Things that you didn't know about your Gmail

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: You must have a fetish that you have maintained a Gmail account for more than 20 years or more. But did you ever realize that your Gmail is evolving periodically after adopting innovative features? Check out for yourself!

1) Open up to Gmail Labs

If Gmail Labs allows the company to experiment and assess what's working and what's not, it adds some interesting features to the user's Gmail. 

To add Gmail Labs features, log in to your Gmail account. From the 'setting' section, go to Labs.

Select 'enable' next to each feature you wish to use, and then hit the 'save' changes button. If you want to disable Gmail Labs, click 'escape hatch'

2) Gmail offers infinite number of alternate email addresses

Gmail addresses are pretty cool, but you actually have more of them than you think you do, even if you only have one account. Though only your primary email will work for registering on other sites like Twitter, but it works great for sorting out sources of your emails. 

You can add a dot in your email address anywhere

Many people find that their full name is available if they space it out with a dot in between. Ram Rammohan would be the same as Ram.Rammohan@gmail.com. Ram.Ram.Mohan@gmail.com, RamRam.Mohan@gmail.com

And that's because the periods get filtered out.

You can use this to register on accounts that ask for email address, and filter the mails accordingly.

3) You can add some information Plus

Not only can you add a dot anywhere and still get email at that address, you can also add a secret tag. You can add a plus sign and another word, such as Ram.Rammohan+accounts@gmail.com.

That's still going to go to Ram.Rammohan@gmail - the same address as the previous examples. The difference is that you can now target that address for automatic filtering. You can do this by going to Settings, from there to Filters.

You could do anything to your message through the filter, but would be better if you check the box next to 'Apply the label'

4) Try applying different Gmail themes and break the monotony 

Change the theme by going to Setting  Some themes even change with the time of day, just like the themes in iGoogle.

5) Get Free IMAP and POP Mail

Don't like the Gmail interface? No problem.

Gmail supports both POP and IMAP, which are industry standards for desktop email clients. That means you can use Outlook, Thunderbird, or Mac Mail with your Gmailaccount. 

6) Get driving directions from Gmail

Did someone send you an invitation with an address? Google automatically detects addresses in messages and creates a link to the right of your message asking if you would like to map it. It also asks if you'd like to track packages when you receive messages that contain them. 

Want an easy way to find directions to the party? Rather than copy and pasting an address into a Google Maps search, Gmail does the work for you.

Any time Gmail detects an address in an email message, such as the address at the bottom of the About Google Newsletter, Gmail will automatically create a link to Google Maps on the upper right hand corner of the message window.

Click on the Map this link, and Google Maps will open up to that address in a separate browser window or tab, depending on your browser.

Use the map to get driving directions by clicking on the to here link.

Google Maps is available at maps.google.com

7) Use Google Apps to send Gmail from your own domain

A professional email id carrying a Google domain name amy sound unprofessional to some. Use Google Apps for Work to turn your domain address into your personal Gmail account.  It is not free, of course!  

You can even check other email accounts from within your Gmail window.

8) Check the Gmail server status

If you ever come across a situation where your is down, log on to the Google Apps Status Dashboard. You'll find out the status whether Gmail is down or not, and if it is, you would also find information about when Gmail would be up and running.. 

Use Gmail Offline in Chrome

Gmail can be used offline in Chrome with the Offline Gmail Google Chrome app. If you send a message while you're offline, your message will be sent while you reconnect, and you can browse through the messages you've already received.