If you’re a heavy Gmail user (of the online version and not Outlook), you’re probably already aware Google has given Gmail a facelift. Whether you use Gmail for personal use or for your trading business, the new features should help you get more done efficiently.
If you haven’t
updated already, you might want to give ‘new Gmail’ a try. Or, if you were tempted to just keep the classic version out of a knee-jerk reaction, a closer look at the changes might just change your mind.
Here are 10 of the new
features that could be particularly useful for traders.
Look and Feel
The icons and the fonts have a more modern and colorful look. The tabs are more responsive and the movements seem smoother.
The functionalities are similar, so you don’t have to relearn the interface. It just looks prettier, moves faster, and does more.
More Hovering
When you hover over a message, on the right side you’ll see the Archive, Delete, Mark as Read, and Snooze options.
Also, if you hover over contacts, you can get options to email, schedule a meeting, chat, or send a video call invite.
Right Hand Toolbar
A new right-hand toolbar has options like Calendar, Notes, and Tasks.
This toolbar is also the place to find add-ons, such as Trello for Gmail, Dropbox for Gmail, or Wordzen.
When you click on a toolbar icon, the toolbar expands to let you see today’s calendar, for example. The previous iteration of Gmail had tabs for these options, but now you can see your calendar or tasks and still not lose sight of your email. I think you’ll find the new design is easier to use.
Instant Attachment Viewing
The attachments are shown on the emails queue underneath the subject line. They show up as colorful icons that let you know if the attachment is a Word document or a PDF, etc. So you will easily notice which emails have attachments.
You don’t need to open the email. You can open the attachment directly from the queue. This feature makes it faster to find and access attachment files.
Snooze Button
The
snooze option will make your email disappear for the time you assign. It makes removing clutter from your email queue easier. You can concentrate on the important emails.
Smart Reply
The smart reply option was already available for mobile Gmail. Now it has been integrated into the desktop version. Smart reply gives you three ready-made replies. So now you’ll be able to use the feature from your desktop or laptop trading computer.
Confidential Mode
Confidential mode allows you to set an expiration date for your sent email. You can also revoke an already sent email.
Another cool feature of the confidential mode is that the recipient can’t copy, forward, or download the email. (While this sounds pretty secure, just be aware that a recipient could still take a screenshot.)
You can also password protect your emails. When the recipient tries to open the email, they will be required to get the password via SMS. (But the sender specifies the cell number where the password will be sent.) This adds an additional layer of safety for emails containing particularly sensitive information.
Offline Support
In the past, without an internet connection, you needed a Chrome extension to work on Gmail. But with the new
offline support feature, Gmail natively supports offline work.
You can perform most of the email functions (search, compose, reply, delete, etc.) without an active internet connection. It will let you work on 90-days-worth of email in the offline mode.
Assistive Unsubscribe
Unsubscribing from email lists can be time-consuming. You have to figure out which ones are relevant.
Now Gmail will track your interaction with email lists and
suggest ones to be unsubscribed. This could be a big help in keeping your email queue clean.
Nudging
Gmail will let you know if a certain email has been neglected. It will have a message on the side of the email subject line to draw your attention to the fact that it hasn’t been acted upon.
Fortunately, there are
settings to control when and why you’ll be nudged.
Conclusion
If you’re a Gmail user, or if you haven’t used the web or mobile interface in a while, schedule some time today to take a look at all the cool new features in Gmail. You just might decide to make some changes in your mail processing habits and see some great productivity benefits.
And as I always like to remind you, the more productive you are during the trading day, the better your trading results will be.
There are more trading computer tips like this in our buyers guide. Check out our "How To Buy a Trading Computer" e-book.
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