt it with questions about your emails from the textbox on the bottom. 

However, the feature I used the most was Gemini’s Summarize button. As a journalist, I routinely receive lengthy reports, research papers, and press releases, and with Gemini, I could produce mini digests of them in a snap and then decide whether I wish to read them from scratch. I could also ask Gemini to summarize all the press releases in the last 24 hours, extract their highlights, and write up replies. In a summary of a particularly long email thread, I appreciated that Gemini could credit each piece of information to the person who sent it, and fetched data from months ago while I composed a response. 

However, it’s not perfect yet, Gemini can be hit or miss. Because it’s still in beta, it doesn’t connect to all Google apps, and I couldn’t, for instance, make it schedule an appointment like I can on some third-party Gmail apps like Shortwave, a Google Inbox-like tool made by a bunch of ex-Googlers. Similarly, throughout my testing, it occasionally failed to execute basic tasks like grabbing me a phone number from a person’s email signature. 

An AI Gmail assistant sounds amazing, but is it worth it?

One major concern is the potential repercussions of inviting an all-encompassing AI into arguably one of the most sensitive corners of our digital lives. In its current form, Google uses Gemini interactions to improve its machine learning technologies and warns in some cases, your data may even be “read, rated, annotated, and reviewed by human reviewers.” That may change once it rolls out generally next month but if it doesn’t, it will rule out the majority of its groundbreaking use cases like analyzing financial statements or confidential work documents. 

At the moment, Gmail’s Gemini-powered abilities are also limited to the desktop website, but it feels like many of its features would be far more useful on mobile, where you are typically in a rush and don’t have the time or screen real estate to thoroughly check and write emails. 

Given most people spend up to a quarter of their waking hours on emails, an AI email assistant could prove to be a game-changer as I discovered. But for me to adopt it in my day-to-day, I will have to trust it, and for Google, that would mean establishing a series of pillars to ensure its AI doesn’t make up or leak information. Until then, I will stick to ignoring the Gmail app’s unread count.  

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If you're trying to learn how to hide your Gmail address, chances are you might be overwhelmed with the amount of junk mail piling up in your inbox. Maybe you've signed up for a mailing list of your own free will to receive a great coupon or access to a site, or maybe you think a particular company is selling your email address to advertisers.

Whatever your reason for wanting to hide your Gmail address, there's a solution. You can't hide your Gmail address when sending an email, but you can create alias emails to completely mask your Gmail address to third parties or create variations of your email to quickly sort through your inbox—here's how.

Use a third-party service to hide your email address

One of the best ways to hide your Gmail address is by never giving out your actual email address in the first place. An email relay service can create multiple alias emails to give out, and then emails sent to those addresses are forwarded to your actual Gmail address.

A favorite among available email relay services is Firefox Relay. There's a free version that lets you create up to 5 email masks, or aliases, and removes email trackers. Or, for only $0.99/month, Firefox Relay provides an unlimited amount of email masks, blocks promotional emails, and lets you reply to emails anonymously.

If you're an Apple user who pays for iCloud Plus, you don't even need to download a third-party tool. With iCloud Plus, there's a built-in email relay service called Hide My Email. When you click the email box to sign up for a newsletter on your Apple device, you should see a Hide My Email option pop up. Selecting that option automatically generates an email mask and forwards mail from that mask to your Apple account email.

The beauty of email relay services is that if it ever becomes clear that a company has sold that alias to advertisers, you can simply delete the alias and create a new one. 

Add a word to your email address to filter spam

If you don't want to go through the process of setting up an email relay service, you can use email subaddressing instead. This process doesn't truly hide your Gmail address like an alias does, but it allows you to create multiple variations of your email address, making it easier to filter and delete unwanted emails.

Email subaddressing works by typing a "+" and a word or number after the plus sign, before the "@gmail.com" part of your email address. As an example, you could type "myemailaddress+coupons@gmail.com" to create a dedicated coupon subaddress. These emails will all be delivered to your Gmail like normal, but you can quickly filter them by searching for that specific email address.

To make it easier to send specific retailers or websites to spam if they're constantly sending you emails, you can create a subaddress that includes their business name rather than a generic "coupons" tag. For example, you could add "+target," "+slack," or "+microsoft" to your email address instead.

Google might not have a built-in way to create different email aliases, but there are quite a few cool Gmail features you don't know about that'll make your life easier.

Email marketing is huge for many businesses, which is why there's a mailing list for everything. Whether you signed up for a mailing list intentionally or randomly started getting emails from a business one day, it's necessary to go through your emails every now and then to tidy up your inbox.

And lucky for you, Google just made it even easier to unsubscribe from unwanted mailing lists. First spotted by Android Police, Google is bringing a new Unsubscribe button to the Gmail app on Android. This makes unsubscribing an easy, quick option rather than something you'd have to seek out in the previous version. Here's how to use the new feature once the update reaches your phone.

How to quickly unsubscribe from mailing lists in Gmail

Seeing your inbox grow by hundreds every day is overwhelming. By unsubscribing from mailing lists, you can cut off the emails before they reach your inbox.

1. Open your Gmail app and open an email from a business you don't want to get emails from anymore.

2. To the right of the email sender, click on Unsubscribe.

3. Confirm your decision by tapping Unsubscribe on the pop-up.

4. After unsubscribing, you'll see a gray box at the top of the email that says you've unsubscribed and gives the option of reporting an email as spam as well.

And that's it! It only takes three taps in total to unsubscribe from an unwanted mailing list now in Gmail. Some emails I clicked on that came from mailing lists didn't populate the Unsubscribe button next to the sender, so this new trick might not work for every mailing list just yet.

This is a new feature that's still rolling out, so it might take a little while to flesh out all the features, and it might not be available on every Android device right now. If you don't see the Unsubscribe button next to the email sender, you can always learn how to unsubscribe from emails the "old-fashioned way." It'll just take a few more taps.

Google is currently gearing up for another round of pruning of inactive Google and Gmail accounts this week. If you have an older account you'd like to keep a hold of and haven't used in a while, now is the time to log back in and flag to Google that the account is active and in use. If you don't, you could lose access to older emails as well as the contents of your Google Drive, and Google Photos.

Google's inactive account policy changed in May of 2023 to include accounts dormant for two years or more. However, this only applies to personal Google Accounts, with schools and businesses not affected by the coming purge. The reason for Google's pruning has to do with security as the brand believes accounts inactive for two years or more are much more likely to be compromised and pose a potential risk to others.

The purging of inactive accounts is due to start as early as Friday, with Google having announced a phased approach to the removal of these accounts starting in December.

Will my Google Account be deleted?

Google has stated that before any accounts are removed, it will send multiple notifications to users in advance (both to the account in question and any recovery email address that has been set up). So, if you haven't been checking your inbox regularly, now is the time to do so.

If you have a message from Google indicating that your inactive account has been flagged for deletion then now is the time to act.

How to keep your Google Account active

If you own a Google Account you don't make use of a lot but still want to keep a hold of it, make sure you log in to the account before Friday, Dec. 1, 2023. Doing this at least once every two years is typically enough to ensure that the system flags your account as active. However, Google also suggests performing some sort of activity on the account while logged in, in order to be certain. These activities can take just a minute or two to complete and include:

• Reading or sending an email
• Using Google Drive
• Watching a YouTube video
• Downloading an app from the Google Play Store
• Signing in to a third-party app using your Google Account
• Performing a quick Google Search

Outlook

Thankfully, while this reminder might be short notice, it only takes a few minutes to make sure your older accounts are safe from the coming security harvest. While seemingly unnecessary, the occasional pruning of older accounts raises the bar when it comes to security for all users and frees up resources for Google to maintain the integrity of its services for all active users — both free and paid!

Be sure to check your inboxes for any potential heads-up about your older accounts being flagged for deletion, and quickly perform an action or two to confirm Google is aware that you wish to keep your account alive and open.

Update Sept. 5 at 1:20 p.m. ET: The Lenovo Tab M9 sold out at Best Buy, however, Lenovo has it for the same price

Best Buy's Labor Day sale includes fantastic discounts on today's best tablets. If you're on the hunt for an iPad alternative that doesn't skimp on performance, this deal might pique your interest. 

Right now, you can get the Lenovo Tab M9 for just $99.99 at Best Buy. That's $40 cheaper than its usual price of $140 and the lowest price we've seen for this 9-inch tablet.. If you prefer a bigger display, Best Buy offers the Lenovo Yoga Tab 11 for $279 ($70 off). 

As far as tablet deals, these are two of the best you can get

Today's best Lenovo Tab deal

Lenovo is renowned for laptops, however, its best-selling tablets offer excellent value for the price. The Lenovo Tab M9 in this deal features a 9-inch (1340 x 800) 400-nit touch screen and dual speakers with Dolby Atmos sound. The tablet runs on a MediaTek Helio G80 8-core CPU coupled with 3GB of RAM and has 32GB of built-in storage (expandable via microSD). 

While the Lenovo Smart Tab M9 ships with Android 12, it's upgradable to Google's latest Android 13 software out of the box. You'll have access to helpful Google apps like Gmail, Drive, Maps, Photos, and Google Play. Powering the tablet is a massive 5,100mAh battery with 15W+ Type-C fast charging support.

Although we didn't test it, in our Lenovo Smart Tab M8 review, we liked its attractive design, colorful display, and excellent battery life. Just like the Smart Tab M8, the new Smart Tab M9 supports Google Assistant hands-free control. Say “Hey Google '' and dictate emails, play music, or get weather and traffic updates using just your voice.

At just under $100, the Lenovo Tab M9 is a budget-friendly choice if you don't want to spend a small fortune on a new tablet. Amazon didn't put an expiration date on this deal, so we recommend you snag it while you can.

For more deals on today's must-have tech, visit our Labor Day sales 2023 hub for the best end-of-summer discounts. 

