# Does anyone else think the gmail user interface sucks? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 9, 2011, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844 "2011-06-09T11:04:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/21 "2011-06-09T16:05:16Z")
You can also select multiple messages and drag them to the folder (label) you want all at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/22 "2011-06-09T16:23:44Z")
Conversations SUCK. I do not like this feature and I will never fucking use it. I don’t care how gmail (or any product) is “intended” to be used. I’m the user! I use it how I want to use it (get off my lawn), and if an email program does not provide the ability to function like a regular email program, then I’ll find a way to do it. So I pull my gmail through thunderbird, and through clever addition of a few filters and extra folders, I have managed to bypass gmail’s horrible default spam filter and conversation-view entirely. Otherwise I’d be using something else. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/23 "2011-06-09T16:24:34Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > I like the Reading Pane in Outlook and didn’t see an equivalent in gmail. The closest thing to this in the Gmail client is ‘Message Sneak Peek’ which allows you to right-click on a message to preview it. It allows you to quickly scroll through your messages without having to click on a message to open it, click to go back to the InBox, and then click on the next message. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/24 "2011-06-09T16:25:45Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Conversations SUCK. I do not like this feature and I will never fucking use it. I don’t care how gmail (or any product) is “intended” to be used. I’m the user! I use it how I want to use it (get off my lawn), and if an email program does not provide the ability to function like a regular email program, then I’ll find a way to do it. > > So I pull my gmail through thunderbird, and through clever addition of a few filters and extra folders, I have managed to bypass gmail’s horrible default spam filter and conversation-view entirely. Otherwise I’d be using something else. You can turn off Conversation View in Gmail. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/25 "2011-06-09T16:26:26Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > Oops. I meant emails, not files. Sorry. > > At the very left of your message, you should see a ‘handle’ comprised of 8 dots that looks something like this: > > :: > :: > > Click and drag the handle to the label you want to move your message to and drop it. That works - thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/26 "2011-06-09T16:29:43Z")
(when I started using gmail conversations were not optional. I wasn’t aware you could turn them off at all now actually) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/27 "2011-06-09T16:38:43Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > Just archive all your labeled items. How can I search and exclude unlabeled items? ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/28 "2011-06-09T16:44:50Z")
I just hate how reply and forward are at the bottom while delete and move are at the top. And if I want to reply-all, I have to go to a third location and use the drop-down. Why can’t all the “What to do with this email?” buttons be located in one spot, all in a row?! Then there’s the problem of multiple people being on the same email. It’s not easy to tell who is able to see what part of the conversation. Like if I send an email to three people and one replies, it’s not immediately obvious who is able to see it because it’s still labeled with everyone’s name that’s in the “conversation”. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/29 "2011-06-09T16:49:11Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Or you could just go into “Trash” and retrieve it. That’s a great idea. Where, exactly, is the Trash? I don’t see it anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/30 "2011-06-09T16:53:54Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > Is there any way to have multiple gmail email addresses showing on the same page, either in the same Inbox, or separate Inboxes on the same page? I know I can forward from one gmail account to another, but that’s not the same (although this will do if anyone can tell me how then to respond to the forwarded email and have my response come from the original email address, not the one it was forwarded to). When you click reply to a message, it will open the reply window. Next to your name, in the header, there’s the word “Change” click that and you can select any of the other Accounts you have designated as “send from” accounts (Where do you designate this? Click the settings button, at the top right, then choose the “Accounts” tab.) > [@](#): > > I use several gmail accounts, downloaded to Outlook. In Outlook I can see them all in one glance and see which have unread emails. I can then save emails from any of the accounts into my personal folders, including mixing emails from different accounts into one folder. Is there any equivalent in gmail? You can drag and drop, but it’s easier to use labels & filters. 1. Set up separate label for each of your email addresses 2. Set up filters to automatically apply the correct label for each incoming address Now when you get mail, its label is visible in your inbox and you can see at a glance which mail is from which email address. Also, on the left hand Labels list, you can always click on that label to see all the email to a specific address. 1. Set up labels for Save, Personal, Family, Work - or whatever you want to use 2. You can now set up a filter so that email from a specific person (your mom, say) gets the Family filter applied automatically. You can also set up a filter for work mail, coming to you from a specific person. 