Google is reimagining email with a new app called Inbox, which comes with some neat features to de-clutter your virtual mailbox.
Simply put, Inbox is somewhat reminiscent of the popular Google Now, as it borrows some features from the company's digital assistant. The new Inbox also borrows features from Keep, as well as Gmail, combining everything for optimum functionality and convenience.
Google's new Inbox app comes from Gmail team, but is not synonymous with Gmail and will not replace it. Inbox is simply a new way for users to use email, aiming to help them stay more organized and see the most relevant information in due time instead of having it buried in the inbox.
"Today, we're introducing something new. It's called Inbox. Years in the making, Inbox is by the same people who brought you Gmail but it's not Gmail: it's a completely different type of inbox, designed to focus on what really matters," Google touts in its announcement on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
"We get more email now than ever, important information is buried inside messages, and our most important tasks can slip through the cracks - especially when we're working on our phones. For many of us, dealing with email has become a daily chore that distracts from what we really need to do - rather than helping us get those things done."
Bundles
First of all, the new Inbox will organize similar types of email into "bundles," expanding beyond the categories Gmail introduced last year. All bank statements or purchase receipts, for instance, will be in the same bundle, so users can access them more easily and in a more organized fashion. Moreover, users can create their own bundles, teaching Inbox how to work better by showing it which emails should be grouped together. You can have finance bundles, social bundles, travel bundles, and so on.
Highlights
Perhaps the star feature of the new Inbox consists of Highlights, as it aims to bring the most important info from an email right at your fingertips so you don't have to scroll through a long message to find the thing that's really relevant. If you receive a link, for instance, Inbox may load that in the email itself so you don't have to visit the actual link. If you receive details on a flight, Inbox will dive into the message and bring the crucial info at the top, and it will even update that info right in the original email if a flight is changed or delayed.
Reminders
Google's new Inbox also allows users to set reminders for things they have to do, and a feature called Assist will offer additional info related to the tasks in question. If you set a reminder to pick up a package, for instance, Inbox may search for the tracking number in your email and add it to your reminder to make it easier for you.
As expected with such intuitive apps, Inbox will become more proficient in time, learning your habits and necessities as you use it. Inbox by Google requires an invite, but you can get one by sending an email to inbox@google.com. To learn more about the app, check it out on Google Play at this link or watch the video below.
