In the 21^st century, advancement in technology and the internet has given birth to a ton of digital services to aid in the communication process, but none are more reliable than simple email communication. The role of emails is no longer constrained to just chatting and sharing of data, it is now primarily focused on being more user-centric with the aim to solve specific problems. Whether managing personal tasks or professional work, email has become a practical tool for every day’s chores.

In the business arena, no matter what the size of the organization, emails have a significant role to play. From business communication, effective form of email marketing, integration of databases to implementing segmentation techniques; emails help in narrowing down the focus to the most promising customers leading to higher sales and better profit margins. It is vital to use the best email service to create a strong online presence. Amongst all the email service providers, Gmail- Google’s most efficient email service dominates the email industry. And not just because of its brand name but mainly due to the high security and services that it has to offer.

Since 2004, Gmail has upgraded its emailing functionality with advanced features and design layout to give an all-around email experience. The new features include undoing sent emails, confidential mode, no more attachment limits, app integrations, managing Google contacts, better security and much more. Here we look deeper into what are the features of the New Gmail and which version is better for your business; the Old Gmail or the New Gmail.

But first, a brief intro on what is Gmail?

Gmail is a free email service or a type of webmail developed by Google in 2004, and now has acquired over 1.5 billion active users across the Globe. Gmail like every other email service provider, performs the basic function of sending and receiving mails over the Internet. Keeping flexibility and efficiency in mind, Gmail can be used on multiple devices whether it is the desktop, mobile phones or even tablets with or without the internet connection.

Some of the other features of Gmail includes it is free to use, storage capacity of 25 GB across three platforms (Google drive, Google + Photos and Gmail), easy accessibility, simple interface, customizable tabs to keep organized, effective spam filters, multiple languages supported and advanced search options. Apart from that it also offers conversation view, built-in chat, call phone, make Video calls, sending money and also allows to easily transfer data from any other email services without switching out of the Gmail platform. To use Gmail, one has to create a Google account. By signing up for a Google account, they can also access other Google services including Google docs, Calendar, YouTube.

Features of the New Gmail that every business should know about

To harness the power of Gmail, one can make use of the advanced features that the new Gmail has to offer.

1. Save time with Smart reply and smart compose

The latest version of Gmail introduced the customized auto-responses or smart reply for their web users, a feature that was already available on the Gmail app. With the help of AI, it will show a list of suggested responses that one can choose from to reply back to the email. Once they have selected the right response, they can send it immediately or tweak it a little bit according to their preference. The smart compose is much similar to the smart reply feature. It quickly composes an email with the help of AI suggested words based on what one is likely to write back.

In both ways, these tailored word recommendations or correct spelling feature saves valuable time for the everyday online daily life especially when composing a message on the go or during a tight business schedule.

2. Nudge

The new and improved version of Gmail includes a Nudge feature. This feature essentially reminds users to respond back or follow up with emails in their inbox that they may have missed out. It automatically brings them to the top of the primary inbox list to remind them to respond back. The Nudge feature is an effective web client especially for business users who receive a ton of emails on a daily basis and can become a tedious task in having to replay to the emails all at once or might forget to reply to an important email

3. Gmail Advanced Search filters

Previously Gmail’s search filters were outdated and ineffective in helping users find specific files or emails. Users would have to manually type in each word in the search filters, for instance label: work, has: attachment, from salesandmarketing@company,com or use the drop-down box  for advanced search results. This was time consuming, inconvenient and many Gmail users did not even make use of the search option. The new Gmail offers advanced search features with the help of the new search filters or ‘search chips’ that narrows down the search results to help users find exactly what they are looking for. These filters or search chop boxes appear below the search bar with a one-click access. There are a variety of filters including search by senders, attachments files & types, words, symbols, specific date and times, text, spreadsheet, PDF and more.

