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Gmail's iOS app finally has a unified inbox to view multiple accounts
The Gmail app on iOS just got a major upgrade, allowing users to view multiple email accounts at the same time. This much-wanted feature has been available to Android users for years, but has finally made its over to Apple's operating system. The update has already started rolling out, and will hit all users over the next 15 days.
Google introduces Gmail integrations for Dropbox, Box and more
Today, Google announced new Gmail integrations for G Suite, which is its enterprise offering for business. Now G Suite users will be able to perform actions for popular apps directly from Gmail.
Google limits third-party access to Gmail and other account data
Google isn't just shutting down the consumer version of Google+ as a response to privacy concerns. The company is gradually rolling out a change to its developer tools that will give users much more control over privacy permissions for their account data. Much like permissions in recent Android versions, you'll get permission requests one at a time for various services. You could grant access to Drive, for instance, but turn down Gmail or Calendar permissions.
Facebook’s two-factor ad practices give middle finger to infosec
We've all encountered security questions asking where we went to school, our favorite color or food, our first concert, and the ubiquitous "mother's maiden name." Imagine a world where on one screen you carefully chose Stanford, red, spaghetti and so on, and on the next you were shown ads for Italian restaurants, red shoes, and jobs for Stanford grads. Seems like an insane violation, right? I mean, it stands to reason that we expect that the information we type to secure our online accounts and apps is private and safely guarded.
Google responds to lawmaker concerns over Gmail scanning
In July, Senators John Thune (R-SD), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) sent Google a letter that sought information on Google's practice of allowing third-party app developers access to its users' emails. While Google stopped scanning Gmail messages for ad-targeting purposes earlier this year, it still offers access to others if users give their consent. Now, Google has replied to the lawmakers' letter.
Gmail users will be able to opt out of Smart Replies on desktop
Google's big Gmail redesign, which will become the default for users next month, includes a feature called Smart Reply -- short responses at the bottom of an email that users can choose to send instead of writing their own reply. They've had mixed reviews so far, with some saying they're convenient and others saying they often lack an appropriate tone. But the Wall Street Journal reports that Gmail users will be able to opt out of Smart Reply on the desktop version of Gmail in the coming weeks.
The Gmail Offline Chrome app will disappear after December 3rd
Offline access to our Gmail is a feature that has come, gone and changed before, and 2018 will be no different. While Google's announcement Wednesday that it will pull the plug on Inbox got a lot of the attention, it also revealed that the old Gmail Offline Chrome app would be pulled after December 3rd. For an alternative, Google has prepared a native offline experience in its recent redesign of Gmail that syncs up to 90 days of emails and keeps everything listed in the same familiar interface. That means if you want offline access (useful for flights or other locations that combine dodgy WiFi with a possible need to pull up old messages) you will have to switch to the new experience -- we hope you like it.
Google is discontinuing Inbox
Google launched Inbox in 2014 as a sort of incubator for new approaches to email, but it hasn't been quite so novel in the wake of steady Gmail upgrades, including April's big redesign. Appropriately, the company is sunsetting Inbox at the end of March 2019. The company wants a "more focused approach" to email, according to product manager Matthew Izatt, and that clearly leaves Gmail as the lone survivor.
Google removes accounts tied to Iran-led misinformation campaign
Google shared an update today regarding its efforts to combat state-sponsored phishing attacks and to remove accounts associated with an influence operation linked to Iran. The company said that in recent months, it has detected and blocked state-sponsored groups from targeting political campaigns, journalists, activists and academics with phishing attempts. Along with notifying law enforcement when these sorts of attacks are discovered, Google also notifies affected users, and it issued a series of alerts to Gmail users earlier this week over suspicious emails. It said the emails originated from a wide range of countries. You can read more about that specific round of notifications here.
Gmail's merciful 'undo send' feature comes to Android
Gmail's desktop 'undo send' feature is a godsend for the mashy-handed, letting you recall an email for a short time after you've sent it out into the internet ether. Now -- finally -- it's available on Android with the latest Gmail update (version 8.7).
