For the three people out there who don’t use GMail, this might not be for you, but then again details of the new GMail layout might be enough to convince you that AOL, earthlink or hotmail accounts are really a thing of the past.
Nevermind the fact that Google’s GMail gives you nearly unlimited space, or the fact that you probably already have a Google login ID and password. This new design and added functionality makes GMail even easier to use and gives you more of what you want, the ability to easily communicate with friends and colleagues.
Details on the Updates and Improvements
The brains at Google have put together a quick video to highlight the updates and improvements. Watch or jump down below the video for a reader friendly version.
- Streamlined Conversations – Integrated profile pics and a better layout for conversations make emails more like an ongoing chat.
- Automatic Sizing – Expand your browser to full screen or reduce it down. GMail will keep up and automatically resize to match you preference
- HD Themes – Dark images behind your email look really sharp in the new design, so Google has given you a few choices of background images (courtesy of iStockPhoto) to liven up your screen.
- Smarter Navigation – Over on the left hand side, you’ll have more control over your email options, chat, contacts, etc.
- Better Search – For those who reference old emails regularly (like me) you’ll have more ways to track down messages using filters.
Switching to the New Look
The new look is rolling out for everyone slowly, but you can go ahead and make the switch now. Here’s how.
- Open you Gmail and look in the bottom right-hand corner
- Click on the link that reads “Switch to the new look”
- Follow the on-screen prompts to enable the new layout
Change Your Theme
In order to take full advantage of the new design and HD images, you should really change your theme. Otherwise you might not see all of the possibilities of the new GMail. Here’s how:
- With your GMail open, look for the “gear” in the upper right-hand area (image below)
- Select Themes
- Look for the area labeled HD Themes and pick any of the existing options
**Personally, I think the darkest images look best as a background image
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Tags: Contacts, conversations, email, friends, Gmail, Google, themes