3. If you’re reading a mail and want to “save it to your personal folder,” instead apply the “Personal” label, from the Labels drop down at the top of the letter. You could also apply it from the Move drop down, which applies the label and then archives the letter. And again, any time you want to see all your personal or family or whatever labelled items, you can just click the label in the list on the left hand side. > [@](#): > > I didn’t see any way to set a time on a task in gmail, just a date. Okay, in Outlook the task only has a date also, but you can set a time to be reminded. Yeah, Gmail doesn’t do tasks like that. There is a task feature, but it’s more of a quick & dirty to-do list. Your best bet would be to use Google Calendar for tasks, just saving everything as an event (you could set up two calendars - one for tasks and one for meetings, if you want different colors on the calendar). The other option is an online task organzier, like Toodledo or Remember the Milk. I use Toodledo. It’s very full featured and syncs effortlessly with my mobile. > [@](#): > > I like the Reading Pane in Outlook and didn’t see an equivalent in gmail. There isn’t one. > [@](#): > > I can scroll down Outlook emails one at a time using the down arrow key, see the result in the Reading Pane, and then hit Delete if I am done with the email. I didn’t find anything that easy in gmail. Here’s Gmail’s hotkeys, including combo hotkeys. > **[Keyboard shortcuts for Gmail - Computer - Gmail Help](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/6594)** > > Save time navigating in Gmail by using keyboard shortcuts. Turn on keyboard shortcuts On a computer, go to Gmail. I think they’re based on the old Eudora email program, iirc. Anyway, you should be able to do what you want. > [@](#): > > As \*\*jjimm \*\*suggests, I already keep my Inbox small. I move emails to personal folders. I can see an advantage in being able to use multiple labels. However, I move emails to personal folders by dragging them there. I don’t see anything that easy in gmail - it looks as if I have to select a label from a drop-down. That seems cumbersome in comparison (given that I have 40 folders). You might find you need fewer labels, since you can multi-label stuff rather than have multiple copies. But mostly this is a personal thing. I have close to 40 labels and don’t find it onerous. YMMV. > [@](#): > > I like the To Do Bar in Outlook, and saw no equivalent in gmail. Maybe there is something at a higher level given that I should really only compare gmail to the email part of Outlook. Yeah, I do miss the To Do bar too. But really, Gmail is an email program. > [@](#): > > Outlook does not show me adverts. And gmail doesn’t cost $$$. Also, at least a few years ago, getting Outlook to sync tasks with an iPhone was but a faint dream. Nowadays there are apps that can do that, but I’ve already made the switch to Gmail/Google Calendar/Toodledo. > [@](#): > > Is there any way of importing old emails from Outlook personal folders into gmail? I have emails going back years and would like to have them all in one place. The only way to import mail directly is for Gmail to grab it off your current email server. If you have it on your desktop … I think the answer is “maybe, if you buy some software to convert things.” See here, for example - [http://www.benshoemate.com/2007/11/09/how-to-upload-all-your-old-archived-email-to-gmail-from-outlook-lotus-notes-and-unix-pine/](http://www.benshoemate.com/2007/11/09/how-to-upload-all-your-old-archived-email-to-gmail-from-outlook-lotus-notes-and-unix-pine/) On the upside, with gmail, there’s no problem with losing emails due to corrupt, enormous, pst files. > [@](#): > > However, I do recognize that I am unfamiliar with gmail and that it may have benefits of which I am unaware (this thread has indicated a few things to try out). > > As for the OP’s comment, yeah, I agree that the gmail interface looks cheap. The point of the gmail interface is that it loads fast, on dial up connections even, and that it can be viewed and used directly even on non-pc browsers. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/31 "2011-06-09T16:56:49Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > Is there any way to have multiple gmail email addresses showing on the same page, either in the same Inbox, or separate Inboxes on the same page? I know I can forward from one gmail account to another, but that’s not the same (although this will do if anyone can tell me how then to respond to the forwarded email and have my response come from the original email address, not the one it was forwarded to). Although I don’t believe there is a way to have multiple accounts displayed on the same page, you can set your account so that you can respond to a message from any account you own. For example, say you created an email message and sent it from NigelSmith at gmail dot com, and then forwarded a copy of that email to one of your other email accounts: whosyourbuddy at gmail dot com. You can respond to the forwarded email from your whosyourbuddy account, but have it come from NigelSmith. Here’s how you do it: First the set up: 1. In either or both of your Gmail accounts, go to Mail Settings, then Accounts 2. In the ‘Send Mail As’ section, click on “Add another email address you own” 3. In the pop-up dialog box, type in the name and address of the other account 4. Click on the 'Next Step" button 5. Click on the ‘Send Verification’ button. An email will be sent to your other account to verify it is an account you have access to 6. Follow the instructions in your other account to finalize the set up Sending from the other account. 1. In the account you forwarded the message to, open the message you want to reply to 2. Click on Foward, Reply, or Reply to all 3. Above the “To:” field, you will see the account you’re sending from. Click on the ‘Change’ hyperlink 4. Select the alternate account to send from. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/32 "2011-06-09T17:20:33Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > That’s a great idea. Where, exactly, is the Trash? I don’t see it anywhere. On the left side. It should go: Inbox Starred Important Sent Mail Drafts Spam Trash \<----------------- here it is [QUOTE=rachelellogram] have managed to bypass gmail’s horrible default spam filter and conversation-view entirely. [/QUOTE] You don’t like gmail’s spam filter? I’ve found it’s the absolute best I’ve ever encountered. Also, for those who for some reason have never set up a separate spam e-mail account (for signing up for stuff, etc), you can “set a trap” via gmail. If you amend your e-mail address with a +PHRASE, like from “[FIRSTPART@GMAIL.COM](mailto:FIRSTPART@GMAIL.COM)” to “[FIRSTPART+PHRASE@GMAIL.COM](mailto:FIRSTPART+PHRASE@GMAIL.COM)” it’ll still get to you. For instance, if you want to subscribe to ESPN or something, you’d sign up by changing your e-mail address to “[FIRSTPART+ESPN@GMAIL.COM](mailto:FIRSTPART+ESPN@GMAIL.COM)”. Then if you start getting spam or weird e-mails, you can see who sold your e-mail address. Also, [noparse]F.I.R.S.T.P.A.R.T@GMAIL.COM is exactly the same as [FIRSTPART@GMAIL.COM](mailto:FIRSTPART@GMAIL.COM)[/noparse] for similar purposes. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/33 "2011-06-09T17:33:38Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > On the left side. It should go: > > Inbox > Starred > Important > Sent Mail > Drafts > Spam > Trash \<----------------- here it is I don’t have Spam or Trash. But I do have Buzz. Are those options that I have to set up? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/34 "2011-06-09T17:45:46Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > The intention is that you leave the inbox almost empty: you label and archive an email when it’s been read or dealt with. But if you can’t be bothered to do that (e.g. you get a lot of unimportant e-mail that you don’t even bother to open), you can use the “Priority Mailbox” feature. ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/35 "2011-06-09T17:46:25Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > Although I don’t believe there is a way to have multiple accounts displayed on the same page, you can set your account so that you can respond to a message from any account you own. > […] You can - at least if they are all gmail accounts. When I log into gmail on my main account, my inbox also show mails sent to either of my other two gmail accounts. The mails are labeled with the relevant gmail address. If I want to view mails from one of the other accounts, I simply click the label in the left hand pane that says “panurges2ndaccound@gmail..” and all mails to and from that account are shown. I set this up quite a long while ago, so I’m not sure if I had to do something particularly esoteric to have it show up this way. One annoying thing: When you are logged in to your main account and choose to send an email from one of your other accounts, the recipient of the mail will see: “Panurgesmainaccount@gmail.. ON BEHALF OF theaccountIwantedtosendfrom@gmail..” That sucks and I don’t know if there is a workaround. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/36 "2011-06-09T17:47:30Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I don’t have Spam or Trash. But I do have Buzz. Are those options that I have to set up? If you don’t see Spam or Trash, at the end of the list of labels it should say “N more” (N being a number) with a down arrow (triangle). Click on the arrow and it should show the rest of the labels, which should include Spam and Trash. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/37 "2011-06-09T17:48:21Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I don’t have Spam or Trash. But I do have Buzz. Are those options that I have to set up? Go into options and look to set what is shown, etc. But be prepared for Google’s favorite trick of changing things so they disappear again for no rational reason. The people who run Google, especially Gmail are some of the most clueless programmers on the planet when it comes to user interface. Which is especially weird since the whole company started off well due to doing the search interface right. Gmail is absolutely ridiculously set up. When I prefer to use Hotmail over Gmail, that tells you a lot. E.g., there are certain emailers I want to _block_. No option. I can send them to trash and such. But I don’t even want them clogging up my trash bin. (PhD in Computer Science and ex-prof. So I am hardly a newbie at this stuff.) ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/38 "2011-06-09T17:50:42Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Conversations SUCK. I do not like this feature and I will never fucking use it. I don’t care how gmail (or any product) is “intended” to be used. I’m the user! I use it how I want to use it (get off my lawn), and if an email program does not provide the ability to function like a regular email program, then I’ll find a way to do it. So just set “Conversation View” to “off”. It’s in Settings, under General. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/39 "2011-06-09T18:09:58Z")
Thanks for the very detailed responses, \*\*Merneith \*\*and **Onomatopeia**. If I can get it set up as you say, that will probably be fine for handling my multiple email accounts. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844/40 "2011-06-09T18:10:03Z")
Go figure. I like Gmail. But then, I tend to be notoriously insensitive to UI design, and I just learn how to use what I’m given. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-else-think-the-gmail-user-interface-sucks/584844.md?page=3)