Whether you use Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, or the iOS Mail app, it probably does a good job minimizing the amount of junk or spam emails that land in your inbox. When it comes to promotional emails that you chose to sign up for — and might now regret signing up for — that’s a different story. 

Some retailers make it difficult for you to unsubscribe by forcing you to navigate through multiple menus before officially unsubscribing. Even worse, they could make you try to remember your account login info. 

Luckily, if Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, or the iOS Mail app detect an unsubscribe option in an email, you can unsubscribe directly through your email app instead of through a retailer’s website. Here’s how to do it. 

How to unsubscribe from emails in Gmail

Gmail is the most popular email service, whether you're on Android or iOS. It’s easy and intuitive to use, integrates well with other Google services, and comes with a ton of helpful features, including the ability to quickly unsubscribe from emails in only a few steps. 

If you’re sorting through emails on the desktop, you’ll see an unsubscribe link to the right of the sender’s email address when you open an email. A pop-up message asks if you’re sure, and then you can press the blue Unsubscribe button. The process is similar in the mobile app, with only three steps after opening the Gmail app. 

1. Select an email from a retailer you’d like to unsubscribe from. 

2. Tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner. If Google detects the option to unsubscribe in that email, you can select the Unsubscribe option from the menu. 

3. Confirm that you’d like to unsubscribe from that email sender by tapping Unsubscribe in the pop-up box.  

How to unsubscribe from emails in iOS mail

Whether you're looking at Apple's email app on desktop or mobile, the steps to unsubscribe from retailers are just as simple. 

1. From the iOS Mail app, select an email from a retailer you'd like to unsubscribe from. 

2. If there's an unsubscribe link in the email, you'll see a message under the email's subject line that reads "This message is from a mailing list." Select the clickable Unsubscribe button next to this message. 

3. When the confirmation pop-up appears, select Unsubscribe again to confirm your decision. 

How to unsubscribe from emails in Microsoft Outlook

Unsubscribing from emails in Microsoft Outlook is almost identical to the process in Gmail. If your email is pulled up on the desktop, you’ll see a message at the top of certain emails below the subject line that reads “Getting too much email?” with a clickable Unsubscribe link beside it. With the mobile Microsoft Outlook app open, unsubscribing from retailers takes three steps.

1. Open an email from a company you’d like to unsubscribe from.  

2. If there’s an unsubscribe link in the email, you can tap the clickable Unsubscribe link below the email’s subject line.

3. When the pop-up message asks if you’re sure you want to unsubscribe, select Unsubscribe. 

It's easy to quickly blurt out your email when you're at the checkout counter and an employee prompts you to sign up for their rewards program. But when you give out your email to 20+ different retailers, those promotional emails start to pile up faster than you can delete them in your inbox. Unsubscribing via your preferred email app makes this filtering process simpler. For an even better email experience, check out how to stop invisible email tracking pixels. 

The internet has been thrust into a minor state of confusion as a new Gmail feature is being advertised to users both on the Gmail app and webpage. Advertised as Enhanced Safe Browsing, Google is claiming that it will "additional protection against dangerous emails." First of all, yes, this is a real Google feature. You're not being tricked.

It has existed since 2020, but specifically for safe browsing. It became available with Gmail a little after, and it's easy to activate. Google is taking the initiative and reminding people that this feature exists, so you might feel pressured to use it for the sake of protection, but it's important to know everything you can before biting the bullet.

Should you use Gmail's Enhanced Safe Browsing?

In order to turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing, you can simply click here to get to the page. For something that is meant to provide further protection against malicious parties while browsing the web and opening emails, it would seem like a must-use. 

But a key question might be swimming to the surface of your mind right now: If it were truly necessary, why would Google make it an opt-in feature? While on the page to turn the feature on, you can select "learn more" to read more into exactly what it's doing.

It allows Google to check for URLs, downloads, browser extensions, system information and samples of pages you visit. Alongside this, it can "associate information gained from Enhanced Safe Browsing with your Google account." If you're worried about sharing too much information with Google, using it is probably not a great idea.

There are already plenty of scares in the internet world about how much data we share with giant corporations, so it's easy to see something like this and worry. In this sense, Google advertising the feature to users can be worrying, but it's important to know what you're signing up for before doing so. Thankfully, even if you do opt-in to this feature, it can be deactivated at any time. You're not permanently set into this.

Google is currently rolling out a new feature to Gmail and it might just end all of the kerfuffle involved in scheduling events over email. The two new features allow Gmail users to quickly identify the perfect time to schedule meetings or events with one another (currently limited to 1:1 appointments only)

As the feature rolls out over the next few weeks, users will notice a new Calendar icon in their compose windows — here’s where you’ll find Gmail’s two new perks: “Offer times you’re free” and “Create an event.” 

New Gmail features: Create an event & Offer times you’re free 

Clicking the “Create an event button” is self explanatory — it will generate a Google Calendar event between yourself and all of the current email chain’s recipients. 

This will expand the calendar flow on the right-hand side of the screen and allow you to assign additional invitees, an event title, and a brief summary of what to expect before sending it off as an invite to others.

On the other hand, choosing the new “Offer times you’re free” option will similarly open up the calendar flow on the right, only this time allowing you to highlight free spots on your Google Calendar where you’ll be available for an event or meeting. You’ll even be able to highlight separate blocks of time across multiple days.

Once you’ve selected the times you’re free, you can fire off your email and let the recipient choose a time that works best for them, with you both receiving an event notification and calendar update afterward.

Outlook

This Gmail update won’t set the world on fire, but it does enable a super convenient way to arrange events and meetings without all of the haggling for time you might currently face.

It might be a small step in refining Google’s email service but it’ll be a noticeable one for many, and it’s nice to know Google still have minor tweaks like this in mind instead of throwing all of its eggs into the generative AI basket. 

Adding a signature to your emails can add a sense of professionalism to your outbound communiqué or just save you the hassle of having to write "Best wishes" or "Thanks for your time" at the end of every email.

Whatever your reasons, we've noticed that a fair amount of Gmail users are looking to add signatures to their emails but don't know how. Well, luckily, we do! And we're happy to show you how with our guide on how to add a signature in Gmail. 

Step 1: Open Settings in Gmail

First things first, open up Gmail and look towards the top right of the window. You'll want to click on the "Settings" button, represented by the icon of a cog.

In the panel that drops down, you'll then want to click on "See all settings."

Step 2: Add and configure your new signature

Now that you're in the settings menu, scroll down until you get to the section labelled "Signature" and click the "+ Create new" button.

You'll be asked to choose a name for your signature so you can easily identify it. I.e. If you want to use a particular signature for responding to business or work issues, then "Work" would be best suited.

After you've chosen a name, you'll then see the signature editor in full. Here, you can use a variety of rich-text formatting, hyperlinks, and images to customize your email footer as you see fit.

Also, make sure to pay attention to the options below the editor. Here, you'll be able to set when and where your new signature will appear.

Step 3: Save the changes

Once you're done writing and arranging your signature, you'll need to scroll down to the bottom of the settings window and click the "Save changes" button.

And there you have it! Your emails should now feature your new signature. Try sending yourself and email to see how it looks, and if anything needs altering or changing.

If so, simply follow the same steps to return to the settings screen and edit your signature from there. Just remember to click the "Save changes" button after each edit to make sure you don't lose any work.

Dear Reader,

I write to you today to let you know about some wonderful news regarding Google’s latest AI venture. Following its announcement at Google I/O 2023, Duet AI is expanding onto smartphone devices and bringing with it the much anticipated ‘Help Me Write’ feature to Gmail.

'Help Me Write': Google's Duet AI feature that does the work for you

The ‘Help Me Write’ feature, previously only accessible on desktop, is now available to select iOS and Android users who are signed up to the Google Workspace Labs program. The feature allows users to compose emails via a nature language prompt, similar in experience to other Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Bing Chat, and Google’s own Bard.

Eligible users will find the ‘Help To Write’ button hovering just above their on-screen keyboard the next time they hit compose in the Gmail app. Tap on it and you’ll be able to enter a brief prompt to help Duet AI generate an accurate outline of the email you had in mind.

For example, ask Duet AI to write up “a light-hearted, step-by-step guide on putting your shoes on in the morning,” and wham! There you have it — a friendly, jovial reminder to an often late-to-work employee that your patience is running out with their ‘me o’clock’ attitude. You could even write up their termination letter too if you want, go on, try that one next.

Generate, refine, and save yourself some time

You can also use Duet AI’s ‘Help Me Write’ feature in Gmail to refine your email with direct prompts to formalize, shorten, or elaborate your draft so far. Unique to the Gmail ‘Help Me Write’ feature is the inclusion of the wildcard ‘I’m Feeling Lucky’ option that allows Duet AI to further riff on everything you’ve already included.

The version of ‘Help Me Write’ for Gmail on iOS and Android does lack the ‘Custom’ refining option found in the desktop version of Google Docs, which is quite handy if you want to pepper things up here and there in a more specific manner. 

While you can now access ‘Help Me Write’ from mobile devices through the Gmail app, we’re still yet to see Google roll out the same much-requested feature for the mobile version of Google Docs. However, it’s likely we’ll see ‘Help Me Write’ for Google Docs on mobile arrive sometime soon with other Duet AI tools for Google Sheets and Slides arriving further down the line.

Outlook

Google wasn’t playing around when it made a case for AI assistance across a range of its services at this year’s Google I/O event. While many of these new AI features are still only available to those signed up for the Google Workspace Labs project, updates and expansions are coming thick and fast out of Google’s HQ.

Just recently we've seen Google Bard get a brainy boost, the Google Search Generative AI Experience launch, and now Duet AI cross over to mobile with its 'Help Me Write' feature. While there are plenty out there who are cautious about hopping on the AI bandwagon, seemingly, none of those people work at Google.

