Gmail may seem like a simple, basic email platform for sending and receiving messages, but it has many useful functions, such as scheduling, labelling, and theme customisation. In this article, we will share how these features can be helpful and some tips and tricks that you may not already be aware of.
Scheduling Emails for the Future
We all have times when we think of something we want to say or a picture we want to send, but it is either too early or too late to send it. This is where Google’s Schedule Send feature comes in handy. This feature allows you to delay the sending of an email until a preferred time in the future, or whenever you choose. For example, you can schedule an email to send over a year in advance if you want. There is no limit to how far in advance you can schedule an email, which is a really useful option to have. Here are the instructions for using this feature.
- Open Gmail on your device and click on the pencil icon to compose an email.
- Enter the recipient’s email address and subject, and begin composing your email.
- Once you are finished, click on the triple-dot menu in the top-right corner and choose “Schedule Send” from the context menu.
- Select the date and time you want the email to be sent using the “Pick date and time” option.
- Click “Schedule Send” and confirm your action.
- That’s it! Your email will be automatically sent at the date and time you have selected.
To schedule an email using Gmail on the web, go to gmail.com in your preferred browser and compose your email. After composing the email, you can find the “Schedule send” option in the “Send” drop-down menu.
Similar to the mobile version, you can choose a time from the Google presets or select a custom date and time to schedule the email. You can also cancel or delete any scheduled emails from the “Scheduled” menu. Cancelled emails can be found in the “Drafts” folder, while deleted emails can be found in the “Trash.
Using labels in Gmail
Labels in Gmail are like dynamic folders that you can use to organise and sort your emails. This is a useful feature for those who want to keep their inbox organized. You can create rules for new emails coming into your inbox and automatically sort them into labels. You can also change the colour of your labels to make it easier to find and manage them. Please note that the ability to change label colours is currently only available in Gmail on the web.
- To create a label, click on the “+” icon in the left sidebar.
- Name your label and choose a label colour from the sidebar.
- To choose additional colours, hover your mouse over the label and click on the triple-dot menu.
- Select a colour from the options provided by Gmail, or create your custom colour for added visual flair.
- That’s it!
Creating email rules in Gmail
You can create rules in Gmail to automatically add labels to your emails, such as placing tax-related documents and receipts under one label for easy management and search. In addition to this, emails can also be automatically forwarded, deleted, archived, and much more. To create rules for incoming emails, follow these instructions:
- Open gmail.com on the web and click on the “Adjustment” icon next to the search bar at the top.
- Set the parameters for your rule and click “Create Filter.”
- On the context page, define a set of emails from a certain sender or include certain terms.
- Click “Apply the label” and choose the label you want to use or set other parameters, such as categorising as primary.
- Click “Create Filter,” and your emails will now be automatically processed according to your rules, such as being deleted, starred, or moved into existing labels.
- If you don’t see the desired result, you can repeat the process by creating a new filter.
- Creating rules for incoming emails is a helpful feature in Gmail that can assist with staying organised.
Take some time to explore these rules and see which ones work best for you. There are many ways to use these features, and it is not possible to cover every use case in this guide. Experiment and see what works best for you.
Enabling the Unread Message Icon in the Chrome Tab
A helpful feature that you can enable is the unread message icon in the Chrome tab, which displays the number of unread emails you have. Here’s how to enable this feature:
- Go to gmail.com in Google Chrome and click on the gear icon in the upper-right corner of the screen.
- Click on “See all settings” from the Quick Settings.
- Navigate to the “Advanced” section in the navigation menu.
- At the bottom, you will see an option to enable the “Unread Message icon.”
- Click “Save changes” and you’re all set!”
With this feature enabled, you now have a favicon that displays the number of unread emails you have. This makes it easier to quickly identify when you need to check your inbox.
Gmail Viewing Modes
Gmail offers two viewing modes: a condensed mode that displays all information in a compact format and a spaced-out mode that provides more space between elements. Here’s how to switch between these modes:
- Go to Gmail on your browser and click on the gear icon in the upper-right corner.
- From the Quick Settings, you will see options for “Density,” including “Default,” “Comfortable,” and “Compact.”
- Select the option that works best for you and click “Save Changes.
Some Gmail features are purely for enhancing the user experience or adding a personal touch, and the theme feature falls into this category. Instead of using the default white or black theme, you can choose a theme that better reflects your style.
- From the Quick Settings, you will see options for different themes.
- Click on “View all” to browse additional themes or customise your theme.
- Please note that there is a limit of 20 MB for using your image as a background.
- Select your desired theme and click “Save.”
- That’s it!”
With these steps, you should now have a new theme applied to your Gmail background. There is no limit to how many times you can change the background or theme of your Gmail account.
