UPDATED 07:40 EDT / JUNE 04 2013

NEWS

Gmail Gets an Update on Android

After previewing a redesigned Gmail experience on the desktop last week, Google has quietly gone and made the same features available for its Android app.

Those who can download the updated app – Google says its rolling out ‘over the next few weeks’ – will be able to reply, archive and delete messages straight from the notifications menu without actually having to enter the app, but only if they’re running the latest version of Jelly Bean. Other updates include the new ‘tabbed’ user interface that sorts your various emails according to Primary, Social, Updates, Promotions and Priority Mail.

For older Android users, the new-look Gmail is also said to bring other advantages, including faster online and offline search for those running Ice Cream Sandwich and up, while anyone running Android 2.2 will receive ‘performance updates’, whatever they are.

However, everyone gets the new labels in their inbox, plus the ability to manage multiple Gmail accounts with the app, and the appearance of contact images in your inbox.

Unfortunately, the redesigned images seems a bit stupid if your contact doesn’t actually have an image. In this case, the ‘image’ is replaced with the first letter of their name against a colored background, which looks a bit silly and makes things look somewhat cluttered. At least for now, Google has made it possible to disable the images in the Settings menu.

Google has made a valiant effort to try and ‘de-clutter’ our inboxes, but what most people will want to know if how these efforts affect the app’s functionality. I gave it a quick go, and I must say I’m fairly indifferent to the changes. Positives include the new slide-out navigation feature that makes it easier to access messages and labels without going into the app, while the ability to ‘swipe down to refresh’ has finally been added. On the downside – and several user reviews agree – the action bar has now been shifted from the bottom of the screen to the top, which makes it much more difficult for some users to reach it. Gmail might just have become a two-handed app for some.

Gmail 4.5 for Android is apparently rolling out slowly to Android users worldwide. For those who can’t see it in the Google Play store yet, one way to get it early is to download the app’s APK via the Android Police website (only on rooted phones).


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