However, letting Google's AI spruce up our emails is unlikely to be the cause of the forthcoming robocalypse — and as long as it finds some inventive ways to make excuses for my late replies, I might just be willing to give it a try.

Love and kisses,
Rael @ Laptop Mag

Beware! If you've got any Gmail accounts that you've been neglecting, Google will eliminate them, especially if it's been inactive for a specific period of time. Not only will you lose your inbox, but other contents from Google services will be scrapped, too.

Google says that it has updated its policy regarding inactive accounts to protect its users from account hijacking, spam, phishing scams, and other security threats.

Google's new inactive accounts policy

How long can you leave your Gmail account inactive before Google terminates it? According to a new blog post from Google, it will get purged after two years. And yes, you will lose everything, your emails, YouTube contents, Google Photos — even Google Docs, Drive, Meet and Calendar.

As mentioned, Google is eliminating inactive accounts for security reasons. The search-engine giant claims that an internal analysis concluded that abandoned accounts are 10 times less likely to have two-step verification set up. In other words, these accounts are more susceptible to cybercriminal activity (e.g., identity theft).

Google said that it will kick off its purging of inactive accounts in December 2023. "We will take a phased approach, starting with accounts that were created and never used again," Google said in a blog post,

The search engine giant says that it will send targeted users multiple notifications regarding an impending account closure months before closure. These warning will be sent to both the account email address, and if provided, the recovery email, too.

How to keep your Gmail account active

Wondering how to keep your Gmail accounts out of Google's crosshairs? If you do at least one of these activities below once every two years, you'll steer clear of the upcoming purge

• Using Google Search
• Using Sign In with Google to sign into a third-party service or app
• Downloading an app on the Google Play Store
• Watching a YouTube video
• Using Google Drive
• Reading an email
• Sending an email

Google says that Google accounts with an existing subscription are safe, so those accounts won't be impacted (even if there is no activity outside of that subscription).

Gmail's latest feature is one we've all been waiting for: official email address domains will possess a blue checkmark (much like Twitter) to confirm their authenticity. While this isn't going to stop every scam from doing damage to helpless users, it could be a great blow against suspicious emails.

Google's initiative for a safer emailing space started in 2021 with the Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI), which asked businesses to upload a profile picture depicting their brand logo. Now, those brands that underwent that extensive authentication process will begin to see a blue checkmark next to their name.

Gmail users won't have to take action to activate this feature, but admins of businesses can go to Google's Help Center to figure out how to begin the BIMI process. This process involves adopting DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication) and being issued a Certification Authority, with the two examples listed being Entrust or DigiCert.

Will Gmail's blue checkmarks be all that safe?

While the inclusion of this feature is undeniably positive, Google doesn't have the best reputation with cybersecurity. It's only been a couple of months since a fake version of Chat GPT made its way on the Google extension store and stole data from up to 9,000 downloaders. Just because Google is now verifying certain emails, are we certain that those with verification can't still be scammers?

Regardless of whether or not an email domain has a blue checkmark, we recommend exercising caution anyway. If Google can approve an extension on its official store that ends up stealing consumer's data, the company could potentially also verify an email address with suspicious intentions.

"How to access archived emails in Gmail" is blowing up in Google Search! And quite frankly, we understand why. When you're on your phone, it's easy to swipe the wrong way, and suddenly, you've archived an email you weren't supposed to — let's talk about how to access archived emails in Gmail.

It's rather simple, so we won't keep you too long, but if you're looking for other Gmail tutorials, like how to delete Gmail emails or how to create unlimited email addresses in one Gmail account.

If you need to clear out space in your email, archiving is your best bet, but if you need those emails again, here's how to access archived emails in Gmail.

How to access archived emails in Gmail

It really is that simple. If you have anymore Gmail queries, run around Laptop Mag for a while and you're bound to find what you're looking for eventually.

"How do I change the default Google account?" is a question that's growing in popularity as more Chrome users become irked over their Google services launching with an unwanted account.

With the wrong default account, every time you hop into YouTube, Calendar, and other Google apps, you'll be automatically signed into the email you don't want to use. 

Unfortunately, choosing a default Google account isn't as easy as clicking on your desired Google name and clicking a "Make default" button. (I wish this was the case!) The process is a little bit more involved and requires you to sign out of all of your accounts. Don't worry, we'll take you through it step-by-step.

How to change default Google account

With companies keen to sell (or share) your personal data with third parties, here’s how to create unlimited email addresses within one Gmail account to spot when they do this.

And no, I do not mean setting up many separate Gmail accounts. That is a super time-consuming process, and not very user friendly — scrolling through a massive list of Gmail accounts to switch between.

Instead, thanks to a super quick and easy trick, you can create an unlimited amount of unique email addresses that go back to a single Gmail account. With this, you can track and trace the companies who quietly sell off your contact details.

P.S. This trick works with @gmail.com personal accounts, as well as G Suite business email addresses.

How to create infinite email addresses in one Gmail account

Since Gmail launched 18 years ago, many of us have collected a seemingly endless amount of emails from family, friends, and business associates. Many of those thousands of emails brought along baby photos, wedding photos, resumes, articles, scripts, PDFs, JPGs, and funny gifs. Let's not even mention all the spam we get. How many times have you been told your unknown Nigerian Prince uncle died and left you a trillion dollars?

Google offers 15GB to store all of these precious emails, but 15GB won't last forever and unless you're willing to shell out extra money, the best thing to do is to take the time to delete emails and files you really have no use for and to also make sure that all that laborious spam is gone, too. Doing so will help you keep track of actual important emails and free up all the space you need for the data worth keeping. 

How much Google One storage are you using?

First, ensure you're logged into your Google account on your computer while using your favorite browser. Although you may be able to delete emails using your iPhone or Android phone app, Google's best tools are available from a desktop browser. 

Before you proceed, you should check how much storage you have remaining in Google One. If you have Gmail, you have a Google One account, whether you know it or not. So step one is to open your Google One account (Opens in a new tab) and click on the box marked "Storage." This will show you how much space you are using in total across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos.

You can also do this by signing into your Google account, clicking on your account icon in the top right corner, selecting "Manage your Google Account," and scrolling down to find "Account storage." You can also go to your Google Drive (Opens in a new tab) to see a breakdown. 

Alright, now that we know how much digital hoarding is going on we can go about addressing it.

How to delete all emails in Gmail

If you've had your Gmail account for years then you may be shocked to find out how much storage space it is using, fortunately, it is one of the easiest to clean up. Now we aren't advocating for declaring full email bankruptcy and deleting literally all of your emails (although that doesn't sound liberating), but you can delete entire categories of email that you don't want or need. As you can see by the photo above, I'm already paying Google for extra space because I have never made time to clean my email before today. So unless you want an inbox filled with "Dad, send more money!", I suggest you follow along.

1. A good place to start is by scrolling down the page and clicking on "Get Your Space Back."

2. Once there, select "Free up account storage."

3. Here, you can see exactly how much storage your deleted emails and spam are taking up, then review and delete them.

4. Just click on each option and you're taken to a web page that will show you all the emails in the files you've chosen.

5. Scan through them to make sure none are important. On the upper left side, choose all items, and then on the upper right side, select "Delete all" and you're done with that. 

As a side note, you could regularly make sure to empty all your deleted emails via the "Trash" icon on the left of your Gmail user screen. Just select "Trash", then select "Empty Trash Now" and within seconds they're all gone. It's fast and easy.

Google makes deleting your emails rather easy and breaks things down into tabs to make the decision-making process even quicker. I save my "Primary Tab" for last because that's where most of my important and personal emails end up. So the obvious choices to start with first are Social and Promotional. 

In your Gmail account, select the "Promotions Tab" and do a quick check to make sure you don't really want these emails. Then, just above the "Primary Tab", select the square "bulk" selection box and watch as all the emails are magically selected. Then simply hit delete at the top, and once again, you've just cleared up some space. 

You can also do this for the "Social Tab," which will free up a lot of space. 

Once you have completed deleting these emails you should select the "Trash" icon on the left once more and bulk delete everything. Then you can check your storage once again and see how much room you've created. 

Quick filtering tips to help you keep things spotless

In your Gmail's search box, you can use certain keywords as search filters to help you locate old emails, and other odds and ends you may not realize are still laying around eating up space.

If you type "before:05/11/2009", you will see all emails sent before that date. You can swap the day and for these simply by changing them to the time period you wish to locate. 

If you type "older_than:2m" within the search box, all the emails that are older than two months will be displayed. You can also use the term "newer_than" for emails newer than two months. You can also switch the number if you want to search further back. 

This next shortcut is a favorite of mine. Type "has:attachment" into your Gmail search bar, and all emails that have attachments will be displayed. This comes in handy when looking for old documents or photos you may wish to find. 

Another favorite of mine is "filename:pdf." This helps you quickly locate all those PDFs you've been sent. Lastly, another helpful one is "from:Bob" which will locate all emails sent to you by Bob (or any other name you put in).

Between deleting and using these magical search terms, you now have all you need to keep your Gmail squeaky clean and tidy.

"How to delete Gmail emails" is a popular phrase that's blowing up on Google Search at the moment. Many Gmail users likely feel like they're drowning in a sea of junk mail, but have no idea how to rid themselves of their overfilled inbox.

If you feel the same way, worry not. We've not an easy, step-by-step guide on how to delete all the Gmail emails you don't need.

How to delete Gmail emails

The steps to deleting your Gmail emails en masse are so easy, you may kick yourself for not discovering how to do it sooner.

1. Fire up Gmail and click on the tab you'd like to empty, whether it's Primary, Promotions, or Social.

2. Find the tiny square icon under the search field and click on it. This will select the last 50 emails in the tab.

3. If you're OK with only deleting the last 50 emails, click on the trash can icon to delete them.

4. If you want the entire tab to be emptied out, look for a message that says, "Select all messages in [insert tab name]." Click on it.

