Gmail’s interface is getting a major makeover

Announced back in January 2022, Gmail’s new integrated layout is slowly rolling out to all users and can be tested until the end of March. This redesign now has an additional sidebar to the farther left of the classic one and inserts dedicated buttons for Gmail, Google Chat, and Google Meet. By the end of June 2022, it will become the standard interface design.

Despite being one of the most popular email services around, Google hasn’t been improving much of Gmail’s interface. This is mostly because its classic design remains comfortable to use. However, Gmail is now gearing up to become an app switcher for Google’s other productivity apps to help you be more efficient at work.

Some user accounts can now try out the new Gmail view, which will display another strip to the left sidebar menu. This contains four icons for Mail, Chat, Spaces, and Meet, and will be your main navigation bar. The latter three used to be quick-access features to Google Chat and Google Meet, but the new layout now lets you fully access them inside the Gmail window. 

If you feel like the sidebar’s getting bulkier, though, then no worries as the collapsible panel still works. When closed, it will only display the four icons on their own sidebar. You also get a new notification bubble on the bottom left of your screen. If you don’t want to try this layout just yet, you can dismiss its prompt window and switch back to the classic view.

However, take note that Google plans for this to be the new Gmail standard view by the end of Q2 2022. There won’t be an option to revert back and there’s still no news on whether you can turn off some of the apps’ icons here if you’re not using them. Hopefully, feedback from the users testing the layout will at least give us the option to customize our Gmail account in the future.