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How to get the new Gmail preview pane

Google just announced a new Labs feature, Preview Pane, which gives an Outlook-style preview of your e-mails.

Sharon Profis Vice President of Content, CNET Studios

As the Vice President of CNET Studios, Sharon leads the video, social, editorial design, and branded content teams. Before this role, Sharon led content development and launched new verticals for CNET, including Wellness, Money, and How To. A tech expert herself, she's reviewed and covered countless products, hosted hundreds of videos, and appeared on shows like Good Morning America, CBS Mornings, and the Today Show. An industry expert, Sharon is a recurring Best of Beauty Awards judge for Allure. Sharon is an avid chef and hosts the cooking segment 'Farm to Fork' on PBS nationwide. She's developed and published hundreds of recipes.

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Sharon Profis

Aug. 4, 2011 3:19 p.m. PT

If you enjoy the three-pane look of a desktop e-mail client, but use Gmail, today is your day. Google just announced a new Labs feature, Preview Pane, allowing you to view and reply to e-mails while navigating your inbox. The feature is also available to Google Apps users.

As Google mentions, the new look will be familiar to iPad owners, who currently enjoy this three-pane view on their devices.

Here's what the new Gmail Labs option, Preview Pane, looks like. Official Gmail Blog

To get the new look, go to Gmail > Mail Settings (upper right) > Labs. Scroll down to "Preview Pane," enable it, and save your changes.

Once enabled, a new button will appear in the upper right of your inbox. To toggle between the old-fashioned Gmail inbox and the preview pane, click the button on the left.

You also have the option to arrange the preview pane vertically or horizontally, using the drop-down menu on the right.

Google also added a 3-second delay before marking conversations as read; however, you can change that to immediately, 1 second, or never by visiting the general settings.