{"id":286899,"date":"2017-05-20T11:47:54","date_gmt":"2017-05-20T16:47:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/itblog.lcisd.net\/?p=286899"},"modified":"2017-05-20T11:47:54","modified_gmt":"2017-05-20T16:47:54","slug":"eight-things-you-hate-about-gmail-and-how-to-fix-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itblog.lcisd.net\/?p=286899","title":{"rendered":"Eight Things You Hate About Gmail and How to Fix Them"},"content":{"rendered":"
With some tips and hidden tricks you can conquer your disorganized, overflowing inbox<\/h5>\n
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<\/a>By Joanna Stern\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>
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I hope this email finds you doing\u2026Actually, I just hope this email finds you, period.<\/p>\n

With so many messages\u2014there\u2019s your boss, there\u2019s Aunt Bertha, there\u2019s a 10%-off sale at the Gap\u2014it\u2019s easy to miss stuff. I used to think I was terrible at email, but it\u2019s not me, it\u2019s email. Specifically, Gmail.<\/p>\n

A decade ago, Gmail was our savior. So fast! So much storage! So simple! Yet the world\u2019s most popular email service hasn\u2019t changed much in all that time.<\/p>\n

Google says that while it hasn\u2019t overhauled the website design since 2011, it has added a lot of features, most famously tabbed inboxes. The Gmail team also has done work on its Inbox website and app, as well as its mobile Gmail apps\u2014this week, it\u2019s introducing a smart-reply feature available only on phones. Still, finding many Gmail features can be like hunting around Wayne Manor for the secret elevator to the Batcave.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n

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So why not shut up and go elsewhere? Like Winston Churchill always said<\/a>, \u201cGmail is the worst form of email, except for all the others.\u201d OK, he never said that, but it\u2019s true. So I\u2019m here to help you fix some of Gmail\u2019s biggest pain points, especially in its web interface.<\/p>\n

1. Priorities, Priorities<\/h6>\n

You may not know it, but Google\u2019s email bots have not one but two ways of automatically organizing your messages: tabbed inbox and priority inbox.<\/p>\n

Tabbed inbox\u2014the default\u2014filters those \u201cA friend liked your post\u201d or \u201cBLOWOUT SALE!\u201d emails into automatically created tabs marked Social and Promotions, respectively. If you want something in a different tab, drag it there, teaching the system where you want to see stuff from that sender.<\/p>\n

(Gmail app tip: Cut down on needless notifications by specifying \u201cPrimary only\u201d notifications in the app\u2019s settings.)<\/p>\n

Priority inbox organizes messages into tiers. It puts unread important emails at the top. Google determines those based on your habits, and marks them with small yellow flags. Below that are your starred emails, below that is everything else. You can enable priority inbox by tapping the gear-shaped icon then selecting Settings > Inbox > Inbox Type.<\/p>\n

I wouldn\u2019t dare tell you how to organize your inbox\u2014it\u2019s personal. I prefer threaded conversation view, where emails and replies are all grouped together. If that drives you nuts, you can switch it off in Settings. If you like to keep your inbox empty at all times, give Inbox<\/a> a try. Google provides tools there to snooze and dismiss multiple messages.<\/p>\n

2. Stars, Labels and Flags<\/h6>\n

Gmail has a tagging problem so pay attention: Use stars to mark emails you need to return to\u2014you can even go multicolor in Settings. Use labels for projects or similar messages (show tickets, receipts, etc.). And use the yellow Important flags to train Google to highlight your most important correspondents (Aunt Bertha, naturally).\"After<\/p>\n

3. Find It Faster<\/h6>\n

Gmail\u2019s search is fast\u2014scrolling through search results isn\u2019t. In the search box, click the down arrow for specific search filters. You can also type shortcuts into the search field (even in the mobile app). To find every email from me, type \u201cfrom:joanna.stern@wsj.com\u201d. Some standard Google search commands also apply: Add quotes if you want to search exact phrases, use the minus sign to eliminate results containing those words, etc.<\/p>\n

