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Countdown to Winter Break Day 9
Gmail Tricks
I know you have heard about Gmail many times but today I want to share with you three tips that you can use to be more efficient and organized! Take a peek at these few that I picked out and if you want to get super nerdy, check out this blog post by Joe Stych: A Guide to Optimizing Gmail.
Tip # 1: Pick your Inbox
I used to hate the tabs that come as a default in the newer Gmail setup (Primary, Social, Promotions, etc) but have grown to absolutely love them because they sort all the "junk" out of my main email so that I am only focusing on what needs to be done. If you don't love them, however, and want to play around with different type of inboxes including an inbox layout that places all unread email at the top of your inbox, here's how to get started:
1. Click on the cog wheel at the top right of your screen.
2. Click on Settings
3. Click on inbox in the top navigation of that window
4. For the first option (inbox type) select a different type of inbox. Once you save, it will refresh your Gmail screen and let you see what that inbox type looks like. Play around with different options and find one that works for you!
Tip # 2 : Archive Your Emails
I know many of you keep all of your emails in your inbox because you are afraid to lose them. Yes, you're sort of right in doing that because any emails placed in the trash will automatically "delete forever" in 30 days. There are other ways of managing this though that will help you be more productive. Why does it matter? Well, when you have 3000 emails in your inbox, there is a very highly likely chance that you are missing important ones or having trouble finding that one that "you know you saw yesterday".
Solution: Archive.
If you have emails that you think you might have to refer back to, you can put a check mark next to that email, then click the archive button instead of delete.
This will save your email in the archive area. You can then retrieve it by searching for it or by going to "All Mail" in your left hand navigation.
Tip #3: Advanced Search
I love showing this feature to people because it is quite easy to miss but is one of the best tools Gmail has to offer. Especially for those of you that keep thousands of emails and have trouble locating them when needed. Advanced Search is found in the top search bar of your Gmail Screen......alllll the way to the right.....that little arrow. Here's a pic:
Just click on that little arrow and a wonderful window will come up. Put any sort of information that you know into the fields provided and click the search button to find your email!
Also note that once you perform a search, it will also locate items in the trash, but you will have to click the "View them" link in the deleted messages area under the emails. (see pic below)
