Official Gmail Blog
News, tips and tricks from Google's Gmail team and friends.
A first step toward more global email
August 5, 2014
Posted by Pedro Chaparro Monferrer, Software Engineer
Cross-posted on the
Official Google Blog
Whether your email address is firstname.lastname@ or something more expressive like corgicrazy@, an email address says something about who you are. But from the start, email addresses have always required you to use non-accented Latin characters when signing up. Less than half of the world’s population has a mother tongue that uses the Latin alphabet. And even fewer people use only the letters A-Z. So if your name (or that of your favorite pet) contains accented characters (like “José Ramón”) or is written in another script like Chinese or Devanagari, your email address options are limited.
But all that could change. In 2012, an organization called the
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
created a new email
standard
that supports addresses with non-Latin and accented Latin characters (e.g. 武@メール.グーグル). In order for this standard to become a reality, every email provider and every website that asks you for your email address must adopt it. That’s obviously a tough hill to climb. The technology is there, but someone has to take the first step.
Today we're ready to be that someone. Starting now, Gmail (and shortly, Calendar) will recognize addresses that contain accented or non-Latin characters. This means Gmail users can send emails to, and receive emails from, people who have these characters in their email addresses. Of course, this is just a first step and there’s still a ways to go. In the future, we want to make it possible for you to use them to create Gmail accounts.
Last month, we
announced the addition of 13 new languages
in Gmail. Language should never be a barrier when it comes to connecting with others and with this step forward, truly global email is now even closer to becoming a reality.
Gmail and Google Drive — working better together while you’re on-the-go
July 24, 2014
Posted by Simon Forsyth, Software Engineer
Important stuff doesn't always happen when you’re conveniently sitting at your desk. Maybe you're out to dinner when your boss tells you that she needs the latest project proposal ASAP, or your daughter calls you on your commute home to ask you to proofread her college essay (that’s of course due that night!). While we can't make your life more predictable, today's update to the Gmail iOS app, along with
earlier
updates
to the Gmail Android app, makes it easier to get stuff done on-the-go.
Just like with
Gmail on the web
, you can now insert files from Google Drive directly into an email on your phone or tablet.
The apps will even tell you if your file isn’t shared with the person you’re sending it to so you can change the sharing settings before you send it. And to help you store all your files in a single place, if someone sends you an email attachment, you can save it directly to Drive with one tap.
On iOS, you can now also change your profile picture right from your Settings. So the next time you take that
perfect selfie
, you can make it your profile picture right away, all while out with friends. Lastly, if you have multiple Gmail accounts, you can choose which signed-in accounts you want visible in the app.
You can give these features a try by downloading the updated Gmail iOS app from the
App Store
, and if you’re using an Android phone or tablet, you can get the latest version of the Gmail Android app from the
Google Play Store
.
Thirteen new languages for Gmail
July 7, 2014
Posted by Ian Hill, Senior Project Manager, Google Localization
Email is a universal way to communicate. No matter where you are, you can reach anyone else in the world with the press of a button. We take it for granted now, but it's so much easier to keep in touch with people than it was in the old days of pens, paper, and stamps. But there’s still an important barrier we need to overcome to make email truly universal: language. Gmail is already available in 58 languages, and today we’re bringing that total to 71—covering 94 percent of the world’s Internet population and bringing us closer to our goal of making sure that, no matter what language you write in, you can use it in Gmail.
These 13 new languages are joining the Gmail family: Afrikaans, Armenian, Azerbaijani (Azeri), Chinese (Hong Kong), French (Canada), Galician, Georgian, Khmer, Lao, Mongolian, Nepali, Sinhala, and Zulu.
As any native speaker knows, each language has its own nuances, so we worked closely with linguists to make sure the tone and style are just right. For example, both Hong Kong and Taiwan use
traditional Chinese characters
. However, you’ll notice that Gmail’s new Chinese (Hong Kong) language uses 收件箱 for “Inbox” instead of 收件匣, which is a word more common in Taiwan.
All 13 languages are rolling out today in Gmail on the web and feature phone browsers.