5. Once you've done that, confirm that it says, "All messages in [insert tab name] are selected" at the top. Click on the trash can icon and, voila, you've deleted all of your emails. You can do the same for the other tabs.

6. If you prefer to delete the emails individually, click on the empty box next to the email and click on the trash icon.

Your emails are spying on you. Out of the gazillion emails that hit our inboxes every day, most of them have hidden trackers capable of informing the recipient when you open them, where you open them, how many times you’ve read them, and much more — a privacy nightmare many call “endemic.” Fortunately, there are ways you can protect yourself and your inbox. 

Advertisers and marketing companies, especially, equip their promotional emails with tracking pixels to keep tabs on their mass campaigns. Based on how people interact with them, senders can learn which subject lines are the most “clickable,” and which of their targets can be potential customers.

Though this is useful from an analytics perspective, it’s also often done covertly and without consent. Not a fan of this invasion of privacy? There’s an easy way to turn off email tracking. , For a better look at what these intrusive little pixels are and how to put an end to them, read on.

What are email tracking pixels?

The email tracking pixel is a surprisingly simple concept that allows anyone to secretly gather loads of information on you as soon as you interact with their messages. 

When someone wants to track whether you’ve read their email, they embed a tiny 1 pixel by 1 pixel image inside it. Once you open the email, it pings the server where the image is stored and logs the interaction. Not only does the sender trace whether you have clicked their email and how many times it's been clicked on, it can also tell your location by checking where that network ping was launched and which sort of device was used.

There are two reasons why you  never actually see that tracking graphic. One, it’s minuscule. Two, it’s in the GIF or PNG format, which allows the company to keep it transparent and invisible to the naked eye. Oftentimes, a sender will also hide this in their signature. Therefore, that fancy font or the flashing company logo you find at the bottom of a commercial email might be more than a harmless, cosmetic presence. 

More importantly, studies have found that it’s possible for advertisers and other malicious actors to link your email activities with your browser cookies by matching your location and device specifications. This opens an alarming can of worms since it enables them to identify you wherever you go online, connect your email address to your browser history, and much more. 

“The results belie the claim of 'anonymous' web tracking," one study warned.

Find out which emails are spying on you

If email tracking pixels are invisible, how do you spot them? Most email clients like Gmail and Outlook don’t have a built-in mechanism for this, but you can turn to third-party tools. 

For Gmail, we suggest a Chrome and Firefox extension called Ugly Email. It adds a little “eyeball” icon next to the emails that are loaded with tracking pixels and then blocks them from spying on you. Alternatively, if you’re a Yahoo or Outlook user, you can try Trocker, which similarly marks emails with trackers on their websites. 

These extensions, though, are limited to your computers. To detect email trackers on your phone, you’ll need to subscribe to a premium email client like HEY.  

How to block email tracking pixels

Tune your existing inbox

Since email trackers rely on hidden media attachments, they’re fairly straightforward to block. The easiest method is to simply prevent your email apps from loading any images by default and only do it manually for the emails you trust or when there’s an attachment you’d like to download. 

On Gmail, the option to block external images is available under Settings > Images > Ask Before Displaying External Images on the web and mobile apps. On Outlook apps, it’s found under Options > Block External Images on mobile and Options > Trust Center > Automatic Download on desktop.

Though Apple Mail also lets you accomplish this from Preferences > Viewing > Load remote content in messages, you can directly block trackers on it as long as you’re on macOS Monterey. Head over to Mail > Preferences > Privacy and check the “Protect Mail Activity” box. 

Get a private relay email address

The problem with the methods we’ve discussed so far is that they block the tracking pixels after the email has already landed in your inbox — they don’t strip the email of them. For ensuring you never accidentally open an email with trackers, you’ll need a proxy address that pats down your messages and removes any contraband before they arrive in your inbox. Another benefit of this is that it allows you to keep your personal email address private and only hand out a relay ID to websites, newsletters, and others. 

There are plenty of free services that offer a proxy email address. We recommend DuckDuckGo’s Email Protection. It lets you create a new custom relay address, which, before forwarding your mail to your personal inbox, secures them by booting the trackers and encrypting any unsecured links in the body. 

At the top of forwarded emails, DuckDuckGo also adds a little section that tells you whether it found any trackers in it and if it did, which companies were responsible for it. 

On an Android phone or iPhone, go to Settings > Email Protection on the DuckDuckGo app to sign up. On a desktop, you can get started with the DuckDuckGo browser extension or its browser for Mac. 

Gmail boasts more than 1.8 billion global users, many of whom are not the most tech savvy of individuals. The lack of technical prowess has led to a booming industry for spammers. While it’s not possible to completely eradicate spam, blocking domains where you’re continually sent these types of messages goes a long way to keeping spam out of your inbox.

According to research, billions of dollars are stolen annually by criminals using fake emails that fool unsuspecting people. In addition to your hard-earned money, scammers can also steal your identity. What’s worse, it can even lead to downloading malware, spyware, and ransomware. One of the easiest ways to protect yourself from these scammers is by identifying their email domains and immediately blocking them.

Besides scam emails, there is an equally irritating type of email that many people will happily block if they know how to, and those are marketing emails. If you have accidentally subscribed to a website’s marketing emails, you know just how hard it is to unsubscribe from them. The easier approach would be to block their domain completely.

How to block a domain in Gmail

1. To block emails from a certain domain with your Gmail, click the Show search options icon on Gmail’s search bar.

2. Next, type your unwanted domain in the From field of the search options menu. Your search value should be in the format of @xxxxx.com. For example, @scamemails.com.

3. After typing your unwanted domain, click the Create filter button at the bottom of the search options menu. This step will open another menu that lists actions that Gmail can automatically apply to emails matching your filter value.

4. Select Delete it from the menu above, and click Create filter.

Gmail has been dominating the market since Google launched it in 2004. Yahoo Mail and Microsoft's Outlook had a major grip on market share before Gmail’s arrival, but both combined can't match Gmail's at least 1.5 billion active users. Yahoo Mail presently sits at around 230 million, while Outlook boasts roughly 400 million.

Gmail’s success is often attributed to the simple, easy-to-use interface it provides its users. It also has hundreds of features that make email easier than ever before. Some of our favorite features include automatic replies, filtering, and categorization of emails, Gmail Chat, and more. 

That said, Gmail offers more features than most people are aware of. Taking advantage of these hidden features will improve your Gmail experience and increase your productivity. These features include setting your default view, showing previews of emails, email scheduling, and more. Continue reading below to learn more about them.

Hidden Gmail features you need to learn 

Gmail is incredibly useful whether you use it for your personal or work needs. Learning as many of its features will make your life way easier. Here are the top hidden features that users need to know. 

Change How Emails Are Shown

Most Yahoo Mail users who transition to Gmail often have one common complaint. Gmail shows fewer emails per scroll than Yahoo Mail does. The obvious reason is that Gmail’s default view uses more padding than Yahoo Mail. It also displays the attachment of each email on a second line.

Unbeknownst to many users, you can easily change this view with Gmail’s Settings. Under the Density menu, Gmail offers three options: Default, Comfortable, and Compact. Default is the normal view you have the first time you use Gmail. With Comfortable, Gmail hides the attachments of each email, thus reducing the space used per line. Lastly, Gmail takes this further with Compact by removing the extra padding from each email line, making your email list as compact as possible. 

Activate the Reading Pane

Do you wish you could read your emails without having to click each one of them and navigate back to your inbox every time? Well, with Gmail’s Reading Pane feature, you can do just that. 

By turning on Reading Pane, your inbox is split into two. One side will show your inbox list while the other will show the content of the email you clicked. You can also choose where the Reading Pane will appear. It can either be right of inbox or below inbox. 

Schedule emails any time

By default, all emails are sent the moment you click Send. However, Gmail also allows you to schedule your emails to be sent later. With email scheduling, you can set a date or time that Gmail will send your email in the future. However, a limit of this feature is that you can only schedule emails one at a time.

A great example where this feature is extremely helpful is when working outside your shift. You can avoid your boss knowing that you sometimes work beyond working hours. If you want to avoid disturbing your clients outside business hours, scheduling your emails for the next business day is also great. 

Snooze less important emails

Are you receiving emails that are not important enough to deal with immediately but important enough that you cannot outright delete them? Then, consider snoozing these emails instead. With Gmail, you can snooze an email to hide it from your inbox temporarily. 

Gmail lets you select when snoozed emails will reappear. You can choose from preset future dates and times or set your own specific date and time. Once your selected period arrives, the email will be available for you to read again. 

Undo your angry emails to your boss

Email always felt permanent. Once you sent it, it used to be impossible to undo. Back then, once you sent your angry email to your boss, you were sure that he would be reading it the next time he opened his inbox. Thankfully, this is no longer the case with Gmail’s Undo Send feature.

Gmail lets you undo a sent email for a short period. Once you send an email, an undo button will appear on the bottom-left section of the page for a short time. Even better, Gmail allows you to select how long you can undo emails. Your options are 5, 10, 20, and 30 seconds. To access this setting, go to Settings > General > Undo Send. 

Organize your inbox with subfolders and labels

One of the key features of Gmail is its well-organized interface. You can take this further by using labels and creating subfolders for your emails. 

You can also create filters that will help Gmail automatically move emails to a subfolder or set labels for them. This way, you will never lose an important email. 

A Gmail account has pretty much everything you need from an email account. Besides sending and receiving the typical email, it also allows you to set up accounts on millions of other websites easily. 

Gmail is by far the most popular email service around. As of 2022, at least 1.8 billion individuals are using Gmail across the globe. It was introduced way back in 2004 and has steadily grown into the mammoth it is now. A big chunk of the world relies on it for email use, but that doesn’t mean a Gmail account is forever. However popular, there are plenty of reasons to delete your Gmail account. 

