Gmail gets drag & drop labels, hidden labels, and more…
Google has today added a number of updates to the way labels work in GMail.
The popular email app now lets you drag and drop your labels to see them act more like folders of sorts. They can be placed above your chat list and sit along side drafts, starred and the other core labels.
You can now also hide labels that you just generally don’t use. They’re not technically hidden of course, they’re simply placed in a “more” section, making them convenient to access when you might need them again.
You can edit labels in bulk in your settings panel too, but most excitingly (at least for me), you can now drag and drop messages into labels – making the app more desktop like than ever before.
The blog post announcing the update, highlights the fact that this will mean the end of one of Gmail’s first lab features – Right-Side Labels. Google say they always had aimed to make the most popular Gmail lab features an fully integrated part of gmail in the long term, and it appears that Right-Side Labels is the first to make the cut.
Disappointingly, I can’t see the new features enabled in Google Apps just yet. If anyone does, please do let us know.
Based in London, Zee is Editor in Chief of The Next Web and Principal at online marketing and new media agency WeDoCreative . Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
I can’t get it to work. Now arrows for hiding labels and can’t drag and drop. All looks the same to me (except that my labels section has gone back to the left side having only just found out how to move it to the right….
I have the new interface on Google Apps, and there was a nice pop-up to quickly alert me to it. It’s kinda nice to get more screen width (now that right-side labels has gone).
There must be an option to show labels with unread messages before the remaining labels.
I HATE these changes. Just when I have everything set up the way I like it they start messing up and make changes that affect everyone regaredless of choice. I used to keep my labels hidden and use the quick links to access the labels I wanted. Now that functionality is gone.
IMO it’s a great improvement. Previously you could only hide/unhide all of your labels at once. This update puts a solid end to my wondering When is Folders4Gmail (in BetterGmail extension) ever going to work for me. thx Gamil!
I wish this was part of labs and therefore a choice to enable or not. I really like folder4gmail and the killed it!!!!
New labels work in Google Apps over here. You probably have to change the Google Apps settings so it allows your users to use new features.
I like the new feature but I’m using gmail redesigned and now can’t see any of the labels as they’re now in a really dark blue colour!
Anyone else got this problem and know how to fix it?