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October 20, 2011

A New Look for Gmail

A video from Google's YouTube channel (update: the video is now private, but there's a mirror here) introduces a new Gmail interface. It's based on the Preview theme that's already available in Gmail, but there are many other changes: an action bar that uses icons instead of text labels, a completely new interface for conversations, profile pictures next to contacts, a flexible layout that adapts to any window size, display density options like in Google Docs, resizable chat/labels sections, new high-definition themes and an updated search box that includes advanced options.






I don't see the new interface yet, but it will probably be available soon. It's interesting that there's an arrow next to "Mail" and the links to Google Contacts and Google Tasks are missing. Maybe you'll be able to use the arrow to switch to other Google services.


{ Thanks, Carlos. }
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57 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 20, 2011 at 7:30 AM

    Wahoooooo! FInally!

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownOctober 20, 2011 at 7:36 AM

    I don't know about you but the video I watched said "Internal only and confidential, do not share this video externally" So maybe these are future changes and not rolling out now. Although I hope they are.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Luis GarciaOctober 20, 2011 at 7:49 AM

    And Themes? I use Themes. ¬___¬

    ReplyDelete
  4. NekoOctober 20, 2011 at 7:50 AM

    Yes yeeees! I want it NOW !

    ReplyDelete
  5. DarylOctober 20, 2011 at 8:02 AM

    Looks good - look forward to it being rolled out (whenever that'll be!)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Martin TOctober 20, 2011 at 8:05 AM

    The down arrow next to "Mail" is probably a drop down menu for Contacts and Tasks. This is already in place in the current version, you just have to hoover over the "Mail" link and click on the "-" sign that appears on right.

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownOctober 20, 2011 at 8:23 AM

    Video is appearing as Private now

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousOctober 20, 2011 at 8:24 AM

    And .... it's gone.

    ReplyDelete
  9. B. MooreOctober 20, 2011 at 8:40 AM

    the video has be marked private.... google didn't want this out yet apparently, anyone have a mirror of it?

    ReplyDelete
  10. MikeFlahOctober 20, 2011 at 8:51 AM

    Cool, matches up with the Docs changes... Nice!

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousOctober 20, 2011 at 8:55 AM

    http://youtu.be/CUz8czy9BZc mirror

    ReplyDelete
  12. CarlosOctober 20, 2011 at 9:18 AM

    updated with more mirrors and youtube in http://crlsndrsjmnz.blogspot.com/2011/10/primicia-video-filtrado-del-rediseno-de.html

    ReplyDelete
  13. yacinOctober 20, 2011 at 9:19 AM

    google? I love you

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sarah SimpsonOctober 20, 2011 at 9:30 AM

    Love this!! Hope it happens really soon. The new Gmail look is really really nice.

    http://alwayslive4him.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnonymousOctober 20, 2011 at 9:32 AM

    Any word on whether they will be updating offline into something useable?

    ReplyDelete
  16. AnonymousOctober 20, 2011 at 10:07 AM

    Compact view, please.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Joshua TalleyOctober 20, 2011 at 10:16 AM

    This is fantastic! I really like it. I hope they release it soon.

    Unfortunately, my wife will only use it if she can sort her email like in Yahoo.

    ReplyDelete
  18. ÉricOctober 20, 2011 at 10:18 AM

    It says to me "This video is private". I Can't see it...

    ReplyDelete
  19. sunshine.byOctober 20, 2011 at 10:45 AM

    Come on, not available

    Gmail settings > Theme > Preview and
    Gmail settings > Theme > Preview (Dense) themes have been accessible for like three months?

    ReplyDelete
  20. UnknownOctober 20, 2011 at 10:56 AM

    Is that a new ad above the inbox? In addition to the ads on the side?

    ReplyDelete
  21. Alex ChituOctober 20, 2011 at 11:09 AM

    @sunshine.by:

    I've already mentioned about the Preview theme, but this is a new interface, not just a theme. All the changes I've mentioned are nowhere to be found if you switch to the Preview theme. Right now, the new interface is not available.

    ReplyDelete
  22. RancilioOctober 20, 2011 at 11:59 AM

    The video is available here:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CUz8czy9BZc

    ReplyDelete
  23. AnonymousOctober 20, 2011 at 12:12 PM

    I think it looks nice. It's like the Preview theme, but with newer things.

    I hope that ad bar at the top of the message list can be removed (probably by turning off Web Clips) and that the Tea House theme has been updated and it looks nice.

    I hope it's released soon!

    ReplyDelete
  24. AnonymousOctober 20, 2011 at 12:21 PM

    Seems, someone got fired!!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. AnonymousOctober 20, 2011 at 1:08 PM

    I've used your pics to create my blog post, but I've given due credits and also all of the image onclick take to this blog.

    Hope, you don't have problem in this.

    ReplyDelete
  26. AnonymousOctober 20, 2011 at 1:09 PM

    search looks nice and useful. The rest seems like a step backwards IMO. It looks like it just takes up more space with unused blank grey space. It looks like in the old view you could get more of a conversation on one page without the face icons, and unused space.

    ReplyDelete
  27. salsaOctober 20, 2011 at 2:13 PM

    Even the dense theme is far less dense than the old interface, showing me fewer email threads and mailboxes and far more white space. I'd like it denser still.

    ReplyDelete
  28. mohammed glalOctober 20, 2011 at 2:32 PM

    Awesome Google
    Awesome Gmail

    ReplyDelete
  29. SumuOctober 20, 2011 at 2:45 PM

    This looks nice. I see similarities from Google Wave project here.

    ReplyDelete
  30. CottonScatManOctober 20, 2011 at 3:26 PM

    Hope they incorporate changes into blogspot as well. I like the new background choices.

