Last year, Google introduced the material design for Gmail for the web version. The new interface is compact, intuitive and yet refreshing to the eyes. Now, the search engine giant is all set to bring similar change for the mobile version both Android and iOS.
"Today, we're kicking off the year with a new look for Gmail on mobile, too. As part of the new design, you can quickly view attachments—like photos—without opening or scrolling through the conversation. It's also easier to switch between personal and work accounts, so you can access all of your emails without breaking a sweat. And just like on the web, you'll get big, red warnings to alert you when something looks phish-y," Google said in a statement.
One of the best aspects of material design is the use of colours and icons to highlight features of Gmail be it the new mail in the inbox, smart reply, read later and more to captivate the user's attention on important features and perform an action with ease.
With this change, new emails will turn the inbox label into an eye-catching red, while intelligent features like a nudge and smart reply appear in shades of orange and blue respectively. The new extended FAB sits prominently at the top of the navigation drawer, to focus attention toward one of the product's primary user actions: composing new emails.
The new UI will bring responsive layout grid, which cuts down a number of layers to reach and perform an action faster. It does it placing multiple panes of content in collapsible, left-side navigation, as well as a new right-hand panel provides quick access to Calendar, Tasks, and other multitasking features.
The new update for Gmail mobile app will get the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI). With help of machine learning technology, Google says Gmail will help users draft emails faster using Smart Compose, or reply to messages quicker with suggested responses generated by Smart Reply. It can also "nudge" the user to follow up on emails with subtle reminders in your inbox, and notify him or her to reply to threads so that they can prioritize what's important or overdue.
Also, most importantly Gmail for the mobile app will be more secure than before and will warn users of suspicious emails and thwart scams such as phishing.