You may want to improve your privacy by disconnecting from Google, or perhaps you simply no longer need it. Some may want to do away with Gmail to focus on other email accounts. Whatever your reason, the Gmail deletion process is quick and painless.

Deleting Your Gmail Account

1. First, open your Google account by navigating to accounts.google.com. 

2. On the left-side navigation bar, select Data & privacy. This will take you to your account’s privacy section. 

3. Scroll down to Data from apps and services you use. Click Delete a Google service under Download or delete your data. 

4. You will be redirected to a page to enter your password. 

5. Look for Gmail and click the trash can icon beside it. 

6. A pop-up window will appear where you have to enter an existing email address. You will use this to open other Google services besides Gmail. This email cannot be a current Gmail address. 

7. After you enter your alternate email address, click Send verification email. You will receive an email that lets you confirm your new address. 

8. Open the email mentioned above and click the link inside it. 

9. Select Yes, I want to delete my Gmail account from the prompt shown. 

10. Lastly, click Delete Gmail and confirm your action by clicking Done. 

Gmail allows you to save as many as 25,000 contacts in your directory, but if you have been using Gmail for your business’s email list, then you are bound to hit the limit sooner or later. Besides deleting contacts, you may also want to correct or update them. 

Deleting and editing your contacts are everyday actions that may seem straightforward, but you can never be too careful when handling your email directory. Otherwise, you may lose vital contacts forever.

Before deleting or updating your contacts, it would be wise to back them up. You can do this with the Export feature of Google Contacts. For now, we’ll save that topic for another article. Here are the steps for editing and deleting contacts in Gmail.

How to edit Gmail contacts

1. Navigate to your Google Contacts, then look for the one you need to update.

2. Hover your cursor over the contact and click the Edit contact icon. This will redirect you to your contact’s record page.

3. Update the information, making sure to double-check its accuracy.

4. Click the Save button to save the changes you made.

How to delete Gmail contacts

1. Hover your cursor over the contact you want to remove.

2. Click the More actions icon beside your contact. This will show you a menu specific to that contact.

3. From the menu above, select Delete. Confirm that you want to delete the contact.

Google is rolling out a new Gmail experience that makes it easier for users to switch between other apps including Google Meet and Chat in the same window or tab, and it comes with Android 12's Material You and a noticeable second sidebar.

Introduced back in February, Gmail's new integrated view started rolling out to users on June 28, and is expected to come to everyone over the next couple of weeks. Once available, users will automatically see the new Gmail interface, but will have the ability to opt out and revert back to the old Gmail view we're used to. However, there's more than one way to set it to the way you want. 

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The big changes include a new navigation sidebar that lets you switch between other Google apps, including Gmail, Google Chat, Google Spaces, and Google Meet. Instead of going to the apps menu and opening a new app in another tab or window, you can now switch between apps in the same window. It's handy if you're not happy with a cluster of open tabs.

Google notes that apps available on the sidebar will vary depending on your Google Workspace edition, meaning if you only have Gmail, then you'll have a Gmail-only navigation menu (similar to how the usual Gmail looks).

Apparently, the new navigation interface also features Material You, the color-themed feature that was introduced with Android 12. So far, it only seems to turn Gmail's color scheme grey or blue, but this can be customized by heading into settings (the gear icon on the top left), clicking "View all," and picking a theme.

Not a fan of the new layout? You can easily revert back to the classic Gmail layout. 

How to revert back to the classic Gmail 

• In Gmail, click on Settings (the gear icon) on the top left. 
• under "See all settings," there will be a block that says "Go back to the original Gmail view." Click on it and you'll have classic Gmail back. 
• You can also click on "See all settings" to revert back. Click on "See all settings."
• Under the "General" tab, navigate to "Main menu" and click on "Original view." 

For those who want to stick with the new Gmail but find the second sidebar annoying, there's a way to get rid of it, too. 

How to customize the sidebar 

• In Gmail, click on Settings (the gear icon) on the top left.
• Click on "See all settings."
• Navigate to the "Chat and Meet" tab.
• Switch "Chat" to "Off" and "Meet" to "Hide the Meet section in the main menu."
• Once done, the sidebar will only feature the Gmail menu bar. 

Whether Google will keep the original Gmail view or completely overhaul Gmail to the new design? Only time will tell. However, if you prefer to have your apps in different windows or tabs, there's a way to keep Gmail the way users are used to. As for other handy Gmail tips, check out how to delete spam mail in Gmail once and for all. 

Filters are the unsung hero of Gmail. They’re underused and valuable beyond measure.

Today, we’re going to learn how to set the up. In this example, I’m going to filter all mail from my favorite publication -- The New Yorker -- by giving it a special label. From there, we’ll get it to skip the inbox and wait patiently until I’m ready to read it.

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1. Open Gmail and login if necessary.

2. Click the gear icon and select Settings.

3. Click Filters and Blocked Addresses from the top.

4. Click Create a new filter.

5. Select how you’d like the mail to be filtered. In this example, I’m going to keep it simple and just add The New Yorker to the section marked Has the words.

6. Click Create filter with this search.

7. Check Skip the Inbox and Apply the label.

8. Select an existing label or create a new one.
I’m going to create one called Subscriptions and then press the Create button.

9. Press Create filter. Optionally, you can apply this to your archived mail by checking the box next to the Create filter button.

This isn't our only guide for organizing your inbox, we've got a guide to how to delete old gmail emails — which can come in handy when trying to save space.

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Cybersecurity researchers recently discovered an info-stealing malware deployed through a malicious email campaign, and all it takes is for tricked victims to open and extract the contents of a sneaky attachment.

Spotted by cybersecurity company Trustwave (via BGR), the threat actors send spam emails to potential victims and attach an ISO file disguised as a "request.doc." Once executed,  the malware is capable of  "harvesting system information and data from a wide range of browsers and other applications." 

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As senior security researcher Diana Lopera states, an ISO file format is often used by cybercriminals to use as a malware container. In this instance, the email attachment features two files, including a Microsoft Compiled HTML Help (CHM) file “pss10r.chm” and an executable “app.exe.”

Once the attachment is open and the files are extracted, the malware compromises the system. With CHM, a Microsoft Compiled HTML Help format often used for software documentation, the file can silently run the app.exe. Once it's finished, it can delete the files it created to erase any evidence.

"MailMarshal supports the unpacking of ISO and CHM files," Lopera explains. "One of the objects unpacked from the CHM is the HTML file “PSSXMicrosoftSupportServices_HP05221271.htm”- the primary object that gets loaded once the CHM “pss10r.chm” is opened. This HTML has a button object which automatically triggers the silent re-execution of the CHM “pss10r.chm” with mshta."

For a deeper dive into how the malware works, check out Trustwave's report. Trustwave didn't note any victims of the email campaign, but hackers are still capable of sending spam emails with the cyber threat attached to any email account, including Gmail.

As always, be wary of suspicious emails with unknown attachments, and stay clear of opening them if you're not familiar with the sender. Last year, we reported that your Gmail is worth more than a bank account on the dark web, seeing as email accounts are generally a hub of private information. To keep safe online, consider getting one of the best antivirus apps for your devices. 

Google announced it will force users to use two-factor authentication to sign in earlier this year, and the tech giant is honoring its word by auto-enrolling people to use its 2-Step Verification (2SV) process.

Google's goal is to automatically enroll 150 million user accounts to start using its two-factor authentication security process by the end of 2021, which requires people to sign in using a password and confirm their identity on another device via a "Google Prompt" — commonly done on a smartphone. 

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Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a digital authentication method used to confirm the identity of a user to allow them access to a website or app through at least two pieces of evidence. Two-factor authentication (2FA), which Google calls 2VS, is the most commonly used method.

As spotted by Android Police, a user on Reddit has been notified that Google is making its verification process mandatory. The company states it will notify users via email around seven days before enforcing 2SV on their personal accounts. However, companies with Google Workspace accounts will still have the choice to use the security process or not. 

Despite Google making it mandatory, 2FA is an extra layer of security that is worth setting up. Google's aim is to "reduce the reliance on passwords in the long-term," but recognizes some 2SV options aren’t suitable for everyone. The company claims it is working on "technologies that provide a convenient, secure authentication experience."

As the Reddit post points out, using a phone number or an SMS method can be tricky for those who constantly use different SIM cards. The easiest method is to use the Google app on a smartphone, but that isn't the only reason to opt out of using your personal phone number. As you'll find in our PSA about two-factor authentication, malicious hackers can easily use 2FA against users that use their phone numbers.

More accounts will be enrolled to start using Google's 2-Step Verification process over the next few months, so keep an eye out for an email. For the best way to use two-factor authentication, check out our guide on how to do 2FA right. 

Are you wondering how to create a new Gmail account? Whether you need a second (or a seventh) email address or are looking to create your very first email account, Gmail is a fantastic option. 

Google makes the setup quick and easy and Gmail offers some of the most robust email tools and spam filtering on the market, along with 15GB of free storage space, which should be plenty for space for most users. 

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Regardless of the reason for needing a new Gmail account, I'll walk you through the process and we can have it set up in about a minute. 

Here's how to create a new Gmail account:

• Navigate to the Google Account sign-up page.
• Fill in your name, a unique username/email, and a password comprised of at least 8 characters including letters, numbers and symbols.
• Click Next.

• Enter your date of birth and select a response for the gender inquiry.
• You may enter a phone number and/or email address as account recovery options, but this is optional. We don't recommend using your phone number as a 2FA or recovery option, but the recovery email can be helpful. When enabled, you'll receive an email whenever a new device logs into your Gmail account.
• Click Next.

• Read the Privacy and Terms.
• Most people won't read everything, but you should click on More Options and decide whether you would like to opt-out of some of Google's activity tracking. This will impact the personalization of ads and content, but if privacy is more important to you, then choose to not have Google save or use this data.
• Click Agree.

