Gmail is one of the most widely used email services in the world—but most people only scratch the surface of what it can do. In this article, we’ll walk you through 15 powerful tips and tricks to help you get more out of Gmail. Whether you’re trying to send emails like a pro, stay more organized, or customize your inbox to your liking, there’s something here for everyone.
Let’s dive in.
1. Undo Sent Emails in Gmail
Ever hit “send” and instantly regret it? Gmail gives you the ability to undo sent emails—but only for a limited time.
Here’s how:
- Click the gear icon in the top-right corner of Gmail and choose See all settings.
- Under the General tab, find Undo Send.
- Adjust the cancellation period from the default 5 seconds up to 30 seconds.
- Click Save Changes at the bottom.
Now when you send an email, you’ll see an Undo option appear briefly at the bottom. Click it, and your message reopens for editing.
2. Schedule Emails to Be Sent Later
Want to make it look like you’re working late—or just need to send something at the perfect time?
Gmail lets you schedule emails in advance:
- Compose your message.
- Click the arrow next to the Send button.
- Choose Schedule send.
- Pick a time or set a custom date and time.
Scheduled emails appear in the Scheduled label on the left-hand menu. You can modify or cancel them before they go out.
3. Use Templates for Faster Replies
Instead of writing the same response over and over, use email templates.
To enable templates:
- Go to Settings > See all settings > Advanced.
- Enable Templates and click Save Changes.
When replying to an email:
- Click the three-dot menu in the bottom corner of the compose window.
- Choose Templates > Save draft as template.
- Save it with a name, then insert it anytime in future replies.
You can create multiple templates and manage them from the same menu.
4. Customize Your Email Address with Periods and Plus Signs
Did you know Gmail ignores periods and plus signs in your email address?
For example, all of the following reach the same inbox:
The benefit? You can:
- Track where emails came from (e.g. kevinstrat6+amazon@gmail.com).
- Create filters based on custom addresses.
5. Enable Dark Theme for Eye Comfort
Dark mode is not only easier on the eyes—it can also help save battery life on some devices.
To switch to a dark theme:
- Click the Settings gear icon > Themes.
- Click View all to open the theme gallery.
- Scroll to select Dark and click Save.
You can even choose a background image, adjust text contrast, and apply vignettes or blur effects.
6. Use a Reading Pane for Easier Browsing
Gmail allows you to split your inbox so you can preview emails without leaving the inbox view.
To enable this:
- Click the Split Pane Mode icon in the top-right corner of Gmail.
- Choose Vertical Split or Horizontal Split.
Now when you click on an email, it opens alongside your inbox for easier multitasking.
7. Read Emails Offline
No internet? No problem. Gmail supports offline access.
To turn this on:
- Go to Settings > See all settings > Offline.
- Enable Offline mail and choose how many days of email to store.
- Decide whether to keep data on your device after logging out.
- Click Save Changes.
Once set up, just go to mail.google.com in your browser—even without internet—to view and write emails. Outgoing messages are queued until you’re back online.
8. Master Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts
Speed up your email workflow with Gmail’s keyboard shortcuts.
Press Shift + ? to view a full list of available shortcuts. You can also:
- Enable additional shortcuts from Settings > See all settings > General > Keyboard shortcuts.
- Toggle to “On” and save your changes.
Some useful ones:
c– Compose new messagee– Archiver– Reply!– Report spam
9. Mute Noisy Email Threads
Tired of endless back-and-forth in a thread you no longer care about?
Right-click the conversation in your inbox and select Mute. You’ll no longer get notifications for replies in that thread.
To unmute:
- In the Gmail search bar, type
label:mute - Right-click the thread and choose Unmute
10. Switch Between Multiple Email Signatures
Need different email signatures for different contexts (e.g., personal vs. work)? Gmail supports multiple signatures.
To set them up:
- Open a new email and click the pen icon (Insert signature).
- Choose Manage signatures.
- Create multiple signatures (e.g., “Default,” “Promotion,” etc.).
When composing, you can easily switch between them using the pen icon.
11. Use Colored Stars to Organize Emails
Gmail lets you categorize messages with different types of stars and symbols.
To enable more than the basic gold star:
- Go to Settings > See all settings > General.
- Scroll to Stars and drag more stars (like blue, green check, red bang) into the “In use” section.
- Save changes.
Click repeatedly on the star icon next to a message to cycle through them. You can search using has:red-bang or any other star name.
12. Set a Vacation Responder
Planning time off? Set up a vacation responder so people know you’re away.
In Settings > See all settings > General, scroll to Vacation responder:
- Set the start and end dates.
- Enter your subject and message.
- Choose whether to respond only to people in your contacts.
Gmail will automatically reply to incoming emails while you’re away.
13. Free Up Space in Gmail
Gmail shares storage space with Google Drive and Photos. To avoid hitting your limit:
Search for large emails:
- Click the search bar and select the dropdown.
- Under Size, search for emails larger than 10MB.
- Delete any unneeded messages.
Pro tip: Instead of attaching large files, use Google Drive links to share files without taking up Gmail space.
14. Access Gmail in Outlook or Other Email Clients
Prefer using Outlook or Apple Mail?
Gmail supports POP and IMAP:
- Go to Settings > See all settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
- Enable either POP (downloads emails) or IMAP (syncs emails).
Follow the on-screen instructions to set up Gmail in your preferred email app.
15. Add Multiple Accounts to Gmail
If you manage more than one Gmail account, you can easily switch between them:
- Click your profile icon in the top-right corner.
- Select Add another account and log in.
- Now you can toggle between accounts without logging out.
Final Thoughts
Gmail has so many features that most users never discover. Whether you’re trying to stay organized, save time, or just make your inbox more manageable, these tips can significantly enhance your email experience.
Try a few of them today—you might be surprised how much more productive you become.
Tags: Gmail, Gmail Tips, Productivity, Email Management, Google, Email Hacks, Gmail Features, Work Hacks, Office Productivity, Gmail Shortcuts, Email Tricks, Tech Tips
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