Ingenious Features Google Gmail Offers You Probably Don’t Know

Gmail is by far the most popular email client in the world. The widespread use is mostly because of its excellent features, and easy integration with other Google services such as Google calendar app for mac, the G Suite, and so forth.

Although people know Gmail for its ease of use and customization features, there are several other useful features that they are yet to discover.

Here some useful features found within Gmail that you probably do not know about.

Email Scheduling

Email scheduling is one of the latest additions to the Gmail platform. It allows you to specify the time you wish to send your email, be it tomorrow or the following week.

According to Google, this feature is intended to offer convenience to all Gmail users. It is not yet available to everybody, but if you have the update, you can access the feature by clicking the drop-down menu next to the ‘Send’ button.

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More Functionality in Right-Clicking

This February, Gmail introduced an update that added more functionality if you right-clicked on a conversation thread. If you use a Mac, you need to hold down the Ctrl button when clicking.

With this new function, you can move emails across tabs, open messages in a new window, find messages from a particular sender, and snooze emails. Essentially, you have access to all features available to the web version of Gmail.

Drag Emails Between Tabs

If you have configured your Gmail account so that it categorizes emails, you can drag your messages and move them into new categories. For instance, you can move an email from the promotions category to the social category.

Even better, Gmail allows you to choose whether future emails from a particular sender will fall under a specific category. This offers convenience.

Google Smart Compose

Smart Compose first came in 2018 and was recently introduced to Android. It is a feature that suggests a response to an email message based on the way you write.

If you are using the Gmail web client, you can activate this feature by going to Settings, then General, and mark the Writing Suggestions on the box that appears. If you are on Android, choose the Smart Compose option under the Settings menu.

Send and Request Money

You can send and request money if you are using the web version of Gmail. Once you click on the dollar sign on the bottom of the compose window, specify the amount you want to send or receive.

You have to set up a payment method using Google Play before you use this feature. If you are yet to set it up, the system will prompt you to create it.

Set an Expiry Time

Last year, Google introduced the confidential mode for Gmail users. It allows you to limit the copying and downloading of your email contents. It also enables users to set expiry time.

You can access confidential mode by clicking the three dots on mobile or the padlock sign on the web version.

Get Notifications for Specific Emails

Gmail for Android and iOS allow users to specify the emails for which they want to get notifications. You can access this feature by going to the Notifications tab under the Settings menu. You can then choose the addresses for which you want to get alerts.

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Use Gmail Offline

Offline Gmail is not a new feature, but it has evolved significantly throughout the years. If you type mail.google.com on Google’s Chrome web browser, you will see a cached version of your inbox even without an internet connection.

However, you have to activate this feature manually. You can enable it by clicking on the Offline tab under the Settings menu in the web version of Gmail. You can also choose the number of emails you want to see offline.

The Preview Pane

By default, the web version of Gmail shows a long list of conversations. You can, however, activate the preview pane so that the interface looks like a standard desktop email client.

You can enable the preview pane by clicking on the arrow next to the Toggle Split Pane mode icon on the top-right corner of your screen.

Add Third-party Addresses to Gmail

You can add third-party email addresses to Gmail and give the same level of protection associated with regular Gmail accounts. This option is accessible by clicking the Add an Email Account tab under the Accounts and Import menu.

Google Translate Integration

You do not have to translate your emails on a separate tab since Gmail has a Google Translate integration. The translate bar should appear automatically. If you do not see it, you can access by clicking on Translate Message under the Settings menu.

Conclusion

Gmail continues to assert its dominance in the email industry because of its excellent features. Now that you know some of its obscure functionalities, you can use the platform more effectively.