Gmail Tips and Tricks for Maximum Efficiency

You’ve been using Gmail for years and looking to get more out of the service. However, if you use your Gmail account for work or school, experimenting is not an option. That’s why we did our tests and thorough research to curate a list of tips and tricks to unleash the full power of your mailing account.

Tips and tricks for Gmail:

1. Unsent an e-mail

We’re only human and have sent emails in a fit of rage or due to some other emotional turmoil. However, it’s inevitably followed by regrets and apologies. There’s no way you can unsend a Gmail right? Fortunately, you are wrong on this one.

To unsend a Gmail:

• Fire up Gmail on your browser.
• Select the gear icon on the top-right corner and choose See all settings.
• By default, it’s set to 5 seconds. You can increase that to 30 seconds.
• Scroll down to the bottom and select Save Changes.

With 30 seconds, you get a large enough window to undo bad decisions.

2. Create templates

You may find yourself sending emails to the same person or making minor changes every time you send a mail to certain contacts. That’s where templates can help. Templates save time and save you from redundant typing. To enable them:

• Go to Settings.
• Click on See all settings.
• Click on the Advanced tab.
• Toggle the Enable option for Templates and Save Changes.

Next time you compose a mail, you can find the Template option by clicking on the three dots next to the pen icon. You can save new templates, update them, and use them going forward.   

3. Help the algorithm

Google sorts your email for you and does a damn good job at that. However, if you dedicate a few minutes each day to teaching the algorithm, it can get even better. For instance, Google uses a yellow arrow next to important emails in your Primary Inbox and pushes them up.

If you find a mail that’s not very important, click the yellow arrow and dim it out to mark it as unimportant. Next, go to the spam folder for a bit of cleaning. Identify genuine and useful emails that have been flagged as spam. This also helps Google identify spam more accurately in the future.

4. Split and Compact

Most people stick to the default inbox view assigned by Gmail. However, you can do so much more when you split the Inbox and switch to a compact view. That allows you to have your Inbox and read or reply to every mail on the same page without the unnecessary back and forth. To do this:

• Click on the gear icon.
• Select Compact under Density. 
• Now scroll down and choose Right of inbox under the Reading pane option.

Gmail would ask you to reload every time you switch to a different Reading pane layout.

5. Go dark

It started as a new theme to save battery life on phones with OLED displays. However, dark mode has become more popular than ever since it is easy on your eyes and offers better aesthetics. To enable dark mode on your Gmail account:

• Click on the gear icon.
• Scroll down to Theme and choose View all.
• Now choose the dark color and click on Save.

Email is an essential part of your life in the modern age. You need your Gmail account to sign up for everything and use it for work. That’s why these Gmail hacks are not ignorable. Use them to gain more control and unleash more productivity. Have a few Gmail tricks of your own? Let us know in the comments.