need to know about Gmail | G suite mail and Business Gmail

Gmail is a free email service provided by Google. it had 1.5 billion active users worldwide.

Gmail History

The idea of Gmail was developed by Paul Buchheit several years before it was announced to the public. The project was known by the code name Caribou. During early development, the project was kept secret from most of the Google engineers themselves. This changed as soon as the project improved, and by early 2004, most employees were using it to access the company's internal email system.
Gmail was announced to the public by Google on April 1, 2004 as a limited beta version. An update in January 2008 almost completely changed the elements of using Gmail for JavaScript, and led to the failure of a third-party script that some users were using. Google recognized the problem and helped users find alternative solutions.

- On April 1, 2005, the first anniversary of Gmail, the limit was doubled to two gigabytes of storage. George Hreik, Gmail's director of product management, stated that Google "will continue to give people more space forever".

- In October of 2007, Gmail increased the storage space to 4 GB, after recent changes from competitors Yahoo and Microsoft.

- in April 24, 2012, Google announced an increase in the built-in storage space of Gmail from 7.5 to 10 GB as part of the launch of Google Drive.

- in May 13, 2013, Google announced the mass integration of storage via Gmail, Google Drive and Google + Photos, giving users 15 GB of embedded storage between three services.

- in August 15, 2018, Google launched Google One, a service through which users can pay for additional storage space, shared between Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos, through a monthly subscription plan. Storage of up to 15 GB is included, and paid plans are available for up to 2 TB for personal use.

Gmail's user interface initially differed from other web mail systems with its focus on search and thread conversations for emails, grouping many messages between two or more people on one page, an approach that was later copied by its competitors. Gmail's UI designer, Kevin Fox, wanted users to feel as if they were always on one page and only changing things on that page, instead of having to move to other places.

The Gmail interface also uses "labels" which replace traditional folders and provide a more flexible way to organize emails. Filters for organizing incoming emails, deleting or automatically forwarding them to other addresses; importance markers for automatically marking messages as "important".

In November 2011, Google began rolling out a redesign of its interface that "simplified" Gmail's look to a simpler design to provide a more consistent look across all of its products and services as part of an overall Google design change.

The redesigned elements mainly included a simplified conversation view, configurable information density, new high-quality themes, a resizable navigation bar with always visible labels and contacts, and better search. Users were able to preview the new interface design for several months before the official release, as well as return to the old interface, until March 2012, when Google turned off the ability to return and completed the transition to the new design for all users.

In May 2013, Google updated Gmail's inbox with tabs that allow the application to classify the user's emails. The five tabs are: basic, Social, Promotions, Updates and forums. In addition to customization options, the update can be completely disabled, allowing users to return to the traditional inbox structure.

On November 16, 2020, Google announced new settings for smart features and personalization in Gmail. Under the new settings, users were given control over their data in Gmail, chat and meet, providing smart features such as smart creation and Smart Reply.

Gmail filters features a forum-driven system: when any user marks an email as spam, this provides information to help the system identify similar future messages for all Gmail users.

In the April 2018 update, the spam filter banners got a redesign, with larger and bolder letters.

The Gmail Labs feature, introduced on June 5, 2008, allows users to test new or experimental features of Gmail. Users can selectively enable or disable Labs features and provide feedback about each of them. This allows Gmail engineers to get user input about new features to improve them as well as to evaluate their popularity.

Gmail search includes a search bar for searching emails. The search bar can also search contacts, files stored in Google Drive, events from Google Calendar and Google sites.

Gmail's search function does not support searching for word fragments. Alternative solutions exist.

In October 2012, Google added more than 100 virtual keyboards, subtitles, and input style editors to Gmail, enabling users with different types of input styles for different languages in an effort to help users type in languages that are "not restricted by the keyboard language".

In October 2013, Google added Handwriting Input Support to Gmail.

In August 2014, Gmail became the first major email provider to allow users to send and receive emails from addresses with accent marks and letters from outside the Latin alphabet.

The "HTML basic" version of Gmail web works on almost all browsers. The modern Ajax version is officially supported in the current and previous major versions of the Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge and Safari web browsers on a rolling basis.

In August 2011, Google introduced Gmail Offline, an application powered by HTML5 to provide access to the service while offline. Gmail works offline on the Google Chrome browser and can be downloaded from the Chrome web marketplace.

In addition to the native applications on iOS and Android, users can access Gmail through a web browser on a mobile device.

Gmail has native apps for iOS devices and for Android devices.

In November 2014, Google introduced functionality in the Gmail Android application that made it possible to send and receive emails from non Gmail addresses through POP or IMAP.

In November 2016, Google redesigned the Gmail app for the iOS platform, resulting in the first complete visual overhaul in "almost four years". The update added more use of colors, more stylish transitions, added several "highly requested" features, including undo sending, faster search with instant results and spelling suggestions, and quick scrolling to archive / delete.

