Let’s face it: Email is inherently a little bit of a ache. And whereas Google’s Gmail service is mostly fairly nice to make use of, it definitely has some room for enchancment — particularly on the cellular entrance.But as is so usually the case with Google merchandise, what you see is not solely what you get. The Gmail Android app has some super-useful hidden touches you’ve got most likely by no means observed lurking beneath its floor — simply ignored options that may make your cellular electronic mail expertise extra highly effective, productive, and efficient.Here are 14 such choices price uncovering — or possibly simply remembering.Gmail Android function No. 1: Advanced electronic mail formatting instructionsThe Gmail Android app’s electronic mail composing display looks like a fairly bare-bones affair, however long-press on any open house while writing a brand new electronic mail — and by golly, goodness goshness, look what you will discover: JR Tap that “Format” choice, and the way ’bout that? It’s a full slate of superior textual content formatting instructions for composing your message. You can model any a part of your electronic mail with daring, italic, or underlined textual content; you’ll be able to change your electronic mail’s font coloration or background coloration; and — an occasional life-saver for the clipboard-happy hyper-pasters amongst us — you’ll be able to filter out all present textual content formatting with a single faucet.[Psst: Love hidden shortcuts? My Android Shortcut Supercourse will teach you tons of time-saving tricks for your phone. Sign up now for free!] Pretty helpful, proper?!Gmail Android function No. 2: Custom swipe gesturesEver want you had a simple technique to snooze messages out of your inbox — or possibly even simply mark ’em as unread with out having to do an advanced finger-tap dance? Prepare to be happy. Go open up the Gmail Android app’s settings (by tapping the three-line menu icon within the upper-left nook and scrolling down till you see the “Settings” choice). Tap “General settings,” then choose “Swipe actions.” JR There, you’ll be able to configure precisely what motion is related to swiping an electronic mail to the left and to the correct out of your inbox or from another message record view. Set issues up the best way you need — utilizing, in case you’re so inclined, the previous Inbox-like association of a proper swipe for archiving and a left swipe for snoozing — after which swipe away to your coronary heart’s content material (and with the optionally available occasional cackle).Gmail Android function No. 3: A speedy account-switcherSpeaking of secret swipes, in case you’ve received multiple Google account linked to your telephone — say, a piece account and a private account or possibly a piece account and a confidential chinchilla-chatting account — make a psychological be aware of this: You can change between your accounts within the blink of a watch by swiping that furry little finger of yours up or down on the profile image within the Gmail app’s upper-right nook. JR Zip, zoom, zork! Gmail Android function No. 4: The contact management panelWhile we’re as regards to face-oriented actions, here is one other underappreciated Gmail Android gem so as to add into your productiveness toolkit: While you are viewing any electronic mail in your inbox, faucet on the sender’s profile image towards the upper-left nook of the display.That’ll pull up a tucked-away management panel that’ll offer you one-tap choices for beginning a brand new electronic mail to that particular person, scheduling a brand new calendar occasion with that particular person, firing up a brand new Google Chat dialog with that particular person (in the event that they’re utilizing a Google account), and calling that particular person (when you’ve got their telephone quantity saved in your telephone’s contacts). JR (Side be aware: That could be probably the most flattering picture of me ever taken.)You may add the particular person into your contacts instantly through that panel by tapping the little person-plus icon in its upper-right nook — which’ll seem provided that stated particular person (and/or chinchilla) is just not already in your contacts. Gmail Android function No. 5: The contact step-saverLet’s hold the contact-related goodness going, we could? Betcha did not know you may press and maintain a sender’s identify while viewing an electronic mail in Gmail to unearth worthwhile hidden choices.But, sure, oh sure, you completely can. Go give it a whirl and see: When you do this, you will reveal helpful instructions for copying that particular person’s electronic mail handle onto your system clipboard in addition to for beginning up a separate new electronic mail thread to them on the spot. JR Who knew, proper?!Gmail Android function No. 6: A topic shortcutHere’s one other helpful long-press treasure to file away in your psychological folder of Gmail Android tips: Long-pressing on the topic line of any message when you’re viewing it’s going to reveal an artfully hid command for copying stated topic in a single quick snap. JR Bam! We’re on hearth. And we have got a number of good things left.Gmail Android function No. 7: Your reply redoEver understand you’ve got hit the reply button in an electronic mail in your telephone whenever you meant to hit reply-all? Or possibly vice-versa? It occurs to me on a regular basis (although admittedly, I’ve an particularly mushy man-noggin).If it occurs to you, too, keep in mind this: You do not must abandon the draft that is open to return and begin over. Just faucet the phrase “Reply” on the high of the Gmail Android reply window in your display, and — shock! JR Right there, you’ll be able to toggle from a reply to a reply-all and even a ahead, if you would like — all with out ever transferring an inch or abandoning the clearly sensible message you already began composing.Gmail Android function No. 8: The recipient summoning spellOn a associated be aware, the following time you understand you’ll want to add one other recipient into an electronic mail in your telephone — be it a brand new draft you are writing, a reply, a forwarded message, no matter — save your self the difficulty of stopping your workflow to maneuver as much as the recipient discipline and as a substitute do this:Right within the physique of the e-mail, the place you are already working, sort @ adopted by the primary letter or two of the particular person’s identify. (You may go old-school Google+-style and use the + signal as a substitute of @, in case you’d reasonably.)As lengthy because the particular person in query is in your contacts, their identify will seem in a particular selector field proper subsequent to your cursor: JR And from there, it is only one extra faucet so as to add ’em into the e-mail.Gmail Android function No. 9: An finish to unintentional actionsIt’s all too simple to faucet an icon by mistake whenever you’re managing electronic mail on the go, however Gmail truly has a spectacular technique to hold your self from doing one thing silly on accident. It’s an additional