Gmail's 'Confidential Mode' arrives on mobile devices
Google's big Gmail redesign was revealed this past April (with G Suite customers getting the first look). It became default for everyone starting in July. One of the key features, Confidential Mode, is now available for mobile devices, though not everyone is as confident in its ability to keep your data private.
Now you can disable threaded Gmail conversations for iOS and Android
Google has continued to tweak its Gmail mobile apps to try and make things better for its users. The company introduced AI-powered notifications for iOS, added custom swipe actions for Android and has tweaked its threaded conversation view for years. Search for this latter feature on Google, however, and you'll see a ton of people asking how to disable it. Now Google has made it so you can turn this option off for the Gmail app on iOS and Android.
Dropbox just made it easier to find your files in Gmail
A few years ago, Dropbox partnered with Microsoft, and the official line about the partnership was that the cloud-storage company wanted to help its users work better and easier in the tools they're already used to. For untold millions, Microsoft Office is a big part of that workflow, so tying Dropbox tightly into Office made both services work better. Today, Dropbox is doing the same thing with Google. A partnership between the two companies was announced earlier this year, and today we're seeing the first product: a Dropbox add-on for Gmail.
Google video teases all-white look for Gmail and other apps
Google has been revamping its Material Design guidelines for internal and third-party products. We've already seen previews of how the look of Google's own products will change, from Android to Gmail to Chrome. A video just surfaced showing a glimpse of what those redesigns may end up looking like: Clean, all-white interfaces, according to Ars Technica.
Third-party app developers could be reading your Gmail
Last summer, Google promised to stop scanning your Gmail for keywords that helped them target advertising. However, as The Wall Street Journal points out, Google still allows third-party app developers to scan your inbox. This happens after a user grants them access, but raises questions about whether or not people understand what kind of permission they're giving, and who they're giving it to.
Gmail for iOS is using AI to prioritize your notifications
Mobile email notifications are a nightmare. You always have new email. So as part of its big Gmail redesign, Google is aiming to make alerts for its mobile apps more useful. Starting with the Gmail iOS app (and soon for Android), the company is rolling out notifications for high priority messages. It's powered by AI and machine learning to determine relevant emails. The feature first appeared in Google's Inbox app, something that's serving as a testbed for new capabilities before they roll out to the much larger Gmail audience.
Comey used personal Gmail while FBI director, says federal watchdog
Cast your memory back to the months leading up to the 2016 presidential election and remember the hubbub around then-candidate Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state. FBI director at the time James Comey didn't advise charges against Clinton, then reopened scrutiny in late October days before the election. Whether or not that converted fence-sitters into casting ballots for Trump, his campaign capitalized on the FBI's attention. But according to a report (PDF) by the Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General, Comey himself used a personal Gmail account while operating as director of the agency after the election. The report criticized Comey for using his personal email account for unclassified FBI business, which is understandably inconsistent with DOJ policy, according to CNBC. "I wasn't doing classified work there, so I wasn't concerned about that," Comey is quoted saying.
Choose your own swipe actions with the latest Gmail for Android
While swipe gestures to deal with your email have been around for some time, Gmail for Android just made them even better. If you're running the latest version of the Gmail app (8.5.20) on your phone, you'll now be able to customize the swipe actions instead of just use the default settings. We've confirmed the new functionality, which was originally spotted by Android Police and reported by 9to5Google.
Gmail's major redesign will be available to all in July
Google made it clear from the outset that it was merely matter of time before the new Gmail design reached everyone, and now we know when that's happening. The internet giant has promised "general availability" of the reworked Gmail in July, with G Suite administrators having options to stagger the transition by either letting users opt-in on their own schedule or making them wait four weeks. Don't think you can cling to the old ways forever, though.
Paypal lets you spend money in Gmail, YouTube and more
Android Pay users have been able to dip into their PayPal accounts for a little over a year. Now, the money transfer service has partnered with Google to provide a more seamless way to use it across products like Google Play, YouTube and Gmail.
