Preamble:
Between Labs, extensions, and settings, there's a plethora
of ways that you can customize your Gmail experience and tweak how emails are
handled. Below are some of our favorite methods for managing time and giving
Gmail an extra boost when it comes to organization.
Send and archive in
one step:
Here's a trick to save a lot of time. First, click the gear
icon and choose Settings from the resulting drop-down menu. Find the Send and
Archive section and check the box beside Show "Send & Archive"
button in reply. This adds a new button when you're replying to an email.
Clicking it will allow you to send your response and automatically archive the
email, thus removing it from your inbox. It's a godsend for those who receive
endless amounts of email, and one that keeps your inbox free of clutter.
Enable and disable
tabs:
Gmail has three tabs -- Primary, Social, and Promotion -- and
organizes your emails for you automatically. But did you know you can customize
these tabs? If you want to do so, click the gear icon in the upper-right corner
and choose Configure inbox from the drop-down menu. This allows you to add new
tabs, such as Updates and Forums, or remove any tabs that you don't like or
want. It's a handy bit of auto-organization for when you're feeling
overwhelmed.
See more with
compacting setting:
When you click the gear icon in the upper-right corner of
Gmail, one of the first things you'll see in the resulting drop-down menu is an
option to switch between Cozy, Comfortable, and Compact viewing modes.
Switching to Compact eradicates a good deal of space, allowing you to see more
email information on each line. It's a good setting to go with if you want to
maximize your efficiency and see as much information as possible in a single
glance.
Take back an unfortunate
email:
Whenever you send an email in Gmail, you'll notice a yellow
box that says the email was sent. If you catch it fast enough, however, you can
actually cancel the email while it's in the process of being sent. If it has
already been sent, this option turns in Undo Send, which allows you to correct
your mistake with a couple of clicks. If you don't see the feature, click the
gear icon in the upper-right corner and select Settings from the drop-down
menu. Then, check the box beside Enable Undo Send in the Undo Send section.
Here, you can also set a 5-, 10-, 20-, or 30-second cancellation period.
Send Money Instantly:
Whenever you start to compose an email in Gmail, you can hit
the dollar sign -- or the pound sign, if you're located in the United Kingdom
-- to use that email as a vehicle for sending money. It allows you to set an
amount and input, or choose a payment method. When the recipient gets the
email, they can "activate" the payment and the transaction will
occur. Could you just use PayPal? Yes, but this option is just as useful when
it comes to making quick, small payments.
Use smart reply to save
time on responses:
In the mobile version of Gmail, there is currently a feature
called Smart Reply. It uses some of Google's Artificial Intelligent (AI) technology
to automatically create a few quick responses (somewhat modeled after your
email behavior) that you can immediately send. These range from a basic
"thanks!" to more complex questions based on the email you are
responding to. It doesn't always work, but for simple responses, it can help
you save a lot of time on your mobile device.
Save space with
drive:
If you can't fit a file on an email or prefer not mess
around with attachments, use Google Drive instead. Every Compose window comes
equipped with a Drive icon, which allows you to quickly attach Drive files from
within your browser. It's also handy if you need to share files that aren't
stored on the device you're using... as long as Drive is one of the common
storage options.
Synergize with
LinkedIn:
One of the great extensions to use in the business world is
Rapportive, a Gmail extension that links the sender's contact information with
social media, specifically LinkedIn. Open an email from someone with a LinkedIn
account and the tool will immediately show their profile information in a
sidebar, along with links to their various social media accounts. It's one of
the best networking tools available if you regularly use Gmail.
Use canned responses
to save even more time:
Gmail Labs are experimental extensions that you can enable
for free. Labs don't always stick around, but Canned Responses has been on the
block for years, so we feel confident recommending it. Head over to the gear
icon, choose Settings, and click the Labs tab. One of the labs should say
Canned Responses. Enable it, and you can create email templates that you can
immediately copy into an email and tweak as needed. It's ideal for customer service
or tracking down leads.
Delegate some of your
emails:
Gmail offers a service that allows you to set up a series of
delegates. These delegates have the ability to read and respond to your emails,
and even manage your contacts, although they can't chat or change your
settings. Setting up delegates is useful if you are a busy professional and
need an employee or team member to step in and check the latest responses when
you simply don't have enough time.
Try IFTTT
configurations:
IFTTT or "If This Then That" is a smart device
platform that allows you to customize a variety of responses and scenes for
your smart home. It also works with a lot of other things, including Gmail.
Here are some examples of the IFTTT ideas already created by people and ready
to be used. With the right recipe, you can save files directly to Drive,
automatically sync Evernote and To-Do-List (Todoist), trigger notifications,
and carry out a bunch of other useful actions. Find the options that are best
for your life, and you can transform your Gmail experience into something twice
as useful.
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