Try out any one of them by going to your Settings
. It’s much easier than finding the right postage.
The photos from your phone, now one click away
April 15, 2014
Posted by Thijs van As, Product Manager
Unless you’re a budding
Ansel Adams
, odds are you take most of your photos using your phone. And whether it’s photos of your hiking trip or a night out, sending photos to friends and family just got easier. Starting today, you can save time and insert your
Auto Backup
photos from your phone into Gmail messages on the web using the new
Insert Photo
button.
When you click the button, you'll instantly access all the photos that are backed up from your mobile devices, starting with the most recent.
If you upload and organize your photos into albums on
Google Photos
, you can also share entire albums. Plus, you can now resize images while composing messages by dragging on any corner to make your snapshot picture perfect.
These new features will be rolling out today in Gmail on the web. If you haven’t already,
turn on Auto Backup
so you can easily include photos from your latest adventures in emails to family and friends.
Gmail Shelfies are so yesterday. Share your custom theme instead
April 2, 2014
Posted by Greg Bullock, Software Engineer
Shelfies are
so
yesterday, so we’re saying goodbye to
Gmail Shelfie
. That said, many of you told us that you loved the concepts of themes and sharing together, so we worked through the night to update this feature into something even better. Today, we’re excited to announce that you can now share any custom theme—your favorite vacation spot, pet, family photo or even, yes, a selfie—with friends, loved ones or anyone.
If you’re using a custom theme that you want shared, simply click on “Share your theme” under
Themes in Settings
.
And if you opted into Gmail's top trending Shelfies theme, then you can either update to your own custom theme or follow the
Gmail Google+ page
where we’ll be sharing some of our favorites on “Theme Thursdays.”
Introducing Gmail Shelfie
April 1, 2014
Posted by Greg Bullock, Software Engineer
Today, Gmail hits the double digits. Over the last 10 years, you—our users—have been our biggest inspiration. You've sent us ideas for features you want, and told us what you like (and didn't like...). So while it may be
our
birthday, we want to say thank you to
you
with a gift that is, well, all about you.
When
custom themes
launched back in 2012, we urged you to find “your perfect image and make Gmail your own.” And you did. Many of you rushed to take photos of yourselves to upload as your Gmail custom theme, which you started referring to as
selfies
.
An early selfie in Gmail
As you undoubtedly recall, this term quickly spread beyond email themes and has permeated our culture so thoroughly that the Oxford Dictionaries named it
Word of the Year in 2013
.
Custom themes catalyzed selfie generation
You all love setting selfies as your custom theme in Gmail, but you’ve told us there’s one major problem: there isn’t a way to share your selfie with others. As the pioneering platform for selfies, Gmail is committed to being at the forefront of innovation in the selfie space. And we think it's a tragedy that your handsome hair, luscious lashes and beautiful brows have been trapped in your own inbox. Until now, that is. Today, we’re proud to free your selfies by launching
Gmail Shelfie
,
the
SH
areable s
ELFIE
.
Gmail Shelfie is built on the idea that you shouldn’t be selfish with your selfie. With just a few clicks, your mom, your aunt, or that girl you have a crush on can set your Shelfie as their Gmail theme so they can enjoy checking, reading, and writing emails while seeing
your
friendly face in the background.
Got an awesome selfie? Upgrade it to a Shelfie! Simply open or refresh Gmail on the desktop and share it with your friends. If you're looking for inspiration,
set your theme to Gmail's top trending Shelfies
. You can also see who's currently trending on our
Google+ page
.
Spoiler alert: Word of the Year 2014 will be Shelfie... clearly.
A new, more visual way to view your Promotions tab
March 25, 2014
Posted by Aaron Rothman, Product Manager
Promotional mail has a lot of images, from pictures of snazzy new shoes to photos of that rock-climbing gym you’ve been wanting to try. But right now, those images are buried inside your messages—and with only subject lines to go on, it can be a challenge to quickly pick out the deals and offers that interest you most. To help you find what you’re looking for faster, you can now sign up for a new
field trial
for Gmail that lets you view the Promotions tab in a more visual way.