    ReplyDelete
  31. AnonymousOctober 20, 2011 at 9:19 PM

    Why does Google think we all want giant amounts of white space (or grey space)?? It's not clean-looking, it's inefficient and wasteful. Even the compact settings are not dense enough.

    ReplyDelete
  32. AnonymousOctober 20, 2011 at 10:11 PM

    Ugh this is terrible. I guess I'd like the whitespace on a iPad or something, but on my laptop, I want to see as much information as possible at once.

    ReplyDelete
  33. SKOctober 20, 2011 at 10:53 PM

    here's the actual leaked video.

    ReplyDelete
  34. torath69October 20, 2011 at 10:58 PM

    This new version is horrible and I hope we are not forced to use it. If we are I will have to consider something else.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Justin C.October 21, 2011 at 2:00 AM

    looking forward to this

    ReplyDelete
  36. LoveTheCoolOctober 21, 2011 at 6:16 AM

    when are they going to figure out the apps issue? can't use it w/ + and it's most of my google products are attached to my generic gmail account (youtube, etc). it's a usability nightmare

    ReplyDelete
  37. AnonymousOctober 21, 2011 at 8:42 AM

    Why? What is that saying about not messing with stuff that isn't broken?

    ReplyDelete
  38. FragdementedOctober 21, 2011 at 9:41 AM

    Awesome Job Google! Now can you work on the interface of Blogger/blogspot? Wordpress is kicking your butt!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Just_JoeOctober 21, 2011 at 10:15 AM

    Looks like all the other Google+ crap coming out of Google. Anyone dumb enough to like it deserves it.

    ReplyDelete
  40. AnonymousOctober 21, 2011 at 10:49 AM

    Horrible. So tired of this new dumbed down "pre-school" look across Google apps. This will just drive me further into using Mail.app and other Exchange/IMAP clients to acces my Gmail.

    ReplyDelete
  41. kggyOctober 21, 2011 at 11:56 AM

    We all love(d) Gmail because it was dead simple and yat it got the job done, with these new intrusive features I think it will scare off a lot of users!

    ReplyDelete
  42. UnknownOctober 21, 2011 at 12:26 PM

    Multumesc, esti roman dupa nume nu? super blog acum l-am decoperit

    ReplyDelete
  43. Packers and Movers in MumbaiOctober 21, 2011 at 7:57 PM

    Hmmm.Google always enhances Gmail experience and i love it.Hope i will love this too.

    ReplyDelete
  44. costomer complaints websiteOctober 22, 2011 at 4:25 AM

    This is really a awesome..

    ReplyDelete
  45. teeth whitening stripsOctober 22, 2011 at 1:22 PM

    Looks much better than the bland format now

    ReplyDelete
  46. UnknownOctober 22, 2011 at 5:14 PM

    Anonymous said...
    Why? What is that saying about not messing with stuff that isn't broken?

    An what is the saying about those who do not change and adapt, die.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Weddingband maestroOctober 23, 2011 at 7:19 PM

    for me, gmail should take a look at yahoomail interface... on my option, yahoomail interface looks are soft but elegant whereby gmail looks kind a hard and complicated.. :-)

    just an opinion here..

    ReplyDelete
  48. JacaRoeOctober 23, 2011 at 10:47 PM

    I certainly hope, after years of myself and others BEGGING them, they will FINALLY implement order by column so I can FINALLY ditch my 3rd party email program that has been - up to now - necessary to sort by subject, sender, etc. I would really love to finally clean up my inbox, since it's now holding over 27,000 emails because I HATE having to boot up Thunderbird or OE to properly sort/delete.

    ReplyDelete
  49. AnonymousOctober 24, 2011 at 12:19 AM

    Terrible. Compact view needed.

    ReplyDelete
  50. CarlosOctober 24, 2011 at 2:12 AM

    Added more mirrors on

    http://crlsndrsjmnz.blogspot.com/2011/10/primicia-video-filtrado-del-rediseno-de.html

    Google claimed ownership of the video on youtube and apparently is blocked worldwide.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Alex KOctober 28, 2011 at 5:59 AM

    Here are my thoughts:

    https://plus.google.com/u/0/116616674660628253713/posts/PhQLQWR8NQ7

    ReplyDelete
  52. BBC NewsOctober 31, 2011 at 2:34 AM

    This is not really true as far as I can see. I applied back in April 2010 and have never heard anything back from Youtube. The signup link above takes me to a page informing me that I already contacted them in April 2010.

    ReplyDelete
  53. hilda dadaOctober 31, 2011 at 5:55 PM

    Thanks for an excellent article! I appreciate your insights and agree with what you wrote. home security systems

    ReplyDelete
  54. AnonymousNovember 2, 2011 at 3:38 AM

    Why would you change the words in the tool bar to icons? I now have to stop and think what each icon means rather than just reading the word which is easy!!

    Bad idea google

    ReplyDelete
  55. AnonymousNovember 2, 2011 at 6:36 AM

    Need a high information content 'compact view' now. The new look wastes too much screen/UI real estate.

    ReplyDelete
  56. FreeForm248December 8, 2011 at 6:45 AM

    I'm I the only person who thinks this new interface is complete crap? Can I please at least have a revert to 'classic' interface button? I've already made a crappy as hotmail account, I hate this gmail... I'm done.

    ReplyDelete
  57. AnonymousJanuary 12, 2012 at 4:29 AM

    I cannot see the images on the buttons. E.g. Refresh, move forward/backward signs. Is there a setting that blocks these signs to appear?

    All the nice designs won't work on my office computer, the images are not shown. Is it because I'm behind a proxy?

    ReplyDelete

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