Google’s just rolled out Gmail labs in multiple languages all over the world. It means non-English speakers can finally grab all of Google’s fancy e-mail toys. But we’re not convinced every English language Gmail user knows all the bells and whistles that come with Google’s service.
The Gmail team has been quietly adding new features for years. Here are ten seriously useful Gmail tools you’ve probably missed already.
1. Mail Goggles
If you frequently combine late night drinking with late night e-mailing, you’ll like this. Mail Goggles kicks in after a pre-set time at night, challenging your after hours missives with a simple maths question. If you’re too drunk to answer correctly, it’ll hold your e-mail and refuse to send it. It could be just the thing to stop that ill advised message to the boss in its tracks.
2. Undo
Google added this handy undo feature earlier this month, letting you stop an e-mail from reaching its recipient, even after you’ve clicked send. It makes use of the time it takes Gmail to send a message, turning the long loading times of Google’s web interface into a selling point. Of course, the undo button doesn’t hang around for very long, but it’s an extra safety net for anyone prone to panic-clicking the send button.
3. Canned Responses
Do you find yourself constantly replying to people with the same words? “OK, thanks.” for instance, or “Great – can you send me pictures?” If so, then canned responses are for you – it means you can choose your most frequent replies, and drop them into a message at the click of a button. Add up all those tiny bits of time saved, and you’ve got time to.. oh, answer a few more e-mails.
4. Offline access
Web-based e-mail is great. All your e-mail accessible anywhere… unless you’re stuck without an internet connection. That’s where Gmail’s Offline feature comes in handy. Enable it and it’ll take a snapshot of your messages while you’re online, so you can see received and sent items even without a web connection. Very handy if you’re on a plane or train, but need to find a phone number or meeting details.
5. Video chat
Gmail isn’t just good for tapping out text and attaching the odd photo, it can also dish up video conferencing. Download and install a small plugin and Gmail will make use of your computer’s webcam to put you face to face with friends through its built in chat system.
6. Web Clips
If you’re a typical Gmail user, you probably find yourself gawping at the inbox quite a lot, so why not use that time to keep up with current affairs? Google’s Web Clips feature will pull in headlines to the top of your inbox, and even comes with a load of pre-formatted news feeds for you to customise.
7. YouTube, Picasa, Flickr, and Yelp previews
Your mates undoubtedly send you links all the time, but switch on Gmail previews and you won’t just see a boring link – you’ll see a preview of what’s on the other end. It’s a great timesaver, if only because you can dodge the stuff you’ve already seen and skip straight to the newer, funnier, stuff.
8. Free IMAP and POP access
OK, this one’s a bit techier, but it’s astoundingly useful. If you don’t want to use Gmail through a web browser you don’t have to. Free IMAP access means any e-mail app on your PC or Mac will be able to hook into it. Some other webmail providers charge for this handy feature, but Google doesn’t, and all your mail is still available on the web whenever you want.
9. Alerts in mid-composition
The trouble with email is it’s far from instant. While you’re tapping out your answer to a group e-mail, someone else could have said the same thing… or worse still, something better. Gmail is smart enough to know when a message you’re replying to has another response to it, and it’ll tell you while you’re still crafting your reply. Click the alert at the top of the screen and you’ll see what’s been said, and be able to adjust your reply accordingly.
10. Storage, storage and more storage
It’s easy to forget just how big Google’s storage is. Each new Gmail user gets 5GB of free storage, and long time users have even more – sometimes over 7GB. What’s more, Google’s extremely generous when it comes to attachment sizes, letting you receive files up to 20MB.
What’s your favourite Gmail feature? Have we missed any absolute corkers off the list? Let us know!