That's it! You are the proud owner of a new Gmail account and Google will automatically take you to your inbox and provide instructions on how to use the account. There's no limit to the number of Gmail accounts that you can have, so if you need another one in the future, just follow these instructions again. Happy emailing!

Many of us have felt the sudden shock of regret strike the pit of our stomachs after clicking send on an unfinished email. Whether you need to correct a typo or didn't mean to CC everyone in the company, Google's handy Undo Send feature in Gmail will let you recall your sent email.

Gmail's Undo Send function is automatically turned on for all users but is set by default to a five-second cancellation period. This gives users a short window to quickly recall the email before it's sent off permanently. Fortunately, you can extend this time by managing the Undo Send feature's settings. Follow our step-by-step guide on how to recall an email and manage the Undo Send feature in Gmail. 

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How to recall an email in Gmail 

You'll only get a set amount of time to recall a sent email, and it can be easy to miss the "Undo" notification before it disappears completely. 

1. Open Gmail and click the "Compose an email" icon to write your email.

2. Click "Send" once you've prepared your email. 

3. Press "Undo" next to the "Message sent" notification. This should pop-up in the bottom-right corner of your screen, just above the Chat tab. 

4. "Sending undone" will appear. The email tab will pop-up so you can continue working on the email like it was never sent. 

How to manage Undo Send settings in Gmail 

If the default five seconds is too short for you to quickly get your email back, you can extend the cancellation period up to 30 seconds. 

1. Click the cog wheel icon to open the Settings menu.

2. Select "See all settings."

3. Once in Settings, navigate to "Undo Send" under the General tab. Click on the drop-down menu to adjust the number of seconds the cancellation period lasts.  Options include 5, 10, 20, or 30 seconds. 

4. Before leaving, scroll down to the bottom of the Settings page and click "Save Changes."

You will now be able to select Undo in an extended time period. That should give you more time to decide if your email needs a little bit of touching up or not. 

If you're anything like me, you might be tired of patching up problems in Gmail.

According to Statista, in September 2020, 47% of all emails received worldwide were junk mail — also commonly referred to as spam. Junk mail can pile up, too. You unsubscribe, then somehow end up on ten more lists, unsubscribe again, and the seemingly never-ending saga persists. 

Some spam emails even make it past the countless filters you set up to combat a bombardment of junk emails to an otherwise good email account that you'd like to decisively command. This gets old quick.

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I prefer a more careful (read: one-time) approach to such problems myself, so get ready for an extensive list of step-by-step instructions. Until recently, I was overwhelmed with junk mail coming into my main Gmail account; I had hundreds sent to me daily. As a result, I took action to prevent it from happening further. 

Even if you're one of those people who think their inbox is past the point of no return, stick around because you might be surprised. In 2021, there are countless ways to rid yourself of this problem, and this post explores many of them. 

Block spam senders

If you block a sender who sends you a lot of junk mail, you should no longer receive messages from them. Sometimes an address may fall through the cracks, but reblocking the offending sender usually solves this problem. Blocking a junk mail sender can be done on mobile and desktop versions of the Gmail app, and the process only takes a few seconds. 

On desktops or your laptop, it’s as easy as doing the following (the process is similar on both Android and iOS):

1. Click the icon with the exclamation point. 

2. Choose whether to report the message as spam and unsubscribe, or just report it as spam.

Report spam 

Here's part two of combating email spam: reporting junk mail to help reduce the volume of spam emails you receive. 

By communicating with Google about spam, you're participating in a kind of crowdsourced reporting pool for the greater good. Google does take action against what it considers "spam accounts" and remembers to block the delivery of these messages in the future.

Filter 'em out

Do you ever receive emails that are not spam, but they keep going to that folder anyway? Although this is a separate issue, it still transpires regularly enough to get incorporated into this list. You can perform this action on both mobile and desktop versions of the Gmail client. 

Here's how to set up a spam filter in Gmail. 

• First, log in to your Gmail account.
• Click the gear icon in the top right-hand corner, then click Settings.
• Go to Filters and Blocked Addresses, then click Create a New Filter. 
• Next, type in the email of the sender you want to keep out of your spam folder.
• Click Create Filter.

What about "OK" spam? 

According to Google, Gmail automatically filters out spam by moving such messages to the spam folder. If you want to allow some emails that might be labeled as spam to make it into your inbox, you can create filters that bypass the spam label.

You essentially create an approved sender list of what Google might traditionally classify as spam. This could be a message you have long-awaited, even something from a potential employer. Gmail can group messages not meant to reach spam folders as actual spam, and that can lead to "lost mail" someone said they sent.

To do this, find the message in your spam folder and click the button to report that it’s not spam. These messages will once again find their way to your inbox, even if your spam filter might have normally caught them.

Third-party apps

There are plenty of third-party email apps and add-ons designed to prevent spam, many of which use machine learning to acquire patterns of typical spam-filled emails. Some of them are free, and others have a subscription fee. Some of my favorites are eM Client, MailWasher, and POPFile.

Consider your email's level of exposure

Your email is likely out there somewhere on the Internet, essentially exposed to the world (wide web). You can still control some of the profiles where that information is visible, however. Doing so can protect you against receiving spam emails, but it does take some vigilance. 

To get started, you should opt out of making your email public on social media profiles like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. If you own a domain, it's worth investing in what is called "domain privacy." Domain registrars always extend a service called domain privacy. This service hides your personal information from public view for an additional fee. 

There is only so much you can do using outside apps, and some of the burden does lie on you. It could also be worth it to perform an appraisal of your Internet profile and see where you can remove/hide your email from the public. This is not a small feat, but it is also not an impossible one. 

With a few hours spent and the willingness to clean up your inbox, you can make your email private as it should be. Doing so could protect you from bots that scour the web in search of adding visible emails to mass email lists for email blasts.

Many other creative measures happen to acquire emails illicitly, but taking some or all of these measures could give you back some control of your inbox. 

When all else fails, unsubscribe

This was a large part of what I spent a chunk of time doing, unsubscribing from emails I had admittedly subscribed to at some point. 

For one reason or another, these emails may no longer be relevant, and this is where something I call "the purge" comes into play. Go through your emails and unsubscribe from every email account you wish to no longer hear from; this will help you steer clear of unwanted junk mail from these senders in the future. 

It might take a few rounds to get it right, but this casual chore will eventually pay off, both for desktop and mobile devices.

Google is fortifying its email security for Gmail by adding validated logo displays on authenticated emails in an effort to prevent cybercriminals from tricking unsuspecting victims into phishing scams.

The company announced it will be rolling out support for Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) over the next few weeks, which provides recipients further verification of the sender's identification; making it difficult for scam artists to impersonate otherwise trusted brands or people. 

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Gmail's support for BIMI was announced last year, which Google states is the "industry standard that aims to drive adoption of strong sender authentication for the entire email ecosystem." 

Companies such as Back of America have adopted the feature on Gmail, with the usual "B" initial display now changed the company's official logo. The updated security feature will be available for both browsers and smartphone applications.  

Organizations that authenticate emails using Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) will see BIMI support, with their validated logos being displayed on authenticated emails from their domains and subdomains.

The introduction of BIMI will support the validation of trademarked logos from companies, seeing as notable brands are usually targeted by malicious scammers. This year, we've already seen an info-stealing malware campaign mimicking Microsoft, Spotify and more.

It's a welcome feature to add to Google's built-in protections that automatically filter out potentially malicious messages. Microsoft Exchange also added a similar anti-phishing feature earlier this year.

As stated in the announcement, the list of validated authorities is expected to expand in the future, meaning we'll hopefully see less successful scams taking place. As for those who are sick of getting scams calls, there is a way your phone can permanently stop spam calls. 

Cybersecurity analysts investigated the dark web market and discovered how much private information on notable online platforms, from Facebook to Coinbase, is worth — and the results are staggering.

Researchers at cybersecurity site Privacy Affairs (via BGR) have put together a Dark Web Price Index 2021 to reveal the price value of leaked information stolen by hackers, noting that 2020 has seen companies such as Google, Microsoft, and MasterCard fall victim to nasty security breaches. 

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According to the price index, the dark web market sells hacked Gmail accounts at a much higher price than a cloned Mastercard, Visa, or American Express PIN number, and even more than stolen online banking credentials with a minimum of $100 on an account. 

How much is your Gmail worth on the dark web?

Privacy Affairs' dark web price index indicates that a hacked Gmail account is priced at $80, while a Mastercard and Visa PIN goes for $25. What's more, stolen online bank logins with at least $100 in an account are priced at $40.

Bank accounts with a minimum of $2,000 sell for a much higher price, at $120, but you'll find that even a hacked global credit card details with the CVV number only goes for $35.

While it is surprising to see a Gmail account selling for a much higher price, email accounts are generally a hub of private information. A Gmail can be linked to every online platform that stores personal and financial information, meaning hackers can potentially loot through more than just a bank account through a Gmail.

The price index also points out the value of a PayPal account, with stolen PayPal account details with a minimum of $1,000 costing $120, while a hacked Coinbase verified account is priced at a whopping $610.

Coinbase is used to buy and sell a variety of cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and more. Crypto accounts sell at a much higher price than anything else, such as a verified Blockchain.com account priced at $310 and a Binance account costing $410.

Here are a few other notable products being sold on the dark web:

• Hacked Facebook account - $65
• Hacked Instagram account - $45
• Hacked Twitter account - $35
• Hacked Uber driver account - $14
• 600,000 New Zealand emails - $10
• Netflix account with a one year subscription - $44
• Netflix 4K account with a one year subscription - $4

We're not sure why hackers would want to pay $44 for a one-year Netflix account subscription when they can also pay $4 for an account in 4K. Additionally, if hackers are on the dark web market, we suspect they watch Netflix shows using free, illegal methods.

You can find out more by checking out Privacy Affairs' Dark Web Price Index 2021 right here 

Gmail is unquestionably one of the most popular email clients in the world, however, even among business users who rely on Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), many turn to Microsoft Office for their productivity software.

