7 Gmail tricks you don’t know but should
They’ve become such a part of our everyday life that people sometimes underestimate how complicated email accounts actually are. Gmail is like an iceberg, and if you’re only using it to send and receive you’ve barely scratched the surface. This expert’s guide contains seven tips and tricks every Gmail user should be on top of, so you can make the most of your email account.
1. How to check if someone’s been reading your emails
Here’s a handy one for anyone who’s had a sneaking suspicion someone has been in their inbox. Scroll down in standard inbox view and in the bottom right corner of your window you’ll notice text that says, “Last account activity: X minutes ago”. Expand by clicking details and you will be able to see the IP address used to access your account, and the type of device they were using.
2. Organise your emails with multiple inboxes
You probably already realise that Gmail has split the inbox into three threads – “Primary”, “Social” and “Promotion”. But did you know you can streamline your messages even further? Focus on your unread emails by heading to Settings (under the Inbox tab). Select “Unread First” under the “Inbox Type” drop-down menu, and you’ll be able to focus on message you haven’t read immediately.
3. Undo Send function
Good news for anyone familiar with the agony of sending the wrong email to the wrong person. Gmail has an amazing message cancelling feature, allowing you to unsend an email before the recipient even sees it. To enable this function, go to “Settings” and underneath the “General Tab” select enable for “Undo Send”. Gmail gives you up to 30 seconds to make a cancellation.
4. Altering the theme of your inbox
Sending emails needn’t be a dull, dreary task. Alter the theme of your inbox and express your personality by selecting from the hundreds of beautiful themes available. You can even upload your favourite photo! To change the theme of your inbox, simply click the gear icon, and select “Themes”. Browse through the options or upload your own image and personalise your inbox.
5. Importing mail and contacts from other accounts
If you’ve been keeping that old email account just because you’re concerned about losing important information, we’ve got good news. Gmail makes it easy to import your old mail and contacts to your new email address. Simply go to settings, select the “Accounts and Import” tab, follow the prompts and you can transfer information from your old Hotmail, Yahoo or Outlook account.
6. Using Labels to organise information
Organisation is key when it comes to cutting through the clutter of email accounts, and while Gmail doesn’t employ the traditional folder system of most email setups, it has a handy Label function that works largely in the same way. To Label a particular message, simply select the “More Actions” dropdown menu, then choose “New Label” and organise your inbox accordingly.
7. Auto-response function
Out of town without internet access? Don’t let important emails go unanswered. Gmail has incorporated a handy auto-response feature, allowing you to set up a simple template reply to any email that comes in. To set this up head to “Settings”, go to “General” and scroll down until you reach “Vacation Auto Responder”. Turn this on and create your own personalised message.
So there you have it, an expert guide that will really help you make the most of you Gmail account. And while you might not use all of these features on a daily basis, it’s nice to know they’re there.
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