To take part in this field trial, you can sign up at
g.co/gmailfieldtrial
and if you’re selected, a new grid view will bring to the top of your inbox key images from deals, offers, and other marketing emails if you
have the Promotions tab enabled
. Grid view also comes with infinite scrolling, making it easy to quickly scan through your messages and find the ones that look interesting.
You’ll be able to toggle between the new visual grid view and the standard list view by clicking a button at the top of the tab. We’re just experimenting for now, but we hope this view will make it a little bit easier for you to get things done. Sign up at
g.co/gmailfieldtrial
and if you're selected, we’ll follow up for your feedback!
Note: If you send promotional emails, check out the
Gmail Developers site
to learn how you can give your readers a better experience in Gmail using this feature.
Staying at the forefront of email security and reliability: HTTPS-only and 99.978% availability
March 20, 2014
Posted by Nicolas Lidzborski, Gmail Security Engineering Lead
Cross-posted on the
Official Google Blog
Your email is important to you, and making sure it stays safe and always available is important to us. As you go about your day reading, writing, and checking messages, there are tons of security measures running behind the scenes to keep your email safe, secure, and there whenever you need it.
Starting today, Gmail will always use an encrypted HTTPS connection when you check or send email. Gmail
has supported HTTPS
since the day it launched, and in 2010 we made
HTTPS the default
. Today's change means that no one can listen in on your messages as they go back and forth between you and Gmail’s servers—no matter if you're using public WiFi or logging in from your computer, phone or tablet.
In addition, every single email message you send or receive—100% of them—is encrypted while moving internally. This ensures that your messages are safe not only when they move between you and Gmail's servers, but also as they move between Google's data centers—something we made a top priority after last summer’s revelations.
Of course, being able to access your email is just as important as keeping it safe and secure. In 2013, Gmail was available 99.978% of the time, which averages to less than two hours of disruption for a user for the entire year. Our engineering experts look after Google's services 24x7 and if a problem ever arises, they're on the case immediately. We keep you informed by posting updates on the
Apps Status Dashboard
until the issue is fixed, and we always conduct a full analysis on the problem to prevent it from happening again.
Our commitment to the security and reliability of your email is absolute, and we’re constantly working on ways to improve. You can learn about additional ways to keep yourself safe online, like
creating strong passwords
and
enabling 2-step verification
, by visiting the Security Center:
https://www.google.com/help/security
.
Get your mail faster on the Gmail iOS app
March 5, 2014
Posted by Melissa Dominguez, Software Engineer
Whether you’re checking your email first thing in the morning or as you’re waiting in line at the grocery store, you want to get your messages as quickly as possible. With today’s update to the
Gmail iOS App
, it’s easier to do just that.
The app now fully supports background app refresh, which means your Gmail messages will be pre-fetched and synced so they’re right there when you open the app—no more annoying pauses while you wait for your inbox to refresh. This feature requires iOS 7, and you’ll also need to
turn on background app refresh
and notifications (badge or any other type) for the Gmail app.
The Gmail app also now supports sign-in across Google iOS apps, including Maps, Drive, YouTube and Chrome. Sign in to one, and you’ll be signed in to all (this also works for signing out). So you won’t have to type in that 27-character password or retrieve your
2-step verification code
every time you navigate to another Google app. You may need to re-login after you update the app, but then you’ll be all set.
Head over to the
App Store
now to download the updated app so you can save a bit more time each day.
New holiday calendars
February 3, 2014
Posted by Ronnie Falcon, Associate Product Manager Intern
Interested in celebrating Carnival with your cousin in Argentina, or not sure when your friend in Zurich is off for the Swiss National Day holiday? You can now choose from 30 additional country
holiday calendars
in Google Calendar to help keep track of special occasions in different countries so there’ll be even more to celebrate.
The calendars, which will be rolled out over the next few days, also contain a wider variety of holidays and display dates for holidays further into the future, so you can have enough time to book a flight to Buenos Aires to join your cousin for the
water games
, or ask your friend to send you a dozen
August-Weggen
.
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