Inbox is gone now, and no amount of shed tears on the internet is going to bring it back. The good news, if it can be called that, is that Google is trying to bring as many features from Inbox across to Gmail. Seemingly, Google is doing this as quickly as possible.
Perhaps it’s due to backlash, negative publicity, or just a desire to make Gmail better, but on the service’s 15th birthday, we’re getting some further new features which might soften the blow of Inbox’s demise.
Yes, Gmail was first shown to the public on April 1, 2004, and though it feels like Gmail hasn’t actually been around that long, it has. Things have changed an awful lot since then, and the frequency of feature updates is ever increasing.
Today’s new features are some of my favourite from Inbox (and other email services too) – the ability to schedule an outgoing email, and the rollout of smart compose to further languages and further devices.
While smart compose isn’t exactly new this week – we’ve seen it appearing on other Android devices progressively over the last three or four weeks – scheduled sending is a bit newer.
When is it useful? If, like me, you do a lot of work after hours you might be concerned that having emails appear late at night isn’t a great look. From this week, Gmail will be able to schedule those emails to send at a later time, so your late night musings can show up during business hours instead.
Here’s how it works:
This isn’t a feature I (or many others, probably) use often, but it’s a good tool to have available.
Check the Gmail app and web app this week for the feature’s arrival.
SaneBox is an excellent alternative – with comprehensive features and intelligent algorithms, it supports your productivity and keeps your inbox clean.
Email bundling and integration with Google Assistant and Keep reminders next please….
I will be shedding a few tears tomorrow. Email as we know it will be going back in time in terms of functionality.