Google rolls out quick action buttons for Gmail
Now users can RSVP to events, rate restaurants, and see flight information all from their inbox without ever having to open an e-mail.
Google is aiming to make Gmail responding, planning, and organizing a little bit easier. The tech giant announced Wednesday that it is rolling out quick action buttons for its e-mail service.
Not only can users RSVP to an event without even opening the e-mail invite, they can also rate restaurants, places, or shops from within their inbox.
Here's more from a Wednesday blog post by Google product manager Shalini Agarwal:
Email is an important part of how we get things done -- from planning an event with friends to organizing that family vacation to Costa Rica. And today, getting those things done is getting a little easier with new quick action buttons in Gmail, designed to help you tackle your digital to-do's as quickly as possible.These buttons appear next to certain types of messages in your inbox and let you take action on an email without ever having to open it. For example, you can RSVP to your friend's party invitation or rate that restaurant you went to last night all right from the inbox. You'll be checking things off that to-do list in no time.
Another useful feature with the quick action buttons is for travelers getting flight confirmations via e-mail. Google has given flight confirmation e-mails special status so that when the e-mail arrives users can see all of the travel information displayed at the top of the screen.
"You'll be able to see whether your flight is on time, when your connection is and more -- no scrolling required," Agarwal wrote.
These quick action buttons are scheduled to roll out over the coming weeks, and more buttons could be added in the future. Google is also encouraging developers to play with different interactive buttons to see how adding the buttons to e-mails helps user engagement.