Gmail basics

1.1

Create and send email

1. Open Gmail.
2. On the left sidebar, click COMPOSE. A new email opens near the bottom corner of your Gmail window.
3. (Optional) Change your windows using the buttons in the upper corner.
4. Add recipients and a subject.
5. Enter your message. Email you start writing but don't send are saved in Drafts, on the left.
6. (Optional) Add attachments, links, images and more.
7. Click Send

1.2

See new email

Unread email are bold. To open an email, click it.

By default, replies to email are grouped into conversations. Keeping all email together in a thread makes it easier to keep track of the email conversation and saves space in your inbox.

If you prefer to separate your existing email from future email, you can turn off conversation view.

Turn off conversation view:

1. In the top right, click settings > Settings.
2. In the General tab, scroll to Conversation View and select Conversation view off.
3. At the bottom, click Save Changes

1.3

Reply to email

1. To reply to a single email or the last email in a thread, click Reply.
2. Te reply to an email within a thread, click Reply.
3. To forward a single email or the last email in a thread, click Forward.
4. To forward an email within a thread, click More > Forward.
5. To see previous email in a thread, click Show trimmed content.
6. To forward an entire conversation, at the top, click More > Forward all.
7. To use a Smart Reply, at the bottom of the email, click a suggested reply. You can then edit the email before sending it.

You might see existing email at the top of your inbox with a suggestion to reply or follow up. To hide these suggestions, click Settings > Settings, in the General tab, scroll down to Nudges and uncheck the boxes.

1.4

Change recipients

Add and remove recipients:

1. From an open email, click a recipient's address.
2. To add more recipients, type their email address.
3. To remove recipients, next to their email address, click Remove.

Change en Email subject:

1. Next to Type of response, click the Down arrow > Edit subject.
2. Type a new subject.

1.5

Save and print attachments

When someone sends you an attachment, such as a photo or document, you see a preview of the attachment in the email.

• See a full-screen view and print: Click the attachment to open a full-screen view. To print, click Print.
• Download an image or save it to Drive: Point to the preview and click Download or Save to Drive.

1.6

Email without an internet connection

Chrome Browser only:

Use Gmail offline to read, respond to, and search your Gmail messages when you aren't connected to the internet. Any email you write, archive, label, or delete while you're offline will be sent or moved when you’re back online.

When you enable Gmail offline on a device, your messages sync with the browser's storage on the computer you're using. Enable Gmail offline on each device for which you want offline access.

Enable Gmail offline:

1. In the top right, go to Settings.
2. Go to the Offline tab and check the Enable offline mail box.
3. (Optional) Next to the Sync settings, choose how many days of email you want to store offline.
4. Next to Security, choose whether to keep or remove offline data on your device.
5. Click Save Changes.

1.7

Turn your vacation responder on or off

1. In the top right, go to Settings.
2. Scroll down to Vacation responder and select Vacation responder on or Vacations responder off.
3. At the bottom, click Save Changes.

2.1

Switch to labels from folder

In other email programs, you might have stored email in folders. In Gmail, you use labels to categorize your email. Labels are like folders, but with a twist—you can apply several labels to an email, then later find the email by clicking any of its labels from the left panel.

You can also:

• Open a label in the left sidebar to see all email with that label.
• Nest labels within labels.
• Search for all email with a label.
• Set up your inbox as you prefer:
  • See labels on email in your inbox to quickly identify different types of email.
  • Auto-archive email to route it away from your inbox, as you did with rules and folders.

2.2

Create labels

1. Create a label:
   1. In the top right go to settings
   2. Click on the Labels tab.
   3. Scroll to the labes section and click Create new label.
   4. Enter the label name and click Create.

2. Create a label from a email:

1. From an email, click Labels > Create new
2. Enter the label name and click Create.
3. (Optional) Click Nested label under and choose an existing label to place it under.

The new label automatically applies to your email.

2.3

Apply labels

1. Apply labels to email:
   1. In your inbox, check the boxes next to the email you want to apply a label to.
   2. Click Labels.
   3. Check the boxes next to the labels you want to add and click Apply.
2. Add a colour to a label:
   1. In the left panel, point to a label and click More.
   2. Point to Label color and choose a color. Or, click Add custom color.
   3. (Optional) To remove a label color, point to Label color and click Remove color.
   4. (Optional) To see all email with a particular label, in the left panel, click the label’s name.
3. Move email from your inbox to a label:
   1. In Your inbox, check the boxes nest to the email you want to move into a label.
   2. Click Move to.
   3. Click the label you want to move your email to.

2.4

Add filters

Manage your incoming email automatically with Gmail's filters.

1. In the Gmail search box, click the Down arrow.
2. Enter your search criteria, then click Create filter.
3. Check the Apply the label box and choose a label to automatically sort incoming email fitting your search criteria.
4. (Optional) If you’d like email fitting your search criteria to be automatically moved out of your inbox, but want to be able to access them later, check Skip the Inbox (Archive it).
5. Click Create filter.

2.5

Star important email

Want to flag an important email? Click Star, next to an email in your inbox or an email within a conversation.

To see all your starred email, in the left sidebar, click Starred.

2.6

Snooze email

Postpone email to a future date or time that's more convenient for you.

1. Point to an email.
2. On the right, click Snooze.
3. Under Snooze until, choose a time. The email automatically snoozes and moves out of your inbox.
4. (Optional) To see all snoozed email, click Snoozed in the left sidebar.

2.7

Archive or delete email

Archived email move out of your inbox but stay under All mail, so that you can find them later. Deleted email move to the Trash and get permanently deleted after 30 days.

To archive or delete email, select one or more email. At the top, click Archive or Delete. Or, you can point to a single email and click Archive or Delete.

3.1

Search your inbox

Archived email move out of your inbox but stay under All mail, so that you can find them later. Deleted email move to the Trash and get permanently deleted after 30 days.

To archive or delete email, select one or more email. At the top, click Archive or Delete. Or, you can point to a single email and click Archive or Delete.

3.2

Narrow your search

To narrow your search, at the right of the Gmail search box, click the Down arrow.

You can add a specific criteria. for an example, you can find an email from Alice that has an attachment within a particular time frame.

4.1

Create a signature

Your signature can include your name, title, and contact information.

1. Click Settings and select Settings.
2. On the General tab, scroll down to the Signature section and create your signature.
3. (Optional) Use the format bar to add text colors, styles, links, or a picture.
4. At the bottom, click Save Changes.

5.1

Open your Google Calendar and events

• Open Calendar: On the right, click Calendar
• See event details: Click an event to open it and see details.
• Reply to an event: Open an event. At the bottom, next to Going?, click a reply.

5.2

Open notes in Google Keep

• Open Keep: On the right, click Keep.
• Add a note or list: Click on Take a note or New list.
• Edit a note: Click a note and enter a message, Click Done.

5.3

Open your to-do lists in Google Tasks

• Open Tasks: On the right, click Tasks . The current list appears at the top, with any tasks below it.
• Add a new list: Click the Down arrow > Create a new list.
• Change lists: Click the Down arrow and select a list.
• Add a new task: Click + Add a task. To add a new task from an email, drag the email into a task list.
• Edit or delete a task: Point to a task and click Edit. From the Edit window, click Delete to delete a task.