In May 2017, Google updated Gmail on Android to feature protection against phishing attacks. The media noted that the new protection was announced amid a large-scale phishing attack on a combination of Gmail and the Google Docs service that occurred on the same day.

Inbox by Gmail, another application from the Gmail team, was also available for iOS and Android devices. It was discontinued in April 2019.

Third-party programs can be used to access Gmail, using the POP or IMAP protocols. In 2019, Google introduced the dark mode for its mobile applications in Android and iOS.

In October 2014, Google introduced Inbox by Gmail on an invitation-only basis. The service was developed by the Gmail team, but it works as a "completely different type of inbox", designed to help users cope with the challenges of active email. Citing problems such as distractions, difficulty finding important information buried in messages, and receiving more emails than ever, Inbox by Gmail has several important differences from Gmail, including packages that automatically sort emails of the same subject together, highlight superficial key information from Messages, Reminders, help, and Snooze, which help the user deal with incoming emails at appropriate times.

Gmail inbox became publicly available in May 2015. In September 2018, Google announced that it would end the service at the end of March 2019, after most of its key features were integrated into the standard Gmail service. The service was discontinued on April 2, 2019.

In August 2010, Google released a plugin that provides an integrated phone service inside the Google Chat interface in Gmail. The feature initially lacked an official name, with Google referring to it as" Google Voice in Gmail chat "and" Call Phones in Gmail". The service recorded more than a million calls in 24 hours. In March 2014, Google Voice was discontinued, replaced by functions from Google Hangouts, another communication platform from Google.

On February 9, 2010, Google launched a new social networking tool, Google Buzz, which integrates with Gmail, allowing users to share links and media, as well as status updates. Google Buzz was discontinued in October 2011, and was replaced by new functionality in Google +, Google's then-new social networking platform.

Gmail was merged with Google + in December 2011, as part of an effort to have all Google information via a single Google account, with a centralized user profile at Google +. The backlash from the move caused Google to backtrack and remove the Google + user account requirement, keeping only a private Google account without a public profile, starting in July 2015.

In May 2013, Google announced the integration of Google Wallet and Gmail, which will allow Gmail users to send money as email attachments. Although the sender must use a Gmail account, the recipient does not have to use a Gmail address. The feature has no transaction fees, but there are limits on the amount of money that can be sent. The feature was initially only available on the web, and was expanded to the Android application in March 2017, for people living in the United States.

In September 2016, Google released Trips, an application that automatically generates travel cards automatically based on information from the user's Gmail messages. The travel card contains itinerary details, such as plane tickets and car rental, and recommends activities, food and drinks, and tourist attractions based on location, time, and interests. The application also has offline functions. In April 2017, Google Trips received an update that adds several important features. The application now also scans Gmail for bus and train tickets, allows users to manually enter flight reservations. Users can send trip details to the email of other users, and if the recipient also has Google Trips, the information will be automatically available in their applications as well.

Google supports secure HTTPS since the day of its launch. Initially, it was by default only on the login page, a reason cited by Google engineer Ariel Rideout because HTTPS made "your mail slower". However, users can manually switch to secure HTTPS mode inside the inbox after logging in. In July 2008, Google simplified the ability to manually enable safe mode, with a switch in the settings menu.

In 2007, Google fixed a cross-site scripting security issue that could allow attackers to collect information from Gmail contact lists.

In January 2010, Google began rolling out HTTPS as the default for all users.

In June 2012, a new security feature was introduced to protect users from state-sponsored attacks. A banner will appear at the top of the page warning users about unauthorized account hacking.

In March 2014, Google announced that an encrypted HTTPS connection would be used to send and receive all emails in Gmail, and "every email you send or receive - 100% of it - is encrypted on the go internally" through the company's systems.

Whenever possible, Gmail uses Transport Layer Security to encrypt automatically sent and received emails. On the web and on Android devices, users can check if a message is encrypted by checking if the message has a closed or open Red padlock.

Gmail automatically scans all incoming and outgoing emails for viruses in email attachments. For security reasons, it is not allowed to send some types of files, including executable files, in e-mails.

At the end of May 2017, Google announced that it had implemented machine learning technology.

In June 2012, Google announced that Gmail has 425 million active users globally. In May 2015, Google announced that Gmail has 900 million active users, 75% of whom use the service on mobile devices. In February 2016, Google announced that Gmail had surpassed 1 billion active users. In July 2017, Google announced that Gmail had surpassed 1.2 billion active users.

In the business sector, Quartz reported in August 2014 that out of 150 companies registered in three main categories in the United States, only one Fortune 50 company used Gmail - Google itself - while 60% of medium-sized companies and 92% of startups were using Gmail.

In May 2014, Gmail became the first app on the Google Play Store to reach one billion installs on Android devices.