4. Recall or Undo Send messages

Whether it is an important email with a typo error or accidently clicking on the reply all, with the new Gmail, one has the chance to undo an accidentally sent email within a short period of time. The ‘Undo Send’ function in Gmail is a default feature, which allows users to recall the sent email within the cancellation period of 30 seconds. Upon sending the email, an undo option will show up. The user must simply click on the option, and the email will be retracted back to the drafts, where they can edit the message or delete the email entirely.

The Undo Send feature is also available on the updated Gmail app and your mobile devices. The cancellation period can be set by the user on the PC by going to the settings panel, this option is however not on the app.

5. Protect sensitive info with confidential mode

The new Gmail comes with added security features including the confidential mode. The confidential mode protects sensitive data and confidential files by allowing senders to set an expiration date on emails where the emails will automatically disappear from the recipient’s inbox at the specific time frame along with password protection on emails. The confidential mode also allows the sender to send their intended recipient a unique email password/code via SMS. This additional authentication step to view an email protects data if the recipients’ email account is hijacked. Furthermore, certain privileges such as downloading, printing, forwarding or copying is restricted.    

6. Integrate G-Suits and with other services

The new Gmail is more than just an email interface it works as an efficient personal task manager. Google services such as Google calendar, Google Keep, Google Tasks, and apps are integrated and can be quickly accessed through the Gmail interface. One can create notes and To-Do lists and events based on emails, save emails to Evernote or spreadsheets, store attachments within Drive, Dropbox, Onedrive.

Google has also integrated its own G Suite app in Gmail. One can access Hangouts or manage a calendar directly from Gmail’s web app. Third party add-ons such as Trello, Intuit and Docusign from the G-Suite marketplace are also integrated within Gmail’s interface.

7. Work offline

Working on the go means there is no guarantee that one will have a constant Wi-Fi connection. Whether it is a quick break to look over the old email messages or draft a new email, the new Gmail offers offline capabilities to work without any interruption even with limited internet connection. Through the offline mode available on the Chrome browser, users can search, write, delete and archive up to 90 days’ worth of messages.

8. No attachment limits

Previously Gmail had limited the size of sending files up to 25 MB. With Google Drive integrated in the new Gmail account, one no longer needs to worry about sending files larger than 25 MB. Google Drive acts as one unified online cloud storage service with a minimum of 15GB of free storage for Gmail and other Google apps.  Sending a file over 25MB is now possible, simply insert the file through a Google Drive link when composing an email. Sending via Dropbox is another option available offering similar features for Chrome users.

Now the real question is which one is better for your business; Old Gmail or New Gmail?

Gmail has become the all in one email solution for businesses. Setting up a separate business account not only benefits the business owners from the organizational perspective but from the professional optics as well.

The basic mantra of the upgraded version of Gmail is to make life easier by managing as many related tasks as required under one sphere without requiring the users to switch from one place to another. From gaining business-specific productivity goals, effective reach via online promotions & email marketing, storage facilities, prevention of loss of sensitive data, easy integration with third party apps, advanced organizational tools like filters for managing contents, storing business contacts, providing dedicated support channels for customers and business clients alike, Gmail is rated as one of the efficient business tools.

From the cost perspective, old Gmail accounts are less costly and effective for promotional activities but will lack the benefits that new Gmail accounts have to offer. The perks of using new Gmail accounts for business are many, they provide more features that the old Gmail lacks. Depending on the needs of the business, buying new Gmail accounts vs old Gmail accounts will differ.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to transfer all old mails to New Gmail Account?

First option, you can either transfer all the old mails to your new account (Setting – Accounts and Import – Import mails and contacts – Sign in old account – Import) OR second option is managing older accounts from the new Gmail account, keeping both accounts active.

2. How can I go back to the old Gmail from the new Gmail?

You can go back to the previous version of Gmail on the web. Simply click on the settings icons and click on the ‘Go back to classic Gmail’ from the drop down menu.

3. How to switch to the new Gmail version if using the old version?

One can easily switch to the new Gmail version by heading over to the settings and click ‘Try the new Gmail’ or revert back by clicking ‘Go back to classic Gmail’.