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A better way to select messages in Gmail for Android

The latest update to the Gmail app (4.2.1) for Android has provided some welcome new features, like pinch-to-zoom and swipe-to-delete. But another useful feature you might not be aware of is hiding check boxes.

To select multiple e-mail messages in Gmail for Android, you have to tap the tiny check boxes to the left of each message. If you miss the check box and tap the message instead, the message launches and you have to go back to the conversation list and try again. Luckily, there's a Gmail setting that will remove the check boxes entirely, and … Read more

Google extends free calling through Gmail

People who use Gmail to make free phone calls in North America will be able to keep doing so for another year.

Google said in a blog post today that it was extending free domestic calling through 2013. It also touted its cheap rates for international calls.

Launched in the summer of 2010 as an alternative to Skype, Google's calling plugin lets people make calls to any mobile phone or landline via the Chat section in Gmail. The service is available for a slew of countries (there's a list here, under "show all rates").

For a … Read more

Send one-click automated Gmail replies with Chrome extension

Do you find that you are forced to repeat yourself throughout the workday? If this repetition occurs via e-mail, then you might give GmailWiz a try. This Chrome extension adds up to four buttons to Gmail that send automated responses.

After installing GmailWiz, a thumbs-up Like button gets added to the right of Gmail's reply button. You won't see this button when viewing your inbox; it shows up only when you are reading an e-mail message. You'll also see that wand icon gets added just above, in the row with the print and open in new window … Read more

Google shutting down sync services in winter purge

Google said today that it is closing down a handful of products, including several that make it easier to synchronize data between devices.

Google Sync, Google Calendar Sync, Google Sync for Nokia S60, and SyncML will all go away. In the case of Google Sync -- which allows access to Gmail, Calendar, and contacts via Microsoft Exchange's ActiveSync protocol -- customers won't be able to create new accounts after January 30, but existing connections will continue to function.

Google said the recently developed CardDAV protocol would make sync possible after its own sync product goes away.

The announcements … Read more

How to enable pinch-to-zoom in Gmail on your Android device

Last week when Google rolled out Gmail 4.2.1 to all Android users, swipe-to-delete wasn't the only feature added to the app. Google also added pinch-to-zoom, but it's not called pinch-to-zoom in the settings. Wait, what? Yeah, it's a bit confusing. So here's what you'll need to do to enable pinch-to-zoom in Gmail on your Android device.

Download the latest version of Gmail from the Google Play Store. It should be version 4.2.1. After you're up to date, launch the Gmail app and navigate to Settings > General Settings. Check the … Read more

How and why Gmail and Chrome crashed yesterday

Google's email service crumbled yesterday for about 40 minutes, leaving millions of enterprise and consumer users without access to their cloud-stored email.

Gmail didn't fall down due to a denial-of-service attack as was reported initially yesterday (which was quickly amended), despite no initial evidence to suggest that it was. The search giant said on its dashboard status pages:

Although our engineering team is still fully engaged on investigation, we are confident we have established the root cause of the event and corrected it.

Then millions of Google Chrome browsers crashed at around the same time. … Read more

Gmail goes down briefly for both consumers and enterprise users

Last updated: 11:30 a.m. PT

Gmail went down briefly this morning before quickly popping back up.

Twitter users took to their accounts to tell the world that the e-mail program wasn't connecting. It appeared that both the consumer version for "gmail.com" accounts wasn't working, as well as corporate e-mail systems that use Gmail as their e-mail platform.

It's not clear what might have caused the outage, but it appeared to be quite widespread. About five to ten minutes after the outage, however, Gmail came back, and is now operating fine.

Update 9:… Read more

How to add multiple accounts to Gmail for iOS

Google updated its Gmail app for iOS this week. Version 2.0 of Gmail for iOS introduces a redesigned interface along with search predictions as you type, tighter integration with Google Calendar and Google+, and infinite inbox scrolling. The biggest feature it adds, however, is support for multiple accounts -- up to five, to be exact.

With version 1.0 of Gmail on the iPhone, you were able sign in and out of an account by scrolling to the bottom of your inbox. With version 2.0's infinitely scrolling inbox, you'll need to look elsewhere to sign in … Read more

Enable swipe-to-delete in Gmail 4.2 on Android

One feature Android users have been asking for in the Gmail app has been the ability to swipe and delete or archive a message. With the release of Gmail 4.2, that's now possible.

By default, the swipe gesture is set to archive or delete a message, depending on whether the message has already been archived. Should you want to change it to always delete (or disable the feature altogether), you'll need to dive into the settings.

To enable swipe-to-delete, make sure you have the latest version of Gmail running on your Android device. After you've updated, … Read more

Gmail 2.0 comes to iOS with new design, added features

Google unveiled a redesigned Gmail app for iPhone and iPad today, promising a faster, sleeker experience and a bunch of new features. Says the company:

"With version 2.0 of the app, you'll get a totally new look and feel, plus a bunch of improvements like profile pictures in messages, numerous new animations from swivels to transitions and infinite scrolling in the message lists.

In addition, the updated app offers "many new time-saving features," Google said. "For example, when you search, autocomplete predictions will appear as you type, shaving off precious seconds (and typos). Plus, … Read more