Official Gmail Blog
News, tips and tricks from Google's Gmail team and friends.
Bringing Google Calendar to the Play Store
October 17, 2012
Posted by Michael Chan, Tech Lead
Previously available only on select Android devices like Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus, you can now download the official Google Calendar app for Android from Google Play. Google Calendar makes it easy for you to
manage all your calendars
in one place, including those from your Google accounts and other calendars synced to your Android device.
Beyond supporting the basics such as creating, editing, deleting events and responding to invitations, the new Google Calendar app has extra features that help you manage your time and communication more easily:
Snooze events directly from a notification if you’re not quite ready and want to be reminded later.
Use predefined messages to send quick "I'll be late" updates to your event participants directly from the notifications or the event itself (of course, you can always write your own).
Pinch to zoom in and out of a day.
Set a home time zone to help you manage your time better when traveling.
In addition, we also expanded the sync period so you can review past events from up to one year ago directly on your device. Download Google Calendar on
Google Play
today for devices running Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0.3+) or Jellybean. Use the Google Feedback feature in the app to let us know how we can make Calendar work better for you!
(Cross-posted on the
Official Android Blog
)
Find your stuff faster in Gmail and Search
October 15, 2012
Posted by Bram Moolenaar, Software Engineer
When you’re looking for something, you should be able to find what you need quickly and easily without needing to think about where it might be, whether it's in your email or out on the public web. That’s why this past August we
opened a field trial
allowing you to sign up to get information from Gmail right from the Google search box.
We’ve gotten very positive feedback from those of you testing it out -- such as this note: “
The Gmail results feature is awesome! The fact that it's all integrated into one screen is huge.
” Many testers have requested being able to find Drive files as well -- as one of you put it, “
It would be awesome if I could search my google drive from google search as well :)
”.
So starting today, you can sign up for a new and expanded field trial that makes it easier to find your stuff across Google, whether you’re searching on Google.com or searching in Gmail.
In Gmail, as you begin to type into the search box, you'll instantly start seeing relevant emails from Gmail as well as results from Google Drive, Google Calendar, and more:
Similarly, when you search on Google.com, your results will include relevant information and messages from Gmail (something familiar to those who joined the original field trial) and now -- new in this field trial -- also files, documents, spreadsheets and more from Google Drive:
To give this a try, please visit the updated
field trial
page and select
Join the field trial
. Please note that this trial is only accessible in English and for @gmail.com addresses (not available on Google Apps accounts). And keep the feedback coming!
(Cross-posted on the
Inside Search Blog
)
Communicate more easily across languages in Gmail
October 9, 2012
Posted by C. Andrew Warren, Product Manager
Finding the right words can be difficult, especially across languages, and once you choose them, finding a way to
type
them can be even harder. Try emailing family in Germany, chatting with friends in China or adding a Russian business partner's name to your contacts and you may find yourself limited by the language of your keyboard.
That's why today we’re adding more than 100 virtual keyboards, transliteration and IMEs—collectively called input tools—in Gmail. These tools enable you to type in the language and keyboard layout you’re accustomed to, making it easy to keep in touch with family, friends and coworkers from any computer. You can even switch between languages with one click.
To try it out, check the box next to
Enable input tools
under
Language
in
Settings
.
Once you’ve enabled it, you’ll see the Input Tools icon next to the Settings button in your toolbar, and you can
turn on and off any Input Tool
from there.
With these new virtual keyboards, Gmail supports typing in 75 languages—a big jump from the five languages that were initially supported when we
introduced Indic transliteration
in Gmail in 2009.
Gmail’s users are from all over the world—and language should never get in the way of a good conversation. If you'd like to use Input Tools in other places, try out the
Chrome extension
, the
Windows desktop client
or the
Android apps
.
A new way to sync Google Contacts
September 27, 2012
Posted by Jeff Ellingson, Product Manager
For many years, we've supported two open protocols for accessing Gmail and Calendar from mobile apps
and devices:
IMAP
for email and
CalDAV
for calendar. These protocols, combined with the options to
access Gmail, Calendar, and Contacts with your desktop or mobile browser and via native apps on iOS and
Android, help ensure you have a great experience regardless of the device you use.
Starting today, we're adding
CardDAV
- an
open protocol
for contacts - to that list. CardDAV enables 3rd
party clients, like the iOS contacts app, to sync your Google contacts. By supporting IMAP, CalDAV, and
CardDAV together, we’re making it possible for 3rd parties to build a seamless Google Account sync
experience.
To sync your Google Contacts on iOS using CardDAV, please follow
these instructions
in our Gmail Help
Center.
Hangouts in Google Calendar
August 30, 2012
Posted by Boris Khvostichenko, Product Manager
Do you use Google Calendar to schedule catch ups with distant friends and family? Now, if you've
upgraded to Google+
, you can schedule a face-to-face video chat right from
Google Calendar
using Google+ Hangouts. It takes one click to add a hangout to an event and another click to join the hangout.
