Gmail’s New Inbox Tabs

Google just unleashed its supposed-to-be-there new feature for its mail client Gmail, and with the new tabs, you are expected to get extra productive as designed.

We would like to argue that the idea of putting tabs to e-mail clients have always been in the generation since a few years ago, so the only surprise we get from the new Gmail function is that why they offered the feature so late. You may want to check it out at https://www.google.com/mail/help/intl/en/features.html.

To introduce, the tabs offered in the new Gmail does not essentially function as real tabs like we always experience in file or internet browsers or other e-mail clients; the tabs offered are only good for the inbox and hence you cannot expect it to work for opening multiple tabs or windows in one same interface. That should cut you a lot of excitement, but at least the tabs offer something interesting.

The Five Tabs: Primary, Social, Promotion, Updates and Forums

There are five tabs that you can optionally enable or complete disable, and these tabs are so-called primary, social, promotions, updates, and forums.

We already knew that the tab social is for social network updates such as those from Facebook or LinkedIn, promotions for some newsletters or some Google offers and many other of the equivalent, updates for other subscriptions or news from your online purchases, forums for notifying you of updates from forums you are a member in, and the primary is actually everything else that is not mentioned in function.

The way Google promises to filter incoming messages can still be questionable or still unripe, but at least so far, there’s not really a big issue with it.

Moving messages in 2 easier ways

For convenience, aside from complete disabling each or every tab that you have, you also are given the chance to move messages in two ways: either by dragging the message to the appropriate tab or folder, or by right-clicking the message, hovering over move to tab, and selecting the tab of your choice.

You can also include starred messages in primary if you prefer that over showing them on other tabs, but that’s all. However, the limits are actually worth mentioning as well: you cannot rearrange or reorder these tabs or even rename them. You cannot add your custom tab.

Lastly, you cannot configure how Google will sort or filter your messages (or in some cases, this is called a ‘rule’).

However, there’s at least a bit of fun using the tabs. New messages that fall on proper tabs are highlighted in colors. Things should really get a lot easier to navigate along, more because Gmail allows you to search your messages directly in the search box.

And if we are talking about having your mail organized to avoid confusion, I would bet you would just keep the messages on the tabs where Google puts it.

Tabs can be enabled or disabled easily by locating the gear icon found on the right side of your Gmail screen.

Under the icon, select Configure inbox, and select the tabs you want to appear. You can also choose to put the starred messages in the primary tab for easy reference of the important messages.

To get to the same pop-up options window with your tabs already on, simply click on the plus (+) icon on the far right of the tabs. To disable one or all tabs, simply uncheck them on the same window.

The tabs feature is also available for smart devices but comes as an update to the latest Gmail app. If you still do not have the Gmail app, you can download yours from Play Store of Google for your Android device (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.talk&hl=en), or from the App Store for your iOS device (https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/id643496868?mt=8).

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