5 Ways to make Gmail better with Labs: Text styling, coloured stars and snake

Google MailGoogle’s email service is so popular because it has a crazy 7GB of free storage, it’s super simple to use AND hotmail and yahoo accounts are just so 2008.

You may be familiar with all of Gmail’s Labs features and the little tweaks to the way you can use the service, but if you’re constantly drowning in emails and haven’t had chance to eat today, let alone mess around with settings, then here are five cool things you might want to activate now to make Gmail just that little bit better:

1. Stars, icons and COLOUR CODING
The ability to add different coloured stars used to be in Gmail Labs but when I went to find it today IT HAD GONE. That’s because Google has realised just how much everyone loves organising and colour coding, so it’s been added as an actual feature.

You can choose from different coloured stars and a range of icons too, just make a note of what everything means or things will be even more chaotic.

Go to: Settings > General > Stars

2. Snake
Remember when everyone had a Nokia 3210 and the best EVER game was Snake? Ahh that addictive, elusive little reptilian is missed isn’t he? Well he’s back, you can now play Snake anytime you please while you’re browsing through your emails by hitting the ‘&’ key. We can’t take any responsibility for how long this makes you procrastinate today.

Go to: Settings > Labs > Old Snakey.

3. Text styling
Sticking with the default font can be boring and not in keeping with your brand if you use Gmail for work purposes, so try playing around with it a little. Just please don’t go overboard, HUGE, pink, bold and underlined is not a good look.

Go to: Settings > Labs > Default Text Styling.

4. Undo send
We’ve all been there, you’ve hit send and you didn’t mean to. Your heart sinks, you feel sick and you just want the world to swallow you up. Well Gmail has brought a little miracle into our lives in the form of Undo Send, a Labs feature that gives you up to 30 seconds to change your mind.

Go to: Settings > Labs > Undo Send.

5. ROBOTS
Once you activate this Labs feature your chat icons turn into little robots if someone is using an Android device. It’s handy, but also a cute little addition to your mailbox.

Go to: Settings > Labs > Green Robot!

Becca Caddy

2 comments

  • II can see no improvement in the new Google email. Where is the Spell Check. I have looked but can't find it. I did find thinks like spacing, bold, etc., but only after really working at it. It is very annoying.

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