Video chat face-to-face-to-face with Hangouts in Gmail
July 30, 2012
Posted by Fred Brewin, Product Manager
Since the
introduction of Gmail video chat
back in 2008, many of you have told us that you love the direct, personal communication it provides. That's why we're excited to announce that video chat is being upgraded to a more modern video calling technology -- Google+ Hangouts.
Unlike the old video chat, which was based on peer-to-peer technology, Hangouts utilize the power of Google’s network to deliver higher reliability and enhanced quality. You’ll be able to chat with all the same people you did before and, in fact, with Hangouts you’ll now be able to reach them not only when they are using Gmail but also if they are on Google+ in the browser or on their Android or iOS devices.
All Gmail users will benefit from this upgrade, but if you and the person you're chatting with also use Google+, you’ll get even more from the Hangouts experience. You'll be able to video chat with up to nine people at once, watch YouTube videos together, collaborate on Google documents and share your screen. Plus, Hangouts has a bunch of fun effects that you can try out...because any conversation is better when you're wearing a virtual mustache or pirate hat.
We’ll be rolling out Hangouts in Gmail starting today and then gradually over the coming weeks. We hope you enjoy hanging out with your friends and family. Arrrgh!
Google+ Events in Google Calendar
June 27, 2012
Posted by Michelle Chen, Software Engineer
Today at Google I/O, we
announced Google+ Events
, a new way to create, capture and share public and private events. Google+ Events are seamlessly integrated with Google Calendar to simplify the planning process, so you’ll always know when you have something coming up.
When creating a Google+ event, you can check your Google Calendar to make sure you pick the best time to party. Google+ events also sync to your mobile device's calendar, so you can have them handy when you are on the go.
In week and day views in Calendar, you’ll recognize Google+ Events by the event owner's profile picture. When you click to expand the event in Calendar, it displays a beautiful theme and allows you to set reminders, see other guests, and respond to the event.
Clicking ‘View on Google+’ takes you to the event page, where you can exchange comments with other guests, view photos, and more. Learn about Google+ Events
here
, and see our post on the
Official Google Blog
.
Notification Center support for Gmail on iOS
June 25, 2012
Posted by Jason Parachoniak, Software Engineer
Our team has been working hard to bring your most-requested features to the
Gmail app for iOS
. Today, we’re excited to add three new improvements to that list of updates: full notification center support, the ability to send messages from your alternate email addresses and an improved login experience.
First up, Gmail is now fully integrated with
Notification Center
and supports banners, alerts and lock screen options. Plus, notifications are now incredibly fast -- up to 5x faster than in the previous version.
Next, you now have the option to send mail from alternate email addresses. If you have configured
alternate sender addresses
in Gmail on your desktop under
Settings->Accounts->Send mail as
you will see a
From:
option when composing new messages in the app.
Lastly, we’ve improved the login process to allow you to stay logged into the app for as long as you’d like. You can still choose to sign out of your account, but you won't be automatically logged out after a certain period of time has elapsed.
We’ll continue to improve the app, and we’re looking forward to bringing you more features in future releases, including support for multiple accounts.
Willkommen bei Gmail, Deutschland. It’s official: Gmail is Gmail everywhere
June 20, 2012
Posted by Mark Striebeck, Engineer Director
As a German working on the Gmail team, my friends and family back home often ask why they have a @googlemail address instead of @gmail.com. Today, I’m happy to announce that is no longer the case: Google Mail is becoming Gmail in Germany. To celebrate, we’ve created a video that explains what it’s like to Go Google in German:
All new accounts will receive an @gmail.com address and if you have an existing @googlemail.com address, you'll soon be able to switch to @gmail.com. Once you make the change, you will still receive mail sent to your @googlemail.com address and all of your emails, contacts, and account settings will stay exactly the same. Plus, you can switch back at any time if you change your mind.
For more details, check out our
FAQ
. If you're ready to make the change, over the next few weeks, a link will appear at the top when you login over the coming weeks.
Custom themes in Gmail
June 19, 2012
Posted by Greg Bullock, Software Engineer
Themes have been an important part of Gmail ever since we launched them
back in 2008
. Not only do they let you personalize your inbox with fun backgrounds, but they’re also practical, helping you easily differentiate between multiple Gmail inboxes (e.g. work and personal).
When we unveiled Gmail’s
new look back in November
, we introduced a number of new, beautiful HD themes. We also heard that many of you wanted to bring an even more personal touch by setting your own background. So over the next couple of days we are rolling out a new Custom themes section with two options,
Light
and
Dark
where you can do just that. Watch the video to see some examples:
You can upload your own images directly, select from your Google+ photos or simply paste any image URL. Or, if you don't have a particular image in mind, you can browse our searchable Featured Photos section to find one that speaks to you. With so many great options, it may be hard to choose, so to get a sense of the images available, try searching for ‘hdr scenery’ or ‘bokeh wallpaper' in the
Featured
tab.
Whether you want to bask on a tropical island or simply reminisce about last year’s holiday with the family, your Gmail can now be customized to your mood. Find your perfect image and make Gmail your own with custom themes.
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