Google has previously offered support for handling Office files through Gmail by importing them into Google Drive, but today, the company announced via the Google Workspace Updates blog, that it is dramatically streamlining this process and will now let you make edits to Office files sent as attachments directly in Gmail (via The Verge).

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The feature will allow you to view and edit Office files sent or received in Gmail using Docs, Sheets or Slides. Compatible files will open with a single click in Gmail and will then retain the original file format when saved rather than converting to Google's format.

You can even simply reply to the email directly from within the document through the File menu. This is a huge win both in terms of time-saving and ease of collaboration between Office and Google Workspace users.

The feature will be activated by default and begin rolling out today. It should be complete within 15 days. This will be available to all Google Workspace and G Suite users with the exception of Google Workspace Essentials and Enterprise Essentials customers. 

Phishing attackers won't be happy about this one!

Google will be arming Gmail users with the power of knowledge to thwart malicious senders. The search-engine tech giant will notify users that an email is authentic, meaning it was delivered from a trusted source, by attaching BIMI logos to legitimate emails, The Verge reported.

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What exactly are BIMI logos? Firstly, BIMI stands for Brand Indicators for Message Identification. Secondly, with a BIMI logo, Gmail users can rest assured that the email they've received is from an authentic, trustworthy source — they needn't worry about inadvertently clicking malicious links.

Google is launching a new email standard with BIMI. The tech megacorp is allowing organizations to authenticate their email addresses and corporate logos by submitting them to its DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) platform.

“For organizations that want to create a trusted brand presence over email, BIMI is a great opportunity, incentivizing them to implement strong authentication, which in turn will lead to a safer, more trusted email ecosystem for everyone,” said Seth Blank, chair of the AuthIndicators Working Group and vice president of Standards and Technologies at Valimail. 

When a validated email passes Google's security checks, Gmail will display the company's BIMI logo as an indication to users that it was sent from a trusted source.

BIMI logos will benefit many areas of the Gmail realm: email recipients will have increased confidence that their inbox is more secure, companies can strengthen their brand's trust and reliance, and Google gets a pat on the back for tightening anti-abuse security measures.

Google will trial BIMI logos with a limited number of Gmail users in the coming weeks. In the meantime, Google is encouraging more organizations to submit their emails and corporate logos to its DMARC platform to secure BIMI icons before the search-engine tech giant rolls out the new feature to all users.

Gmail is getting its biggest redesign in years, merging various communication tools into the email service. No longer just an email app, Gmail will integrate with Google's other work-focused tools, including Chat, Rooms and Meet, to deliver a unified experience that is more similar to Slack and Microsoft Teams.

Spurred by changing work environments caused by COVID-19, Google's goal is to combine the "three core pillars of communication:" email, chat and video. 

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The company has already laid the groundwork for its so-called "integrated workspace" by bringing Meet to Gmail (web, Android and iOS) so users can join a video meeting straight from an inbox for free. And last month, Google added Google Chat to Gmail on the web so you can seamlessly switch between email to chat. Also, the Meet video chat service was brought to Gmail on iOS and Android last month.

Gmail gets new collaboration tools

Google wants Gmail to be a one-stop-shop for enterprise users so it's adding collaboration tools that allow employees to work together on projects. Chat rooms will now let you share files and tasks, so you can organize long-term projects. 

Groups and organizational teams will have quicker access to a shared chat, important documents and to-do lists, which will all be housed in one place. Chat will also let you create rooms with people outside of your company so contractors, consultants and freelancers can be included.

Most of the changes coming to Gmail are about making it easier to access tools so you can jump between services without a disruption in your work. To that end, you'll soon be able to work on projects directly in Gmail, without having to open a separate Google Docs or Sheets window. Other examples of this tighter integration include the ability to join a video call from chat, forward a chat message to your inbox, or create a task from a chat message. 

Other abilities being added to the updated Gmail include:

• Pin important rooms so they’re easier to find and access
• Set your availability to “Do Not Disturb”
• Better protect your time with status notices like “Out of office” 

The new Gmail will arrive as an "early access preview" to G Suite customers this week before becoming widely available later in the year. Not much will change in the short term for everyday Gmail users, although Google said it's “actively thinking through how and when to bring this experience to the consumers who might want it.”

There’s a lot of reasons to save email attachments to Google Drive, but most of us are downloading each attachment one-by-one. There’s a better way. When you download all files to Google Drive, they are saved in the root folder. You can them move them to the required folders within your Drive. 

1) Double-click to open the email with attachments.

2) Click on the drive icon in the top right corner of the email. All the attachments will be downloaded to the drive. 

3) In Google Drive search for the file or manually look through the list of files.

4) Right-click the file to open the context menu. 

5) In the menu that opens up, click Move to.

6) Select the folder where you would like to move the file.

7) Click Move to complete the process. 

It’s dead simple to access your Gmail even if you’re not connected to the Internet. All you need to do is download and install the Gmail Offline app and set your Gmail account to support cached emails (as well as a cached version of your address book and recent attachments). Here’s a step-by-step on how to set up Offline Gmail for your Chromebook.

1. Click the Search icon.

2. Type "Gmail," and open Gmail.

3. Click the Gear icon in the upper right corner.

4. Select Settings.

5. Select Offline from the list of tabs.

 6. Select Install Gmail Offline, the only option. A dialogue box for the Chrome Web Store will appear.

6. Select the Add To Chrome button after the Chrome Store opens. If Add to Chrome isn't there, it's already installed.

7. Hit Add app.

8. Click the Search button.

9. In search, type "gmail offline" and open Gmail Offline.

10. Select Allow Offline Mail and tap Continue.

Offline Gmail launches a split-screen view of your inbox. This is the inbox view you’ll see when you open the app, whether you are online or off. 

How to use Offline Gmail

If you want to compose a message, select the Pencil icon above the Inbox.
 

Your address book is cached, so a list of recipients will autocomplete in the To:, CC: and BCC: fields, similar to using Gmail online.

Hit Send after you compose your message.

When you connect to the Internet again, the message will send automatically. You can confirm in your Sent folder.

With that lesson under your proverbial belt, it's time to dig into Google Cloud Print, with our How to Print from a Chromebook tutorial!

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Ex-lead designer for Gmail, Michael Leggett, got sick and tired of Gmail, so he decided to launch a free Google Chrome extension called Simplify that cleans it right up for you.

In an interview with FastCompany, Leggett commented on the current state of Gmail, saying that "it’s like Lucky Charms got spewed all over the screen." That isn't far from the truth. Interestingly enough, Leggett also co-founded Inbox, which was another simplistic email app that people enjoyed before Google effectively killed it in March 2019.

Once you download and activate Simplify, the extension optimizes Gmail to give you more real estate for your emails and it even strips down the top bar and sidebar by leaving only a few key functions. It also completely removes the Gmail logo as well, which is nice.

However, I don't really find the extension all that helpful. Sure, it cleans up the interface a little bit, but I don't have immediate access to my calendar to check out my scheduled meetings. I also can't access Google's drop down of additional apps, so I can't quickly switch over to Google Docs from there either, which is frustrating.

You're able to switch the extension on in your Gmail after you've downloaded it to see the difference yourself, but there's not an actual toggle button, so the only way to turn it off (from what I've seen) is to uninstall it.

Despite my issues with it, Simplify has nearly 15,000 users according to the Chrome Web Store and has received some great feedback from users, with a total of 82 reviews and an average of 5 stars.

If you're looking for another way to clean up your inbox, we've got a guide to how to delete old gmail emails.

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Google's Gmail is turning 15 on Apr. 1. And to celebrate that birthday, the company has some new features planned for its popular email platform.

In a blog post on Monday (Apr. 1), Google's Director of Product Management at G Suite Jacob Bank outlined a variety of new features coming to Gmail. Most notably, Google is rolling out a new Write Now, Send Later feature that lets you write important e-mails whenever you want and now have the option of scheduling them to send at a later time. 

When the feature is turned on for your account, you'll see a new drop-down arrow in the Send box when you're composing a message in the browser. After writing your message, click the drop-down arrow and choose "Schedule Send." A time-and-date selector will then appear, allowing you to choose when you can send your e-mail. Gmail will then send the message at your requested time.

Bank also revealed that the company is expanding its Smart Compose service, which helps users draft new emails without needing to type in repetitive words and phrases, to Android. Bank added that the feature will be made available to iOS users "soon."

Google says that Smart Compose is catching on with Gmail users. The feature predicts what users want to say and suggests a word or phrase that they can input with a single button press. According to Bank, it saves Gmail users from needing to type 1 billion characters each week.

In addition to a new mobile rollout, Bank said that Smart Compose will now intelligently adapt to how you write and stay in your voice. It'll also evaluate a message's content and suggest a subject line.

Looking ahead, Bank said that Google will continue to work on Gmail to make it "even smarter and more useful" for its users. He didn't say when all of the features would be available, but since updates often roll out over time, you might see it pop up in Gmail sooner than later.

This post originally appeared on Tom's Guide — to learn about keeping your Gmail account from getting out of hand, read our guide on how to delete old Gmail emails like an efficient pro.

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If you want, Gmail can write parts of your emails for you. Introduced at Google I/O this week, Smart Compose, is now available to use in the new version of Gmail. It's an experimental feature, so it may not be perfect, but you can now see how it feels to have an AI predict what you'll write.

If you're on the latest version of Gmail, click on the gear in the top right-hand corner and choose settings.

Then, scroll down and click "Enable experimental access" to get access to cutting-edge features, and click "Save Changes" at the bottom.

The next time you write an email, you'll get a notification that Smart Compose is enabled, and explain you need to press Tab to accept suggestions. Those suggestions will appear in a light gray.