step of affirmation for the worst type of errant electronic mail presses — archiving or deleting a message you were not completed with but or hitting the Send button earlier than your draft was completed. And it takes only some fast faucets to get it arrange and activated.Mosey your method again to the “General settings” space of the Gmail settings, scroll right down to the very backside of that part, and search for the “Action Confirmations” heading — and there, activate whichever bits of added affirmation gives you additional peace of thoughts: JR The one factor price noting is that the archive and delete confirmations do not, vexingly, work with the swipe-based gestures we had been simply discussing for these instructions. That’s particularly unlucky, since Gmail’s swipe gestures are all too simple to activate accidentally whenever you’re attempting to make use of Android’s awkwardly overlapping system-wide Back movement (except you realize the key Android gesture trick for avoiding that). But both method, some safety continues to be higher than no safety, do not ya assume?Gmail Android function No. 10: A much less annoying Promotions tabThe Gmail Android app’s Promotions tab is each a blessing and a curse. It provides you an effective way to maintain much less urgent messages out of your important inbox view, but it surely additionally throws in some advertisements and does funky stuff with the order of your electronic mail.There’s not a lot you are able to do concerning the advertisements, sadly, however you’ll be able to cease the app from reordering messages and placing what it considers to be the “high value” promotions above all the pieces else — as seen right here, the place my Gmail Android app at some point determined I ought to see a week-old message a couple of subscription audio service over quite a few newer messages (together with, barely decrease within the record, a newer and related electronic mail from the identical frickin’ service): JR (And sure, the advert in that high part is especially pretty, too, is not it? Just a hair too private of an assumption to make, in case you ask me. Cut it out, Google.)To get again to a totally chronological, normal-style view, soar again into the Gmail app’s settings — and this time, faucet the handle of your Google account, then faucet “Inbox categories” on the next display.Scroll all the best way right down to the underside of the display that exhibits up subsequent. See that choice labeled “Enable Top Picks”? Uncheck it. JR Back your method out of there after which bask within the delight of getting your emails as soon as once more introduced in correct order, even if you cannot fully eradicate these pesky Promotions-tab advertisements.Gmail Android function No. 11: A much less nudgy inboxWhile we’re fascinated with annoying options, you know the way Gmail does that factor the place it “nudges” you to reply or comply with as much as messages which were sitting in your inbox for some time? If you discover that to be extra bothersome than useful, head again into the app’s settings and as soon as once more choose your Google account.Scroll down til you see the choice for “Reply and follow up.” Tap it, then uncheck each choices on the display that follows — for “Suggest emails to reply to” and “Suggest emails to follow up on.” JR Nudges no extra. Serenity now.Gmail Android function No. 12: The Google service sweep-awayMaybe you are the one particular person on this planet who truly enjoys having that mammoth-sized navigation bar invading your inbox and taking over valuable display actual property — y’know, that monstrosity Google added into the app some time again to shove its newest messaging companies down our throats supply a simple technique to entry Google Chat and Meet from inside your inbox in addition to through their very own standalone apps?I’ve lengthy heard rumors that such an individual exists someplace on the market. If you’re that particular person, kindly skip over this part and transfer on to the following one, as this tip will not apply to you.For the remainder of us, although, do your self an infinite favor and switch that blasted added navigation bar off. Just return into the Gmail Android app’s settings, faucet the identify of your account, after which:
Uncheck the field subsequent to “Chat,” beneath the “General” header…
And scroll right down to uncheck the field subsequent to “Show the Meet tab for video calling,” too, below the “Meet” header.
All that is left is to breathe an enormous sigh of aid.Gmail Android function No. 13: A speedy technique to set an out-of-office responderFor years, the Gmail cellular app had no technique to handle the service’s out-of-office trip auto-responder. And I’m certain I’m not the one one who generally indicators out forward of a deliberate break after which realizes half an hour later I forgot to set my away message.Well, fret no extra, for in some unspecified time in the future within the not-too-distant previous, the Gmail Android app gained the flexibility to regulate the out-of-office responder. Yes, indeedly: You can simply open up the app’s settings, faucet the identify of the account you need to modify, after which search for the “Vacation responder” choice halfway down the record of decisions.From there, it’s going to take you a mere matter of moments to allow, configure, and edit your out-of-office auto-response to go well with any scenario conceivable. JR Gmail Android function No. 14: More selective notificationsEmail notifications can sometimes be useful, however let’s be sincere: They can be fairly hellish. Give your self a break from the noise by attempting out the Gmail Android app’s high-priority notification choice, which makes use of synthetic intelligence and different impressive-sounding buzzwords to determine which incoming messages are literally vital to you — after which to inform you solely about these emails.To give it a whirl, enterprise as soon as extra into the Gmail app’s settings, choose your Google account, faucet the road labeled “Notifications,” and choose “High priority only.” Give it a day and see what you assume.If you realize precisely what forms of emails you’ll want to be notified about — say, these from a selected particular person or area identify, these with a particular phrase of their topics or our bodies, or these which can be despatched to a selected handle of yours — you’ll be able to skip the A.I. and simply arrange your personal customized Gmail notifications. That’s what I do, and so long as you’ll be able to determine a constant method for what types of emails are notification-worthy to you, it really works extremely effectively.Either method, you will have rather a lot much less noise — and much more vitality to cope with what actually issues. Even if, y’know, “what really matters” is solely discovering just a few free minutes to eat a midmorning hoagie.Get six full days of superior Android data with my fully free Android Shortcut Supercourse. You’ll be taught tons of time-saving tips to your telephone!
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