Google on Thursday announced that its new compose window will become the default option for Gmail users. You can check it out for yourself by heading to Gmail; don’t fret if you don’t see it, the rollout is starting now and continuing “over the next few days.” Google confirmed with TNW that eventually the new compose will fully take over and the old compose will no longer be available.
The feature was first launched in October 2012. Since then, the “new compose experience,” as Google calls it, has received a few upgrades in response to user feedback. Users can send files with Google Drive and use the new pop-out replies option. Google has also added support for originally missing features like starring and labeling when composing and the Canned Responses lab.
For those who haven’t seen it yet, here’s how it looks:
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What makes this view particularly useful is that it pops up over your Gmail inbox. This means you can type your message while viewing all of the contextual information from other messages. Furthermore, profile pictures of your contacts appear as you’re typing addresses, helping you to visually identify them quicker.
The new compose view also shows up when you reply to messages. The new reply window scales the content inside to allow you to see as much of your recipients and controls as possible, even if you have a lot to say.
Here’s the reply version:
Not everyone is bound to like the new compose and reply windows: some users have gotten used to, or simply prefer, how Gmail worked before. If you get switched to the new view but want it back, you can switch back to the old experience, but only temporarily (Click Compose => At the bottom corner of the message pane, click the More menu icon next to the Discard button => Select “Temporarily switch back to old compose”).
For these people, especially, Google is touting the following features (more in the company’s Help Center):
- Fast: Compose messages right from your inbox.
- Simple: Redesigned with a clean, streamlined look.
- Powerful: Check emails as you’re typing, minimize drafts for later, and even compose two messages at once.
If you’re still not sold, Google is asking for feedback on… you guessed it, Google+.
See also – Gmail now lets you insert up to 10GB of Google Drive files directly into an email and Gmail graduates 3 Labs features: Send and archive, Default reply to all, and Quote selected text
Top Image Credit: Johannes Eisele/Getty Images
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