15 best tools to enhance your gmail experience
Gmail is among the most trusted and the most used e-mail service. With all the features that users enjoy particularly because of the other connected Google apps and services, Gmail is but something that virtually everyone is recommended to have an account with.
However, despite the reputation, it is nevertheless not excused from flaws and imperfections.
Thankfully, we have been given a lot of ‘extras’ for us to continue and even further enjoying our Gmail experience. From plugins to browser-based extensions, we’re also proud that Google is welcoming all of these third-party apps to help us in our needs.
Security, productivity, and speed—these are some of the factors why we would look for them, and today, we’re all going to shop along these great ideas, and may even decide to use them on our own accounts.
1. Cloudy
From the word itself, you know that this tool is something to do with the cloud. What Cloudy actually does is to help you get your files from your cloud storage services (such as Dropbox) and attach them to the e-mail on the fly.
No need to download the file to your local storage and upload it again.
Cloudy supports cloud storages like Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, Github, and SkyDrive. You can also pin notes from your Evernote account, or even directly attach a photo from Facebook.
Though I’d say Cloudy is still in the development phase, it still works and is still very helpful.
2. Signal
Oftentimes, we receive e-mails that are too long only two find that what we’re looking for is only a single sentence. With Signal installed, you can easily edit your e-mails from your inbox in the way you want it to be. Don’t want to include the forwarded message shown as a thread? Remove them. Want to highlight something or put a paragraph into the spotlight? Freely edit them. And just in case you thought you miss something out, Signal will allow you to revert the e-mail back to its original shape and look.
3. Boomerang
One of the most popular tools for Gmail, Boomerang is actually a very feature-rich tool that really enhances your e-mail experience and even help you get productive and efficient with your time.
As what is suggested by the concept of a boomerang, the Boomerang extension can set your new e-mail to be sent at a later time of your choice.
You can also make your Boomerang help you get reminded if a message or a contact needs follow-up. If your recipient is non-responsive, Boomerang can also inform you of that.
Moreover, if you don’t have time for an e-mail now but you want to read it later, let Boomerang help you arrange the follow-up.
And what made Boomerang more amazing is that, it does not only rely on the desktop Chrome browser. You can use it on your smartphone as well by downloading the app.
4. mxHero Email Toolbox
Much like Boomerang but works in a different fashion, mxHero is like a toolbox that sits right whenever you try to compose a message. With this installed, you can easily get notified if your recipient is not responding to your e-mail. You can also set a mail to be sent at a later time, and even get reports each time your recipient interacts with your e-mail.
The self-destruct feature also allows your e-mail to be disposed automatically after a set time, and this means that sending sensitive information can be more of a peace of mind. There’s also a private-delivery feature wherein an e-mail you send to a list of recipients will appear singular to each of the receiver. A commercial or business version is also available just in case you find it really helpful.
5. Checker Plus for Gmail
One of the highly-rated extension for Google Chrome, Checker Plus for Gmail is a powerful desktop notifier for your multiple e-mail accounts.
Unlike any other notifiers out there, this extension by Jason Savard supports HTML pop-up views, real-time (as in real-time) desktop notification even if your browser is closed, support for contact photos or images, voice notifications that even reads your e-mail for you when you’re off the desk, keyboard shortcuts, and can even reply in the same pop-up window!
Why use another desktop e-mail client when you can enjoy this?
6. Signals by HubSpot
Another extension familiar in capabilities with Boomerang and mxHero, Signals again offers a different fashion in terms to letting you stay engaged and productive with your Gmail account. If you’re also an Outlook user, you can also integrate this to help you out.
Features of Signals include an e-mail tracking feature (notifying you if your recipient is currently reading, viewing an attachment, clicked a link, or downloading a file), and an easy button access (on Chrome’s toolbar) to get the latest updates about your collaborators when you tracked them using the tool. However, unless you want to pay $10 a month, the free subscription will only lock you to 200 notifications a month.
7. Gmail Offline
As you’d guessed, this browser-based app will turn your browser into a tablet-like app for viewing your messages offline. It may take a while to make your online mails available locally on your PC, but once it’s done, you can really enjoy it like you’d do on a real tablet.
There’ve been some reported bugs about this app, but if you don’t really care that much, I would like to tell you that this app really works well still.
8. SecureGmail
Want to password-protect—and hence, encrypt—a message so that it will only be viewed by your dedicated recipient? SecureGmail does it right. This means that no other firm or government can read your e-mail except your recipient. Installation is fairly easy, and once an encrypted message is sent, the recipient can also easily decrypt it via a provided link; no other apps or tools needed.
9. RightInbox
RightInbox is more likely a mixture of the essentials of both Boomerang and mxHero and Signals. What you get are features like a schedule-later e-mail sending, e-mail tracking, and e-mail reminders. Unlike the mentioned apps or extensions, RightInbox is a lot simpler and more straightforward.
10. Metisme
If you’re the guy who receives attachments on your Gmail like almost every hour, chances are, finding the right attached document can be a hassle; the built-in search tool won’t really help that much.
Metisme comes saving your day by giving you a collective view of all of your attachments within that e-mail account. You can now easily manage all of your attachments.
What Metisme can do with your attachments are also awesome. You can manually or automatically upload any attachment to a cloud service such as Dropbox or Google Drive for immediate backup and organization.
You can select multiple attachments and take control of them at once, even deleting them together instead of doing it one by one just to save online space.
You can also forward these attachments in one go without going too far. How good is this Metisme for you?
11. WiseStamp
If you do business transactions on Gmail, and you’re fond of using signatures, you don’t want that signature to look boring and dry. How about adding a link to your Facebook or LinkedIn account? How about adding that professional-looking photo of yours? A phone number or website URL, maybe? Get WiseStamp and start customizing your own stamp today.
12. Enhanced Gmail Reader
Thinking that reading a mail from your native Gmail app can be tiresome and a hassle? This Android app for your smart device will help you get notified and be informed of the latest e-mails by reading them aloud for you. The app uses your phone’s native text-to-speech technology, and you can even customize which accounts and which areas should be read. Want it to work only on your headset? Check the settings.
13. CloudMagic
Finding the best search engine dedicated solely for your e-mail accounts but especially Gmail? CloudMagic is probably the best for me simply because it is impressively working fine. With CloudMagic installed, you can easily search for a recipient, a sender, a subject, or even a word from one of your long lost e-mails.
Better than this, the search function is nearly instantaneous and highly responsive, and just in case you have other accounts integrated with the service, the app can also search them altogether as well.
You can also download a separate app for your iOS device or Android device.
These apps will help you search for all of your registered e-mail accounts, whether you’re in your browser or not.
14. Rapportive
Especially if you’re dealing with a lot of new people daily, Rapportive is especially helpful in letting you know the person better and even stay connected in other ways outside Gmail.
Rapportive works by making the right sidebar of your Gmail page a source of information for the contact you selected to view. You can view a person’s photo, geo-location, identity based on social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and even put some notes specific to that person for later reference. All of these are for free, and hence, building rapport with your new clients won’t be that too far anymore.
15. PowerInbox
If you’re always receiving messages to your inbox that contain links to social network sites or even to products sold at Amazon, don’t you want to interact with them right way than opening them in a new tab? PowerInbox does it right by helping you get those common third-party content ready right when you open them from your Gmail. With support for social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, and even some other sites or services like Ustream, Vimeo, MSNBC, and Spotify, you don’t need to do the same routine again—unless you want to see more details.