Check out the tips and other hidden features of Gmail to know all the secrets of Google mail.
Google’s messaging service is full of hidden features. In addition to the certain parameters that must be activated manually, Gmail offers many features which, once mastered, will allow you to get the most out of messaging. Those who use Gmail on a daily basis, for personal and professional reasons, will no doubt find these ten tips a way to improve their productivity.
1. Cancel sending an email
Did you know that Gmail allows you to cancel sending an email after the fact? Natively, the mailbox is configured to allow you to cancel sending an email up to five seconds after clicking the send button. You can increase this delay and thus give yourself an extra chance to cancel sending an email with an embarrassing mistake by going to the settings of the box.
Click on the cogwheel at the top right, then enter the Settings box.
In the General tab, locate the Cancel sending section, and modify the cancellation period by clicking on the drop-down menu displayed. To maximize your chances of canceling a shipment, select a 30 second cancellation period.
After sending an email, you will see a dialog box displayed at the bottom left of the window. It is from the latter that you can recall an e-mail sent in error.
2. Use keyboard shortcuts
Google offers many keyboard shortcuts for browsing and using Gmail. To take advantage of them, you must first activate them. Enter the settings of the box by clicking on the cogwheel at the top right then, in the General tab, scroll down to find the section dedicated to keyboard shortcuts to activate it.
Once the shortcuts are activated, you can go to the dedicated page to discover and remember the most useful shortcuts for your use.
There you will find dedicated shortcuts for composing messages, formatting text, navigating the inbox, and even controlling Hangouts conversations.
3. Set up an automatic response
Do you plan to be away for a few days and disconnect? Don’t forget to set up an automatic reply. You can indicate your return date, direct the person who contacted you to another interlocutor, or in case of emergency, indicate another way to reach you.
To activate it, go to Gmail Settings and, from the General tab, scroll all the way to the bottom. You can then activate the automatic reply and, if you wish, configure a start and end date.
4. Manage several mailboxes in one
Why connect to three different email accounts when you can manage everything from one place? Gmail includes a function offering users the possibility of configuring their mailbox so that it retrieves messages received from other mailboxes.
Open Gmail Settings, and go to the Account & Import tab. In the Consult other e-mail accounts line, click Add an e-mail account.
Depending on the mail service used, your Gmail mailbox will be able to import all the messages received on it.
Even better, when you’ve set up viewing other email accounts, you’ll be able to use Gmail to send emails using a different address.
To do this, you will need to select the address to be used mainly from the Send e-mails as menu, or select the e-mail address on the fly from the window for composing a message.
5. Display a preview pane
Many users don’t know it, but Gmail offers the option to display a preview pane in their mailbox.
Once configured, the preview pane allows you to display on one side the list of messages present in the inbox, on the other, the preview of the selected message, a much more practical function than viewing native that requires you to display a full-page email and return to the previous page to choose the next message to open.
6. Disconnect your session remotely
Have you logged in to your Gmail inbox from a PC other than your own and you are worried that you forgot to log out? Do not panic !
Gmail allows you to disconnect all active connections to your mailbox, regardless of the device on which you are logged in. To urgently sign out, scroll all the way to the bottom of your inbox, then in the lower right corner, under Last Account Activity, click Details.
A new window opens and lists the last active sessions on your account. There you will find the type of browser used, the location via the IP address and the date of connection. You can easily disconnect all other Gmail web sessions by clicking the button at the top left.
7. Create filters
Do some e-mails get you mad? You can filter them very easily and send them straight to the trash without seeing them appear in your inbox. To do this, enter the mailbox settings, then go to the Filters and blocked addresses tab.
Then click on Create filter. In the window that appears, fill in the fields to define a blocking rule: you can block a mail by directly entering the e-mail address of its sender, but also indicate keywords which, if they appear, will send the message directly to the Spam folder.
8. Find out who has used your email address without your permission.
Google mail does not differentiate between email addresses that include one or more periods (.) In its syntax. If your Gmail address is in the format FirstnameLastname@gmail.com, an email sent to the address Firstname.Lastname@gmail.com will also arrive in your inbox.
From then on, it becomes quite easy to identify the sites that are reselling your data despite your categorical refusal when you fill out an online form. When entering your email address, add one or more points anywhere in your Gmail address.
When you receive a suspicious email, you will only have to check the syntax of your email address to identify the author of the leak.
9. Master the search engine
If finding a specific message is done quickly enough by entering a keyword in the Gmail search engine, it is possible to improve your search results by adding additional constraints. Click on the small arrow displayed at the end of the search field.
Gmail’s search engine unfolds and displays all of its options. From there, you can very easily configure your search to display in the results only messages that strictly comply with the configured conditions.
10. Purge your mailbox to free up space
Are you about to reach the limit of your free storage space on your Gmail inbox? Before you blindly delete the latest emails you received, you’ll be able to quickly find and delete the messages you don’t need using these six tips to free up space on your Gmail inbox.