Gmail is the most used e-mail service in the world and long-time users know how to use the countless functions offered by the service. Who wants to do a review and who still uses old-fashioned services like Libero, Alice Mail or Tiscali and wants to switch to Gmail, there are many things to know.
Starting from the creation of an account, up to the organization of the messages, we see a complete guide to Gmail to become more expert by learning all the tricks and features of the most complete and modern Email service.
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1) First of all it is important to note that a Gmail account is not only used to open an e-mail account but also to access the many Google services : Android, Youtube, Blogger, Google Maps, Google Drive to name only the main ones.
Creating a Google or Gmail account is, roughly, the same thing therefore, if you have already registered for one of the aforementioned services, you already have the availability of a Google Mail e-mail address and just enter Gmail.com from the link in top of the main Google.it page (note that Gmail.it has nothing to do)
To create an account in Gmail you need to register a new email address which can be of the type
In Gmail there are a few ways to get a personalized or named email address.
In registration, Google asks for a backup e-mail address to recover the account in case of problems or if you forget your password. A mobile phone number is also required to confirm identity. Regarding this, I can assure you that, after many years, an SMS or a call from Google has never arrived, so the number remains confidential and only for the purpose.
2) To learn how to use Gmail you need to be familiar with some key terms of the mail service:
- Label : it is like a folder where messages are saved based on a specific criterion.
An email can also be tagged with multiple labels and nested labels are also available. Labels work a bit like folders in Windows, to organize received messages automatically too. Thanks to the filters you can decide the parameters (the sender or a word in the subject) for which an email must be marked with a label rather than another. You can add a new label by pressing the button at the top that allows you to nest the new label inside an already present one . Messages that use nested labels do not inherit the parent label.
To mark a message with a label, just select it and then press the button at the top. You can also move the message with the mouse by holding down the right button and dragging the mail to a folder already created and visible on the right side.
- Filters : A filter is a rule for performing automatic actions based on certain criteria.
For example, it can be said that messages from a specific sender are always marked as read and are moved under a certain label. In another article, the guide to create Email filters and the explanation of Gmail automatic filters.
READ ALSO: Order the inbox with filters and aliases in Gmail to manage the emails received
- Stars : stars are like labels, only they have no names. E-mails with stars are highlighted as a priority. With Gmail you can illuminate every important message with a yellow star. From the general options, you can enable the superstars that is different types of icons to mark special messages : colored stars, exclamation point, the visa v or other symbols.
- Chat : you can chat in real time with friends in the address book, who use Gmail. You can also use video chat in Gmail and make calls using Gmail.
- Apps : With Gmail you can use different external applications to modify its functionality and personalize your Gmail account.
3) Import the contacts
If you are switching from Alice Mail or Yahoo Mail, you can easily bring the address book from your old account to Gmail.
To import contacts and messages from another mail account, click on the button at the top right to enter the settings and then go to the Account and import tab and click on the Import messages and contacts link.
In another article, the guide to importing and managing other Email accounts in Gmail.
4) Main buttons
At the top are the main buttons of Gmail. First of all, enter the Gmail settings, go to General and then look for the option to see the text label of the buttons in order to recognize them more easily. By pressing on the gear you can choose the compactness of the lines according to your personal taste. At the top left instead, where Gmail is written in red, you can click and go to the contacts section.
5) Conversation mode
Emails in Google Mail are readable as conversations in a forum or blog. Gmail messages are grouped into a hierarchy by topic, with replies arranged next to the original message. This is a feature that turns email exchanges into a chat-like conversation.
6) The Google search engine is integrated into Gmail in the box above.
The message search is very sophisticated and can be used to find any type of message based on its characteristics.
See the advanced search operators in Gmail to use them effectively.
7) Basic settings
By opening a message or if you select an email by checking the box on the right of the title, you can apply various commands including moving to the Spam folder (garbage), assigning a label or moving to a certain category. If you open a message in no preview mode, you return to the list of mails by pressing the Back button at the top (without going back with the arrow of the browser's address bar). On the right side there are the Email groups organized also with the various labels created.
An email can also be archived which means putting it in the attic without deleting it. It disappears from the inbox but, if necessary, it can always be recovered.
To delete an email, on the other hand, you can use the Trash button. A deleted message remains in the trash for 30 days before being permanently deleted.
If you want to download e-mail to a desktop client such as Outlook, you can use the POP or IMAP setting. After reading the differences between POP and IMAP, follow the wizard by entering the settings and then in the Forwarding Pop and IMAP tab where you can choose whether or not to keep the messages in the account so that you can always read them online from the internet.
In another article, the guide to Set up Gmail in Microsoft Outlook or other email clients.
8) Write and send an e-mail
To write an email just press the red button at the top left "Write".
A new way of writing emails in Gmail has recently been implemented which was explained in another article.
To write the recipient's address, just start writing on the To: field.
Gmail automatically compiles the names of the contacts in the address book and those with which messages have already been exchanged. While writing an email, you can exit at any time or close the writing window to resume later. A new message is automatically saved in drafts as you start writing. Other useful functions are those to cancel the sending of an email after pressing Send, the one to forward multiple Emails as attachments in Gmail and the one to schedule the sending of emails to a future date and to postpone the emails received to receive them again in a few days.
9) Personalization
There are many ways to personalize Gmail with backgrounds and applications.
Click on the gear icon to change the message density or, in other words, its size.
If you go to Settings, you can activate the message preview function in Gmail by making a new button appear next to the gear button.
In the Settings you can also change the Graphic theme, even adding a photo to the background of Gmail.
10) External applications and extensions
With Gmail you can do many things, even different from managing email.
There are many extensions for Google Chrome and Gmail and client programs for notifying new emails in Gmail on the desktop.
Obviously Gmail can be used on your mobile phone, especially on Android or iPhone smartphones with the free official application to download from the Google Play market or from iTunes.
11) Security
For the security of the Gmail account, in addition to the normal password, Google has set up a very effective system of protection with Google and Gmail access and login with the two-step verification explained in another post.
If you lose access, in another post there is the guide to recover the Gmail account and solve login problems.
Finally, Google has released a video called Story of Send which shows how an Email is sent from a computer to a mobile phone when using Gmail .
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