# How to get gmail icon in the Windows taskbar?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-gmail-icon-in-the-windows-taskbar/439560>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 28, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-gmail-icon-in-the-windows-taskbar/439560 "2008-02-28T21:42:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-gmail-icon-in-the-windows-taskbar/439560/1 "2008-02-28T21:42:37Z")

</div>

I did this for my previous computer a couple of years ago, but now that I’m trying to set it up on my new machine I apparently have no idea where to find it.

What I’m talking about is a little bubble in the quickstart taskbar (next to the clock). I _believe_ that it’s main funtion has to do with Google Chat, but I may be misrembering. What I mainly want it for is its connection to my gmail mailbox – when you have one or more unread messages, the bubble contains an icon that looks like [this](http://blog.abwesth.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/gmail_icon.png), and you can use it to skim through your unread messages without actually opening your mailbox. Since I’m certainly one who sometimes forgets to check his email for days at a time, this function is a life saver.

So, does anyone know what I’m talking about? Thanks in advance.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-gmail-icon-in-the-windows-taskbar/439560/2 "2008-02-28T21:44:01Z")

</div>

[Gmail notifier](http://toolbar.google.com/gmail-helper/notifier_windows.html).

Personally I use the Firefox extension of the same name.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-gmail-icon-in-the-windows-taskbar/439560/3 "2008-02-28T23:49:48Z")

</div>

If you’re using gChat, you might want to know it’s pretty easy to integrate that into Trillian/GAIM/Pidgin/Adium/whatever, so you can use all your IM protocols in a single app.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-gmail-icon-in-the-windows-taskbar/439560/4 "2008-02-28T23:50:57Z")

</div>

Excellent, thanks.