Google's New Gmail Web Interface Leaks With Hints Of Material Design

It was just yesterday when we reported that Google will soon unveil a redesigned version of its Gmail web/desktop interface. Google is trying to bring the desktop/web version of Gmail closer to feature parity with the mobile app versions of Gmail available for iOS and Android.

Today, we're getting our first glimpse at this new user interface courtesy of screenshots that were gathered by The Verge. Regular Gmail users will feel right at home with the redesign, as it doesn’t stray toofar from the current look. However, Google has made some tweaks to bring Gmail's user interface more in line with the corporate Material Design philosophy.

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The biggest visual change, however, is probably the adoption of a new sidebar that takes up residence on the right-hand side of the screen. The sidebar houses quick access to Google Calendar the Google Keep note-taking app and Google Tasks. Clicking on the icon for one of the aforementioned apps brings up a cut-down version that is viewable side-by-side with your inbox view.

There will be three design layouts that users can choose from, "including a default view that highlights attachments like documents and photos, a comfortable view that doesn’t highlight attachments, and a compact view that increases the amount of messages you can see on a single page."

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As we reported yesterday, Gmail mobile app features like Smart Reply and Snooze are now prominently featured in the web interface. In addition, native offline support has been added into the mix.

We're still expecting to see this new design popup as a preview for G Suite and regular Gmail users in the coming weeks.

Brandon Hill

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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