Turning off Google Chat/Meet in Gmail
Some features in Gmail are useful when enabled, while others may be better disabled. Google Chat and Meet are examples of features that can be useful for communication but may also clutter up Gmail, which can be prone to clutter as it is. Whether you choose to disable Google Chat and Meet is up to your personal preference and how you use Gmail. If you do not use these features and want to declutter your Gmail experience, here’s how to disable them:
- Go to Gmail in your web browser and click on the gear icon to open the Quick Settings page.
- Click on “See all settings” and navigate to the “Chat and Meet” option in the top navigation menu.
- Check the box next to “Hide the Meet section in the main menu.”
- Click “Save changes” to confirm your action.
Note that you do not need to disable the chat option in Gmail if you do not want to. It is a matter of personal preference and how you use the email client. Once you click “Save changes,” refresh your Gmail, and the changes will be reflected visually. With these features disabled, the sidebar will be less cluttered and may be easier to navigate.
Confidential Mode
Gmail also includes a privacy-centric feature called Confidential Mode, which adds extra layers of security to outgoing emails. By enabling Confidential Mode, you can block the ability for recipients to forward, copy, print, or download the emails you send. You can also set a time limit for emails to expire and be automatically deleted. Additionally, you can protect the contents of an email with an SMS passcode. To send emails in confidential mode, follow these steps:
- Open Gmail and compose a new email. On a mobile device, tap on the triple-dot menu in the upper-right corner of the screen. Then, tap on “Confidential mode.” On a desktop, click on the “Lock with a clock” icon to enable Confidential Mode. Adjust the settings according to your needs. That’s it! You have now enabled Confidential Mode for your outgoing email.
Confirm Send, Delete, or Archive
If you ever accidentally delete or archive an email, it can be stressful. Fortunately, Google has a contingency plan to help ease the stress. You can enable confirmations for each action, such as deleting or archiving, so you are always fully aware of what is happening. To access these settings, follow these steps:
- Open Gmail and tap on the hamburger menu located on the left side of the screen.
- Navigate to the settings and tap on the general settings.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the general settings and find the action confirmation section.
- Check the checkboxes for “Confirm before deleting,” “Confirm before archiving,” and “Confirm before sending.”
- That’s it! You have now enabled confirmations for deleting, archiving, and sending emails in Gmail.”
This is a helpful feature provided by Gmail that can give you an extra level of peace of mind when using options such as deleting, archiving, and sending emails. Enabling confirmations can help you avoid accidental actions and ensure that you are fully aware of what you are doing in your email account.
Undo Send
If you have ever sent the wrong email, you can undo the sending of emails that you may need to adjust or that you may not have worded correctly. This feature is set to a default of 5 seconds, but this may not be a sufficient amount of time. You can adjust this period from 5 seconds to 30 seconds with this simple tweak.
- Open Gmail and click on the Settings icon in the top-right corner.
- From the Settings menu, click on “See all settings.”
- Under the “General” tab, you will find the option labelled “Undo Send.”
- From this menu, you can use the drop-down menu to adjust the send cancellation period from 5 seconds to 30 seconds.
- Once you have made your selection, click “Save Changes” to confirm your action. That’s it!
On a desktop, you have the option to press “Undo” after sending an email. This will revert the email to your draft section. This can be useful if you are concerned about sending things off too early.
Offline Mode for Desktop
Another feature that is exclusive to the desktop version is the ability to access all of your emails and specific content, even if you do not have an internet connection. This is a built-in feature on mobile devices, so you do not have to do anything to access it. The desktop version also allows you to store emails for up to 90 days, allowing you to reference them at any time, even if you do not have internet access.
- Open Gmail in your browser and click on the gear icon located in the upper-right corner of the screen.
- Click on “See all settings,” and then, from the top navigation menu, click on “Offline.”
- Check the checkbox for “Enable Offline Mail.”
- You can customise the number of emails you want to store by clicking on “Stored Emails” from the drop-down menu.
- Choose the number of days and click on “Save changes” to confirm your action.
After enabling offline access, you will no longer need to wait for a stable internet connection or WiFi to access your emails, as you will be able to do so offline.
Expanded email address aliases with your standard email
Did you know that Google uniquely handles email addresses? This means that you can add or remove certain characters, such as full stops or plus signs, to create aliases for your standard email address. For example, you could add “plus Twitter” or “plus Instagram” to your existing Gmail address to create separation within your account. This can be useful if you want to use a dedicated email for specific purposes.
You can create email aliases by adding characters such as plus signs to your standard email address. For example, you could use “username+twitter@gmail.com” or “username+instagram@gmail.com.” Google does not read full stops or plus signs, so you can still receive and send emails using these modified email addresses. This can be useful for navigating specific email addresses.
These are just a few of the lesser-known features of Gmail. There are many other things you can do with Gmail to enhance your experience, especially if you are not a power user. Gmail is a powerful tool, and with these tips, you can become a real power user. If we have missed anything that you feel is important, please share it with us in the comments below. Stay tuned for more updates in the future.