# Is it just me or has Gmail turned into an absolute pig? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 13, 2018, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441 "2018-11-13T01:52:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/1 "2018-11-13T01:52:31Z")
Ever since they changed their interface, I’ve been having consistent problems with Gmail. Everything seems to be loading WAY slower. Whereas it used to open up new windows seamlessly, now it feels like it takes an extra several seconds, like from 3 to 5, to do ANYTHING. Obviously a “few extra seconds” sounds trivial when you write it out like that, but the fact is it’s a major pain in the ass workflow-wise when I have to spend quite a bit of time on Gmail for work . Right? Is anyone else having these hangups or is it just me? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/2 "2018-11-13T02:13:54Z")
Yes, I’m suffering with the same problems. Why is it we must learn to greet such “upgrades” with fatalism along the lines of “Of course it will be worse than the previous version - let’s just hope it won’t be too terribly bad.” ? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/3 "2018-11-13T02:21:50Z")
The biggest issue, for me, is that if I have my e-mail open when I quit my browser (which is often the case, because I like to check to make sure there’s nothing that needs my attention before I go do something else), when I start it back up again it does… nothing. And it takes several minutes to realize that it’s doing nothing, before it’ll even let me refresh the page (whereupon I finally get the loading screen and eventually my mail). That, and I don’t like my e-mail pouncing at me and trying to bite me every time I open it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/4 "2018-11-13T02:21:35Z")
The biggest issue, for me, is that if I have my e-mail open when I quit my browser (which is often the case, because I like to check to make sure there’s nothing that needs my attention before I go do something else), when I start it back up again it does… nothing. And it takes several minutes to realize that it’s doing nothing, before it’ll even let me refresh the page (whereupon I finally get the loading screen and eventually my mail). That, and I don’t like my e-mail pouncing at me and trying to bite me every time I open it. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/5 "2018-11-13T02:45:49Z")
With my Gmail, I’ll read a message, and then it’ll still be marked as unread. Or I’ll delete an email and it won’t get deleted on the first try. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/6 "2018-11-13T03:27:56Z")
The biggest issue for me is that they’re shitcanning Inbox, which is a superior interface in every way. In Gmail’s interface, everything takes two or three more steps than it does in Inbox (except for the few features that Google copied straight from Inbox, of course.) If they just rebranded Inbox as Gmail we’d all be better off. Instead - it’s off to the curb with it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/7 "2018-11-13T04:07:50Z")
Oh, right, I forgot about messages not showing as read. They do, eventually, once the page finishes loading completely… which takes how long, again? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/8 "2018-11-13T04:22:23Z")
These days, Gmail is the ONLY Google service about which I have no complaints. I use Basic View. I guess that means I can’t include gifs of dancing pigs in my outgoing messages, but I make that sacrifice. > [@Chronos](#): > > Oh, right, I forgot about messages not showing as read. They do, eventually, once the page finishes loading completely… which takes how long, again? Ordinarily duplicate posts are not permitted within 5(?) minutes, nor _any_ post within 1(?) minute of another post. I guess these restrictions don’t apply to Mods — is that a feature or a bug? ETA: Oh, **Chronos** was talking about Gmail. I thought he was talking about the duplication at #3-#4. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/9 "2018-11-13T05:11:23Z")
You should use something like Thunderbird, instead of reading email at the Gmail site: > **[Mozilla Thunderbird](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_Thunderbird)** > > Mozilla Thunderbird is a free and open-source cross-platform email client, personal information manager, news client, RSS and chat client that is operated by the Mozilla Foundation's subsidiary MZLA Technologies Corporation. Thunderbird is an independent, community-driven project that is managed and overseen by the Thunderbird Council, which is elected by the Thunderbird Community. The project strategy was originally modeled after that of Mozilla's Firefox web browser and is an interface built ---
**Author:** ![The\_Niply\_Elder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@The\_Niply\_Elder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Niply_Elder)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/10 "2018-11-13T07:27:33Z")
Yeah it’s just you guys. Gmail is flawless. Perhaps your computer has contracted an STD (straightdope transmitted disease). ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/11 "2018-11-13T07:36:13Z")
It’s a righteous bastard for all of the reasons given above. Takes FOREVER to load, mail marked to go to the bin doesn’t get binned, and it’s just shitful. Might have to defect to hotmail or yahoo. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/12 "2018-11-13T07:59:31Z")
Gmail continues to work flawlessly for me. I aceess it on my android phone multiple times a day with zero issues. Their spam filter is the best I’ve ever seen. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/13 "2018-11-13T08:04:27Z")
Works great for me. But I only check it about once a week. Didn’t even notice they changed their format. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/14 "2018-11-13T10:39:01Z")
Hangs up on loading to the point that I’m considering a different provider. ---
**Author:** ![LaughingSnowman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/laughingsnowman/32/422_2.png) [@LaughingSnowman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LaughingSnowman)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/15 "2018-11-13T11:52:33Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > These days, Gmail is the ONLY Google service about which I have no complaints. I use Basic View. I guess that means I can’t include gifs of dancing pigs in my outgoing messages, but I make that sacrifice. Agreed! That splash screen Gmail shows at the beginning takes too long so I switched back to basic view. It doesn’t help that Gmail also loads up Hangouts which makes it a longer wait. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/16 "2018-11-13T16:27:38Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Gmail continues to work flawlessly for me. > > I aceess it on my android phone multiple times a day with zero issues. Their spam filter is the best I’ve ever seen. > > YMMV I only use it on my laptop. Maybe it’s designed to work better on phones. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/17 "2018-11-13T16:56:13Z")
It’s not just you, Gmail takes forever to load sometimes, especially when I’m waking up the computer from sleep and Gmail is already in a browser tab. In that case I often have to type “[gmail.com](http://gmail.com)” in the URL and start over. It wasn’t broke before, I like the snooze function pretty well but that could have easily been added to the old version. The new version is more like an app and the speed shows that. Too much code and/or resources being loaded is my programmer guess. Maybe it’s clashing with my adblockers. Not giving them up. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2018, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/18 "2018-11-14T02:24:45Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > It’s a righteous bastard for all of the reasons given above. Takes FOREVER to load, mail marked to go to the bin doesn’t get binned, and it’s just shitful. > > Might have to defect to hotmail or yahoo. ☹ Don’t go to yahoo. Yahoo thinks that, if you send a message in an email thread where you were the last person to send a message, you want to send a message to yourself. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2018, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/19 "2018-11-14T02:30:52Z")
I don’t seem to have any issues on my phone or on my laptop. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2018, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441/20 "2018-11-14T02:37:57Z")
As someone already noted, the solution to these and many other issues is to use a decent email client with POP3/SMTP or IMAP access. The other poster mentioned Thunderbird; as a constant user of Microsoft Office, my choice is Outlook. Works just fine. I can hardly remember when I’ve even seen the native Gmail web interface. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-has-gmail-turned-into-an-absolute-pig/824441.md?page=2)