Google has given their Gmail service a major makeover with the introduction of new tabs, the new service will be launched today.
The facelift, allows users to sort emails into categories a move that Google claims will improve management of inbound content.
The redesign for web browsers as well as the iOS and Android apps, sorts emails into five specific tabs.
Beyond the primary tab, which will bring in priority emails, there’s also a Social tab, for Twitter and Facebook updates, and Promotions, which will bring in the daily deals from Living Social.
Updates will house the user’s bills, bank statements and receipts, while the Forums tab brings emails relating to message board activity.
The idea is to reduce inbox clutter by reducing the visibility of the more tedious, less urgent emails while keeping them all in one place if users do wish to see them. It’s also possible to change which tab certain emails appear in, while the tabs themselves can be added or removed at any time.
Whereas tabs appear on top of the inbox in the web version of Gmail, which is rolling out from today, they’ve been added to a left-sided menu within the new versions of the iOS and Android applications, both of which will be available shortly.
Overall Google appears to have been paying a little more attention to Gmail recently. The problem of inbox clutter has been highlighted by apps like Mailbox – a Gmail specific client – which encourages users to reach Inbox Zero by deleting, archiving and farming apps out to different folders.
Alex Gawley, product manager for Gmail told The Verge: “It became obvious to us over time that this notion that the inbox was more of your master than your servant was becoming more widespread. It wasn’t just the people receiving hundreds of emails a day – more regular users were starting to feel stressed out by their inbox.”
Have you tried the new Gmail yet? Has the new tabbed interface helped make things clearer? Let us know in the comments section below.