Jameel Company for design and spelling errors

Before the introduction of Gmail, the product and graphic design website from Gamil Design in Raleigh, North Carolina received 3,000 visits per month. A Google engineer who accidentally went to the Gamil site several times contacted the company and asked if the site had experienced an increase in traffic. Indeed, the activity of the site has doubled. Two years later, and with 600 thousand visits per month, the ISP wanted to charge more, and Jamil posted the message on his site "maybe you got here by spelling mistake in Gmail. We understand. Typing quickly is not our strongest skill. But since you wrote your way here, let's share."

As part of Google Workspace Gmail, Google's business-focused offering, Google business mail comes with additional features, including:

google business mail addresses with client Gmail domain name

99.9% guaranteed uptime with no scheduled downtime for maintenance

Either 30 GB or unlimited storage space shared with Google Drive, depending on the plan

24/7 phone and email support

SYNC compatibility with Microsoft Outlook and other email providers.

Support for add-ons that integrate third-party applications purchased from the G Suite Marketplace with Gmail

Reception

Web developers are known to Gmail for its early adoption of Ajax.

Gmail ranked second in the" 100 Best Products of 2005 " in the PC world, behind Firefox. Gmail also won the "Honorable Mention" Award at the 2005 Bottom Line Design Awards. In September 2006, Forbes announced that Gmail is the best webmail application for small businesses. In November 2006, Gmail received a 4-star rating in PC World.

Google has a single privacy policy that covers all of its services.

Google claims that it "will not target ads based on sensitive information, such as race, religion, sexual orientation, health or sensitive financial categories".

Automatic scanning of email content

Google's mail servers automatically scan emails for various purposes, including filtering spam and malware, and adding context-sensitive ads next to emails.

In 2004, thirty-one privacy and civil liberties organizations wrote a letter calling on Google to suspend its Gmail service until privacy issues were adequately addressed. The letter also called on Google to clarify written information policies regarding data retention and sharing between its business units. The organizations also expressed concerns about Google's plan to scan the text of all incoming messages for advertising placement purposes, noting that a secret email scan for the inclusion of third-party advertising content violates the implicit trust of the email service provider.

On June 23, 2017, Google announced that later in 2017 it would phase out scanning email content to create contextual advertising, relying instead on personal data collected through other Google services. The company stated that this change was aimed at clarifying its practices and calming fears among G Suite enterprise customers who felt a vague distinction between free consumer and paid professional variants, since the latter are free of advertising.

In March 2011, a former Gmail user in Texas sued Google, claiming that its Gmail service violated users ' privacy by scanning emails to display relevant ads.

In July 2012, some Californians filed two class-action lawsuits against Google and Yahoo! , Claiming that they illegally intercept emails sent by non-Gmail or non-Yahoo individuals! Send an email to Gmail and Yahoo recipients! Without the knowledge, consent or permission of the senders. A petition filed by Google lawyers in the case acknowledges that Gmail users "have no expectation of privacy".

A court filing disclosed by the consumer Watchdog advocacy group in August 2013 revealed that Google stated in the court filing that there was no "reasonable expectation" among Gmail users regarding the guaranteed confidentiality of their emails.

Updated Terms of service for April 2014

Google updated Gmail terms of service in April 2014 to create complete transparency for its users regarding the scanning of email content. The related review states: "our automated systems analyze your content to provide you with personalized relevant product features, such as personalized search results, personalized ads, and spam and malware detection. This analysis occurs both when sending and receiving content, and when storing it. A Google spokesperson explained that the company wants its policies to be "simple and easy to understand for users".

In response to the update, Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group, stated: "the really dangerous things Google is doing are things like the information in Analytics, cookies in advertising, and the profiling it can do on individual accounts.

In 2013, Microsoft launched an advertising campaign to attack Google for scanning emails, arguing that most consumers are unaware that Google is monitoring their personal messages to deliver targeted advertising. Microsoft claims that its Outlook email service does not scan the contents of messages, and a Microsoft spokesperson called the privacy issue "Google's kryptonite". In response, Google stated; " we work hard to make sure that ads are safe, unobtrusive and relevant ... No one reads your email or Google account information to display ads or information related to you. An automatic algorithm - similar to that used for features such as junk mail or spam filtering  determines which ads are displayed. The New York Times quotes "Google supporters", who say that "Microsoft's ads are odious, the last resort of a company that has not succeeded in competing with Google on the most noble battlefield of products".

In January 2010, Google discovered a "highly sophisticated" cyberattack on its infrastructure originating from China. The targets of the attack were Chinese human rights activists, but Google discovered that accounts belonging to European, American and Chinese human rights activists in China were "routinely accessed by third parties". In addition, Google stated that its investigation revealed that "at least" 20 other large companies from a "wide range of companies" - including the internet, finance, technology, media and chemical sectors - had been similarly targeted.

Google was in the process of notifying those companies and also worked with the relevant US authorities. In light of the attacks, Google reinforced the second.