Bad news if you were intrigued by the Smart Compose announcement during the I/O keynote: I found that in its current state, Smart Compose wasn't very useful, only suggesting two or three words at a time. In the photo above, it likely learned I was wishing a my mom a Happy Mother's day because of the subject line. Of course, when the full version comes out, I'm expecting something that offers more comprehensive suggestions, particularly if it learns the more you use it, like predictive typing features do.

There are a couple of other issues. For example, Smart Compose only works in English, and Google says that it "may not always predict factually correct information." Google also suggests that its AI is subject to human biases, which could in theory show up in your emails. And this all only works on the desktop. Smart Compose isn't ready on mobile just yet.

This story originally appeared on Tom's Guide.

Gmail Tips

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By default, Gmail is an easily viewable gray, white, black, red and blue. It's professional and easy to look at, but for a web page you'll have open all day, you might want to have a theme that's a bit more personal.

Gmail has a sizable library of themes, or you can add your own. Here's how to change your Gmail theme.

1. Click the Settings cog in the upper-right corner.

2. Choose "Themes" in the drop down.

3. Choose a pre-set image from Google's gallery, to preview, and click save.

4. Alternatively, click "My Photos" to upload your own picture or add a URL for a photo, which will automatically make it your background.

 5. Your new background will be set.

Gmail Tips

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Gmail is the most ubiquitous email service, and it's jam packed with features. So many, in fact, that you might not have dug through the menu to find them all.

Whether you want to find better ways to search your inbox, achieve inbox zero, or block people from sending you mail at all, we've got your back with tips and tricks to make you a Gmail master. Check out our list of tutorials below.

Gmail Tips

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• How to Use Aliases and Filters to Avoid Spam in Gmail
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Gmail has a really great feature that few people know about -- aliases. When using aliases, you can append a plus symbol (+) to the end of your email for easier filtering later. For example, an email that looks like this, joe@gmail.com, would go the same place as this: spam+joe@gmail.com. You can also add a period anywhere in your email address and it’ll go to the same spot, but today we’re going to keep it simple.

When combined with filters, it’s even more powerful. Here’s how to set it up.

1. Login to Gmail, if necessary.

2. Click the gear icon and select Settings.

3. Click Filters and Blocked Addresses.

4. Select Create a new filter.

5. In the To field, add your alias. In this case, it’s spam+joe@gmail.com. You can use whatever you’d like, just make sure the alias goes first, then a plus sign, and then @gmail.com.

6. Click Create filter with this search.

7. Add checkmarks to Skip the Inbox (Archive it) and decide what you’d like to do with it. You can add a label and move it to a folder, send a canned response, or mark it as read and archive it. I’m going to delete it.

8. Click Create filter.

Google Docs Tips

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Canned responses are a great resource for those that continually get the same questions or comments via email. If you find yourself using the same email response again and again, it’s probably best to set up a canned response for quicker replies. Once set up, you’ll no longer have to answer the same question for the thousandth time.

1. Log in to Gmail, if necessary.

2. Click the gear icon
on the right and select Settings.

3. Select
labs.

4.
Find the Canned Responses option and enable it.

5.
Click compose, and type in the message you’d like to save as a canned response.

6.
Click the arrow at the bottom right of the window and select Canned Responses > New canned response.

7.
Enter a name for the canned response and push OK.

8.
Next time you’re responding to an email, click the respond button like normal, but instead of typing text use the arrow at the bottom right to select your canned response.

Google Docs Tips

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• How to Use Google Docs Offline
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Gmail already has a fairly comprehensive list of keyboard shortcuts to make your life easier, but it also offers the opportunity to change them, if you’re so inclined. Personally, I’m a fan of the shortcuts as they are. Google uses a relatively easy-to-understand system, such as ‘c’ for compose, and ‘r’ for reply. There are a few though, that I never seemed to remember, so I changed them.

You can too.

1. Open Gmail and login, if necessary.

2. Click the gear icon in the upper right and select Settings.

3. Click the Labs tab at the top of the page.

4. Enable Custom keyboard shortcuts.

5. Click Save Changes.

6. Click the gear icon again and select Settings after the page refreshes.

7. Click Keyboard Shortcuts.

8. Delete the existing key and add a new one to any of the actions you’d like.

9. Click Save changes.

Google Docs Tips

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• How to Use Google Docs Offline
• Convert Word Docs to Google Docs
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If you prefer to take a sort of dashboard approach to sorting email, Gmail has you covered. Gmail allows you to create up to four distinct inboxes for anything you’d like, and sort your mail using pre-defined labels. If you’re already using labels, and filters, you can automatically sort the email to the appropriate inbox, without having to check filters in the sidebar.

In essence, the feature acts as a separator for email that belongs in a specific category -- subscriptions, travel, receipts, etc. You can add an inbox for anything, but you’re limited to four.

1. Open Gmail and login, if necessary.

2. Click the gear icon in the upper right and select Settings.

3. Click Inbox from the tabs at the top.

4. Select Priority Inbox from the dropdown to the right of Inbox type.

5. Click Add section and select an option. I’m going to click More Options and add the label I have set up for Subscriptions. You can do this with any label, or create a new one. When combined with filters, Gmail can sort your mail automatically into the appropriate section.

6. Click Save Changes.

Google Docs Tips

• Previous Tip
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• How to Use Google Docs Offline
• Convert Word Docs to Google Docs
• Create a Custom Template in Google Docs
• Add a Table of Contents in Google Docs
• Track Changes in Google Docs
• Digitally Sign a PDF in Google Docs
• How to Add a Word to Your Google Docs Dictionary
• Change Margins in Google Docs
• Add or Remove Page Breaks in Google Docs
• How to Add Page Numbers in Google Docs
• How to Download a Google Doc
• Here’s Every Google Docs Keyboard Shortcut
• Use Smart or Dumb Quotes in Google Docs
• Create Text Shortcuts in Google Docs

Whether you are trying to avoid a stalker, looking to catfish, or just sharing a controversial opinion, there are many reasons you'd want to use a pseudonym on social media. After years of banning nicknames, Google+ now allows users to change the display names on their profiles. Here's how to make yourself anonymous on Google+ by changing your name and photo.

1. Navigate to Google+.

2. Open the Home menu in the top left corner. 

3.  Select Profile. 

4. Click on your name and change it. Before completing you will be warned that you only get a limited number of changes. Google says you may have to wait up to 3 months to change your name again, so choose wisely. Also, this will change your name in linked accounts like Gmail too.

5. Click your picture to change or remove it. What good is changing your name if people can still see your face?

After making the changes,  your image and name should change everywhere they appear in Google+.

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Yahoo Mail has taken quite a bit of guff over the last year for its redesign, leaving many email users unhappy. But, that doesn't mean you have to just take it. You can make the switch from Yahoo to Gmail if you know how. We've put together a step-by-step guide to making the move. 

1. Sign in to Gmail and click the gear icon on the top right. 

2. Click the tab for Accounts. 

3. Click "Add a POP3 mail account you own." 

4. Type your Yahoo Mail account into the pop-up window. Click Next Step.

5. Enter your password and click Add Account. 

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6. Check the box to treat your Yahoo Mail as an alias account. Click Next Step. 

7. Click Send Verification. 

8. Sign into your Yahoo Mail account from a separate window and open the email from the Gmail Team. 

9. Go back to your Gmail page and enter the confirmation code from the email. Click Verify.

10. Click Next Step. 

11. Go back to the Yahoo Mail and click the link in the email. 

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12. Click on the little address book icon on the bottom of the left rail. 

13. Click on the word Actions at the top of your contacts list and click Export. 

14. Type the code that verifies you're a real person and click Export Now. 

15. Select vCard Single File. Click Export Now. 

16. Go back to your Gmail and select the down arrow on the top right. Click on Contacts. 

17. Click the More tab and select Import. 

18. Click Choose File. 

19. Locate the downloaded file and click Open. Then click Import. 

20. Click the More button and select "Find & merge duplicates." 

21. Click Merge. 

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Tired of Google snooping around your email to serve you targeted ads based on what you've been sending? Outlook.com provides a compelling alternative, and with a new Gmail migration tool, you can easily switch over to Microsoft's web mail service. Along with a host of useful features such as marking mail as read with one click and setting organizational rules, you also get a fresh new interface. With the integrated People app, you can also connect to your favorite social networks from your inbox. Tempted?

There are two parts to fully migrating from Gmail to Outlook.com - importing your existing mailbox and setting Gmail to forward all future messages to your Outlook account. Here's an easy guide. 

Import messages from Gmail to Outlook.com

1. Sign in to your Outlook.com account. If you don't already have one, create a free Outlook account via Live.com.

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2. Tap the gear icon at the top right.

3. Select More Mail Settings.

4. Click Import Email Accounts under the Managing Your Account section.

5. Hit Google to import your Gmail messages and contacts. 

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6. Click Start on the dialog banner that pops up.

7. Sign in to your Google account.

8. Grant Outlook access to your Gmail account by hitting Accept. Depending on the size of your inbox, be prepared to wait a few seconds before the next page loads.

After this step, Microsoft begins to import information from your Google account, which can take some time. The good news is that you don't have to sit around waiting for this process to be complete, since closing your browser and shutting down your computer will not affect the import. You can track the import progress by looking at the indicator on the top right of your Outlook inbox.

Forward messages from Gmail to Outlook.com

1. Click the Gear icon in the top right of your Gmail inbox. 

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2. Hit Settings.

3. Select the Forwarding And POP/IMAP tab.

4. Click Add A Forwarding Address.

5. Enter your Outlook.com email address, which you used or created in Step 1 of the Import section. Hit Next.

6. Confirm your forwarding address is correct, then click Proceed.

7. Open the Gmail Forwarding Confirmation email in your Outlook inbox.

8. Click the first link in the message. If that doesn't work, you can also copy the verification code in the email and paste it in the verification field in your Gmail Forwarding settings. 

And you're all set! Now you can forget all about your Gmail account without having to worry that you're missing messages.

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