Gmail is getting a sleek new look - but you may not like it

Your work Gmail client is set for a major makeover within the next few weeks as Google begins to roll out its new view of the future of working.

The company has announced that its new approach to email will be available for users to experience from the end of February 2022, ahead of a wider release by April 2022.

The approach looks to provide users with a one-stop shop for all their communication needs - whether via email, video conferencing, or just good old-fashioned instant messaging - without them having to open up extra tabs or windows.

Gmail integrated view

"We’re introducing a new, integrated view for Gmail, making it easy to move between critical applications like Gmail, Chat and Meet in one unified location," a Google Workspace update blog noted.

When logged in, users will still see emails displayed front and centre, but shifted significantly over to the right-hand side of the display. This is to make way for a new sidebar on the left side that contains quick links to Chat, Spaces and Meet, shifting your email folders and label options over slightly.

(Image credit: Google)

Google says that the new "integrated view" and navigation menu allows users to easily switch between their inbox, important conversations, and also join meetings without having to switch between tabs or open a new window. To demonstrate, it showed how a Spaces chat let the user jump straight into a Google Sheets without leaving the Gmail window.

The company adds that you'll also see all your notifications in one place, with bubbles flagging when you have a new message or chat to engage with.

Google is also working on the ability to see email and chat results when using the search bar, making it easier to find what you need by eliminating the need to search within a specific product.

"We hope this new experience makes it easier for you to stay on top of what’s important and get work done faster in a single, focused location," the company added.

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The new-look Gmail will start rolling out to users in the rapid release pipeline from February 8 2022, with other customers following soon after. The new view will become the standard look by the end of Q2 2022. 

It will be available to all Google Workspace user accounts (except Google Workspace Essentials customers) as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers.

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