Gmail is the free email service from Google and is being used by millions of users worldwide. With its popular free services any user can open their virtual workplace within hours. Since from the inception Google has changed its user interface with new services to assist its worldwide audience. They have developed innovative services to facilitate users virtually. Google Gmail is served with fast servers on back-end, which ensure fast delivery of mails. However security and flexibility is the core feature of Google Gmail service. As resulted Gmail is the first choice of many new and existing users for their virtual hangouts.

As we all know that Google is continuously introducing new features in its ambitious mail service, so lets experience and know about its popular features. However we already use few below mentioned Gmail features regularly in our daily surfing.

Popular Gmail Features

a) Google search technology:  This is the most popular technology from the Google. As this technology is being used in searching and indexing of web records by Google.  Gmail has also the glimpse of this technology as it provides user to search specific mails from their inbox. This search bar is placed on top of the Gmail template. Users can now search particular mails from their inbox quickly, instead of checking one by one.

b) Gmail “Undo” feature:  We use this feature to retrieve any deleted mail accidentally. This feature remains opened for few seconds after deleting any mail or group of mails.

c) Importance markers: With this new feature Gmail analyzes and predict our new incoming messages on the basis of conversation history. After that it places them in the category of Important or regular messages. It is shown as ‘Yellow Mark‘ in front of mails.

d) Send and Archive:  Archiving removes messages from our inbox, but keeps them in our account so that we can always find them later. Archiving is like moving messages into a filing cabinet for safekeeping, rather than putting them in the trash can.  It cleans our inbox by saving our messages in form of archived messages(which usually stays in our account).

Note: In real time, when we delete a message (instead of archiving), then it automatically and permanently deleted after about 30 days. Users can show “Send & Archive” button in Gmail Settings. By default this option is hidden in “Gmail settings“.

e) Google Tabs: With Gmail new responsive interface this feature has evolved like a new pick of the innovative features at Google. Gmail has sorted incoming mails according to their communication channel such as Primary,Social,Promotions,Updates,Forums with new Gmail Tabs.

f) Display External Images: This feature provides the facility to load external images with messages. If users has slow network connection, then they can tell Gmail to ask users before displaying any external images. Users can change this behavior by changing image settings in “Gmail Settings“. By default Gmail automatically loads images in messages.

Importance of safe images with mails:

By giving such secure feature Gmail saves users for being tracked by third party mail senders. Gmail serves all images through their own Image proxy servers and encodes them before delivered to users. With Gmail secure feature mail senders can’t do following things such as:

i) Mail senders can’t use images to get user information like IP addresses or location.
ii) Gmail checks images for any malware before being delivered to users.
iii) Third party mail senders can’t read browser cookies by loading external images in mails.

Note: Gmail scans every mails before delivered to users inbox. If Gmail found any suspicious mail then they ask users for displaying external images or not.

g) Gmail offline: Gmail offline features provides the facility to support offline access, allowing mail to be read, responded to, searched and archived without network access. When we start Gmail Offline at first, then it automatically synchronize messages and queued actions anytime Chrome is running and an Internet connection is available. More than just an offline app, the streamlined user interface, based off Gmail’s popular tablet interface, provides extremely fast response time with a pure, email focused experience. Users can download this app from Google Chrome Web Store.

h) Gmail Labs: Under this feature Gmail continuously tested their product before being produced for real time action. Gmail can change or disappear its Gmail labs gadgets anytime. Users can test their gadgets into their inbox to get more innovative features. They can also change their Gmail labs settings in “Gmail Settings“.

Note: Above mentioned Gmail features are subject to change anytime as per Google Gmail program policies. Google Gmail can upgrade or depreciate its features anytime, so users are advised to stay updated with Gmail services and products.

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