Gmail is arguably the most popular email service worldwide. Millions of people connect to it daily to exchange emails without knowing all the features. However, Gmail offers a panoply of possibilities that make it possible to simplify your life but also to save time and improve your productivity. In this guide, we will reveal 15 great tips for mastering Gmail.
Put A Signature On Gmail
Do you usually end your messages with your name, contact details, a polite phrase, or a logo? Gmail’s automatic signatures feature saves you time by not having to retype everything every time. To do this, go to the “Settings” and navigate to the “General” tab. Scroll down to the “Signature” field and enter the text you want there. Your signature can contain up to 10,000 characters. You can also personalize it by adding an image or changing the style of the text. If you want to remove the signature for a message, erase it like any typed text.
Create An Email Template
Are you tired of always writing the same texts in your emails? Gmail offers you to save them as templates and then insert them into your messages in a few clicks. This feature is very useful to save a lot of time and improve your productivity. To access it, go to “Settings,” then to the “Advanced” tab. Activate the “Templates” option and click the “Save changes” button.
To create your template, open a new message and then type your message. Click on the three dots at the bottom right of the window, hover over “Templates,” and choose “Save as Template.” Your existing templates are in these three little dots. Just click on it, and it will automatically apply to your email.
Cancel An Email Sent By Mistake
Have you mistakenly sent a very important email or sent it to the wrong recipient? Do not panic! Know today that these errors can be corrected with Gmail’s Undo Send feature. This is normally usable for 5 seconds. But, this time frame can be extended by adjusting the settings. Go to the “Settings” and the “General” tab to do this. Click the displayed menu on the “Undo Send” section and increase the undo delay to 10, 20, or 30 seconds.
Schedule The Sending Of A Message
You don’t have to wait if you need to send an email at a specific time. Gmail has a very handy message-sending scheduling system. First, write your email. When it’s ready, click on the small arrow pointing down next to the “Send” button, then on “Schedule sending.” You can choose the date and time the email should be sent according to Google’s suggestions or by entering it yourself. If you wish to cancel or modify the scheduled email before sending it, you can find it in the “Scheduled” category.
Enable Away Message Or Auto-Reply
When you are on vacation, you should notify your contacts with an away message. Nothing could be simpler with Gmail! Automatic replies on this messaging service work similarly to those on voicemail. You can mention your return date, another way to contact you, and another person to reach in an emergency. The programmed reaction enactment is completed in the “Settings” and the “General” tab. Look down to get to the “Auto-Reply” area. Enact it, select the date range on which it should be initiated, and enter your message.
Preview Your Emails
This Gmail feature still needs to be discovered by many users, but it can be useful. It allows you to display part of the email received in your inbox. So you don’t have to view a full-page email and then go back to the previous page to see all the others. To activate it, go to “Settings,” then to the “Inbox” tab. Scroll down the page until you find the “Reading Pane” option. Check the box to enable it and select a split mode.
Optimize Your Storage Space On Gmail
The free version of Gmail entitles you to 15 GB of storage space, including files from your Google Drive cloud space. When this limit is reached, you can no longer receive new emails. Nevertheless, this space can be optimized to use for as long as possible. If your inbox contains unnecessary messages, you can delete them to free up space. To do this, click on the line of the search bar on the right as a small arrow. Then click the “Search” button to show the messages you can delete.
Use Important Email Tracking Features
In your inbox, Gmail displays a star icon to mark followed emails and another pictogram in the form of an arrow to mark important emails. These two elements allow you to organize your messaging better and efficiently sort your emails. They help you prioritize what’s important and remember everything, especially if you manage several emails daily. To use this feature, you only have to click on the star icon to the left of the message. You can find your starred emails in the “Starred messages” tab.
Block An Email Address
Are you constantly harassed by a sender who keeps sending you messages? The easiest solution is to add their address to your block list. As a result, his next messages will be directly stored in spam. To block a sender, you have to do a very easy operation. Open one of his emails and click on the three vertical buttons on the same line as the name of the person concerned. Confirm the process by tapping “Block.”
Use Keyboard Shortcuts In Gmail
Gmail offers keyboard shortcuts to control almost anything without touching the mouse. Once you master them, you can easily navigate your email and optimize your working time. First, you need to activate the keyboard shortcuts function in the “General” tab of the settings. You can then start using shortcuts, such as:
- C: new message;
- K: go to the next conversation;
- J: go to the previous conversation;
- O: open a conversation;
- U: return to the conversation list and refresh the page;
- E: archive a message;
- A: answer;
- A: reply to all;
- F: transfer;
- CTRL + S: save as draft;
- # : delete;
- /: go directly to the search field;
- TAB then ENTER: send the message;
- Y then O: archive a conversation, then move on to the next one;
- G then A: open the “All messages” folder.
Send Money Using Gmail
Another awesome feature of Gmail is the ability to send money from your inbox. You can also receive money from someone else using your Google Pay account, bank account, or credit card. It should be noted that the transaction is free of charge. To take advantage of this option:
- Start by creating your email by entering the recipient.
- Click on the attachments icon and select the “Send money” option to determine the amount to send.
- Just confirm to complete the operation.
Protect An Email With A Password Or A Self-Destruction System
If you send confidential data by email, be aware that you can protect the message with a password or by setting up a self-destruction system. To try this feature, write your email as you usually do. Click on the Padlock icon in the bottom bar. A new page is displayed on which you can program the expiration date of the email. It is also possible to require a secret code that will be sent by SMS to the recipient’s number. Once the configuration is finished, you can send your message.
Improve Search Within Emails
Searching for an email in its full mailbox can be challenging. Gmail offers an advanced search system to make it easier to find a particular message. To do this, click the arrow to the right of the search bar, and the Advanced Search Menu will appear. You can filter your messages according to different criteria, such as the sender’s name, the email’s subject, the content, the date, or even the email size. This feature is especially handy if your mailbox needs more space.
Customize The Inbox Theme And Display
Gmail has a white theme by default, but you can use pre-made themes or customize them to your image. Other options are also available to modify the display of your Gmail mailbox. To proceed with the customization, enter “Settings.” Different choices are then offered to you according to your preferences:
- Display density: default, normal or compact;
- Theme: you can select the background color and image;
- Inbox type: by default, emails are sorted chronologically, but you can put important, followed, unread, etc. first.
- Reading pane: you can open the contents of an email on the left or at the bottom while keeping the list of your emails visible.
Manage All Your Email Addresses In Gmail
If you use several email addresses, know you can manage them all in your Gmail mailbox. And this, regardless of whether it is a Yahoo, Outlook, or other platform account. Called Gmailify, this feature has been integrated into the Gmail service since 2016. It makes it easy to associate an external account with Gmail messaging and take advantage of all its options. To add an external account, go to “Settings” and the “Accounts and Import” tab. Click on “add an email account” and fill in your Yahoo, Outlook, etc. email address.
Read Also: Music Streaming: Top 8 Best Services in 2023