4. Easy Writing<\/h6>\n

On the iPhone or on Android, you can set up keyboard shortcuts to speed up typing<\/a> responses. You can also lean on Gmail\u2019s Smart Reply. Starting Wednesday, an update to the Gmail apps will suggest quick replies to messages based on text from the previous message. It doesn\u2019t read your mind but the short responses can be useful.<\/p>\n

If you find yourself spending too much time writing the same emails or boilerplates over and over you can save them in Canned Responses, a tool from Gmail\u2019s experimental \u201cLabs.\u201d Head to Settings > Labs > Enable Canned Responses > Save. Compose a new email with the text you want in it, click the down arrow in the bottom right corner of the window, select Canned responses, then New canned response\u2026 When you want that passage\u2014an address, signature, whatever\u2014again, you\u2019ll find it in that same menu.<\/p>\n

5. No Funky Formatting<\/h6>\n

The Gmail peeve that drives me most bonkers? When I copy text from Word or the web, then paste it into an email, it appears normal on my end. But the recipient sometimes sees text in different formats. Instead of using Ctrl + V, use Ctrl + Shift + V to strip out odd formatting. On your phone, you\u2019ll need an app like Plain Text Paste<\/a>. (Google says it\u2019s working to improve this issue.)<\/p>\n

Speaking of keyboard shortcuts, I am convinced you can save at least an hour a week by learning key Gmail shortcuts. Print the box below and tape it to your computer monitor. Thank me later.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

6. Undo Send<\/h6>\n

We\u2019ve all been there: You hit Send too quick and regret immediately sets in. Gmail gives you a few seconds to save yourself with its Undo Send feature<\/a>. It\u2019s automatically enabled in the iPhone app (and not available on the Android app). As soon as you hit Send, an Undo button appears for five seconds.<\/p>\n

On the website, head to Settings and check Enable Undo Send. Choose the delay period\u20145, 10, 20, 30 seconds\u2014then hit Save. After sending, an Undo button appears up top.<\/p>\n

7. Panes, Not Pains<\/h6>\n

If you want a deeper Gmail fix\u2014one that makes Gmail look more like Outlook\u2014set up Preview Pane to show your inbox and message contents at the same time.<\/p>\n

Go to Settings then click the Labs tab and enable Preview Pane. Scroll to the bottom and save. Activate Preview Pane view by clicking on the icon to the right of the message count.<\/p>\n

While this, the most game-changing Gmail trick, is currently five clicks deep, Google says it plans to surface it soon. (Be careful: Many Gmail Labs features may not be ready for you. If you get into trouble, escape using this link<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

8. Stop Emailing<\/h6>\n

My best email tip of all: Look at how many lengthy threads in your inbox could\u2019ve been replaced with texts, group chat or, dare I say, a phone call. At work, use Slack or Google Hangouts. With friends and family, pick your poison: standard texts, Apple iMessage, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.<\/p>\n

That said, please forward this\u2014in Gmail\u2014to your friends, family and co-workers.<\/p>\n

Best,<\/p>\n

Joanna<\/p>\n

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With some tips and hidden tricks you can conquer your disorganized, overflowing inbox By Joanna Stern\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 May 17, 2017 2:02 p.m. ET I hope this email finds you doing\u2026Actually, I just hope this email finds you, period. With so many<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33,20,13,49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-286899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-browsers","category-cloud","category-email","category-productivity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/itblog.lcisd.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/itblog.lcisd.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/itblog.lcisd.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itblog.lcisd.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itblog.lcisd.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=286899"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/itblog.lcisd.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":286909,"href":"https:\/\/itblog.lcisd.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286899\/revisions\/286909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/itblog.lcisd.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=286899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itblog.lcisd.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=286899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itblog.lcisd.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=286899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}