When Google’s Inbox was introduced in 2014, no one was sure how it will impact Email Marketing, but over time it gained many fans. It came as an innovative new email app with tons of new ideas, which were basically focused on two main areas – organizing and managing the email.
There were many features in the Inbox that were lacking in Gmail and hence the fans started loving this app. The best part was the onslaught of email with gestures. Though it started on a promising note, it didn’t succeed in justifying its reputation as there were not enough updates on things that users were looking forward to.
Thus, the app had only a few adherents and it was speculated that sooner or later Google would shut down this Inbox email app. The speculation is finally over and it is official now that company is pulling the pin and its users are given time up to March to switch over to Gmail. Google has added some of the features of this app to the regular Gmail, but some other features will vanish once the app ceases to exist.
Let us see some of the most popular features of Google Inbox and how shutting down this app will impact Gmail.
Snooze Emails
The most prominent feature of Google Inbox is its ability to snooze emails. This feature gives the users the flexibility of moving certain emails temporarily out of their inbox and coming back to them later. The users can easily move the emails sent by digital marketing agency for email marketing in a different folder and open them later at leisure. For that, they also have the option of setting up a reminder so that they are not completely forgotten. This feature is most likely to be added to Gmail as it is very handy and extremely loved by the users.
Google Calendar
Everyone who uses Google is aware of the utility of Google Calendar. This Google tool allows users to schedule and set reminders for important dates and meetings. It can be shared with colleagues to collaborate easily. Google Inbox has an option of adding a button for this calendar, which allows them to create reminders there and then without the need to open the calendar in a separate tab. It not only saves time but also makes sure that all reminders and important appointments can be instantly viewed. Again, being an important and effective feature, it will become a part of Gmail.
Smart Reply
This is again a very smart feature that saves time by sending replies instantly through automatically created answers. The replies get faster and communication becomes a breeze with this. This feature is already introduced in Gmail.
The Impact of the Shut-Down
Google has been planning to shut down its Inbox for quite some time and thus it came out with a complete redesign of its Gmail in April this year. In this redesigning, the snoozing feature and connected tasks lists were incorporated. It gave a strong signal that Google is about to stop its Inbox app.
For those who didn’t get a cue from it, the company sent another strong signal and it was a long delay in providing the compatibility of iPhone X to Inbox.
Email Marketing uses the feature of ‘bundles’ in Inbox. This feature is yet to surface in Gmail, though Google is assuring that many other features of Inbox will be migrated to Gmail. Bundles are used to group similar emails in a single block – something similar to tabs in Gmail but with added features. The bundles on Inbox is much more refined than these tabs. The users can group the incoming emails on the basis of urgency and accordingly reply in an organized manner attending to the most urgent ones first. Having an organized mailbox allows the users to work more effectively where all the priority mails are first taken care of and nothing gets missed or delayed. Users will definitely like to see it in Gmail. Though the company has assured to add it in Gmail, no timeline has been given for the same.
Google Inbox was introduced as an experimental alternative to Gmail. It will be more appropriate to call it a testing platform for Google where it tested its numerous features. Now that the company has decided to focus on only one app for its emails, it’s time to say farewell to another good Google service, which is Google Inbox.
The only relief to the users is that most of the loved and important features of this app will become a part of Gmail. With this integration, Google will provide a more effective email interface to its users across the globe. As of now, Google Inbox is active and will remain so till March 2019, but eventually, all its users will have to switch to Gmail.
Another good news is for the Inbox team. It is understood that no one from the Inbox team will be laid off as they were anyway well-integrated into the Gmail team.
All said and done, shutting down of Inbox app will be missed by its users because it has transformed the emailing experience, making it more interesting and playful.
Author bio:
This article is written by a Micheal Anderson, he is working with reputed digital marketing company in Chennai. Being a blogger, he likes to write on various services such as email marketing, content marketing, video marketing, PPC advertising etc.