The new Gmail app interface wants to be all things in one place

Recently, Google rolled out the new unified interface for the free model of their app ecosystem. I confirmed you the way to allow that redesign in, How to allow Google’s unified Gmail interface, however that targeted on the desktop. Once you have enabled the new UX, you may discover it carries over to the cell platform as effectively. What Google has executed with the cell tackle the unified interface is create a platform that makes it extremely easy to do all the things from a single location.

It’s apparent what Google is making an attempt to do—they need to compete with the likes of Slack and Zoom, with a decidedly Google spin on things. 

They’ve succeeded.

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The new cell unified interface makes for an extremely environment friendly consumer expertise, the place you are able to do all the things in one location that you simply’d usually do in 4. Once you have enabled the unified interface (which has to be executed in the desktop model, as proven in the article above), you may have instantaneous entry to Gmail, Chat, Room and Meet. The 4 apps work seamlessly collectively, with an interface that’s, because the title implies, completely unified (nearly—extra on that in a bit). 

This was a sensible transfer on Google’s half. They had been getting hammered by the competitors and it seemed like Slack was going to come out thus far on prime of the enterprise communication/collaboration world, that everybody else would spend the remainder of their days enjoying catchup.

Not so now. Google has outdone Slack, and any enterprise utilizing Gmail will discover themselves having to depend on the likes of Slack much less and fewer.

That doesn’t suggest Gmail is a whole drop-in alternative for Slack. It’s not. Slack nonetheless has options that Gmail won’t ever have. For instance, though you’ll be able to combine slash instructions with Google Chat Bots, you’ll be able to’t use them in a dialog. When you understand that Rooms permits you to do things like assign duties, add and create information, begin video chats and schedule Calendar occasions, you may see that Google has your collaboration wants lined. 

It additionally helps that the new unified interface is extremely straightforward to use. 

Let’s have a look.

What you may want

You’ll want to have the latest model of Gmail (I’m working model 2021.05.16.380255809 on a Google Pixel 5) and the unified interface enabled from throughout the desktop model of Gmail. 

How to use the new unified interface

This is so easy, it is truly self-explanatory. However, there may be one caveat. Before I clarify the caveat, let us take a look at the new interface. Open the Gmail app and you need to now see 4 tabs on the backside of the window (Figure A).

Figure A

Tap any one of these tabs to change to that individual service (Mail, Chat, Rooms, Meet). The solely app that does not share a nearly-100% related UX is Meet. With Mail, Chat and Rooms, you may see a button on the bottom-right for Compose (Mail), New Chat (Chat) and New Room (Rooms). With Meet, you need to see two buttons on the prime, for New Meeting and Join With A Code (Figure B).

Figure B

Even although Meet does not completely mirror what they’ve executed with the opposite companies, it is nonetheless fairly easy to use. Even with that slight distinction, Meet stays built-in with Gmail, so you will not have to open yet one more app to use the service.

The caveat

The one caveat to utilizing the unified interface with Gmail is that it solely works with Gmail accounts. If you are like me, and you’ve got a number of e-mail accounts configured in Gmail, you may discover the new UI solely seems whenever you change to the Gmail account. That’s an anticipated conduct, however these new to the unified interface would possibly get tripped up after they open Gmail and do not see the tabs on the backside of the window. Switch again to your Gmail account they usually’ll be there, prepared to serve.

This new Gmail UX is excellent. For those that lean closely on Gmail companies, the cell model of the unified interface will be a game-changer. You’ll end up working extra effectively and productively.

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