Gmail is rolling out a redesign to all of its users starting today in an effort to make it possible for control to belong to the users, not to the inbox. As TNW reported earlier, the new design will affect both its Web and mobile applications and features tools to help organize communications you get in a simple and easy way.
For those users accessing Gmail from the desktop, the inbox now features the ability to group mail into categories. Emails can be lumped into one of several themes, including Main, Social, Offers, Notifications, and Forums. The inbox can also be customized: “select the tabs you want from all five to none, drag-and-drop to move messages between tabs, set certain senders to always appear in a particular tab and star messages so that they also appear in the Primary tab.”
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If you’re a mobile user, Gmail has now been updated for both iOS and Android devices. As revealed during the company’s I/O developer conference, Gmail now includes the “hamburger” button that, when tapped, will reveal a menu sliding out from the left which allows for easy access to other tabs. The inbox also includes the smart labels as well so that users can quickly access emails stored within each category.
Of course, if you’re not a fan of the new redesign, Gmail is giving users the option to switch off all the optional tabs and go back to the classic view or any other theme you’re running.
Not everyone will get the redesign right away — rather it’s going to become available within the next few weeks. That’s probably why you won’t see the update when you try and update your mobile apps. But if you’re interested in trying it out on the desktop first, Gmail says that a “Configure inbox” menu option will soon appear in the gear menu within the Settings screen.
Photo credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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