Posted by Alex Gawley, Product Management Director, Gmail and Google Calendar
Email and scheduling are two of the most commonly used tools at work. And
Gmail and Google Calendar have been core to helping our Apps customers get things done. As phones have become one of our main devices at work, school and home—whether you’re checking your schedule on the move between meetings, reading your email in the taxi on your way to the airport, or responding to a customer request while at your daughter’s basketball game—we need mobile apps that help us get things done.
Today, we’re introducing the brand new Google Calendar app on Android—built to save you time and help you make the most of every day—and the new Gmail app on Android that has a more modern style, sleeker transitions and supports other email providers.
Assists in Calendar: suggestions that save you time
When creating a calendar event, we often have to piece together phone numbers, addresses and attendees from lots of different sources, then add them to our calendars manually. With Assists, Calendar can suggest titles, people and places as you type, as well as adapt to your preferences over time. For example, if you often have lunch with your mentor Kelly, Calendar can quickly suggest this when you type ‘l-u-n.’
Schedule View in Calendar: easy to scan and lovely to look at
Your calendar is more than just a list of dates and times—it’s your life! So Calendar’s new Schedule view includes photos and maps of the places you’re going, cityscapes of travel destinations, and illustrations of everyday events like dinner, drinks and yoga. These images will bring a little extra beauty to your day, and make it easy to see what’s going on at a glance—perfect for when you’re checking in from your phone or tablet.
The new Google Calendar will work on all Android 4.1+ devices. It’s available today on all devices running Android 5.0 Lollipop, and you’ll be able to download the update from Google Play in the coming weeks. (And yes, we’re also working on a version for iPhone!) Learn more on
our website.
A more modern Gmail app for Android
Today, the Gmail app for Android is getting updated with a more modern style, sleeker transitions, and a few other handy improvements.
As part of the new design, there’s now a convenient reply button at the bottom of every message, making it quick and easy to continue a conversation when you’re on the go. And if you access the app on your Android tablet, you’ll notice it’s easier to switch between accounts and the different inbox categories.
Lastly, we know some of you have email addresses that aren’t Gmail (it’s okay to admit it). The updated Gmail app now supports all email providers, which means you can now set up a separate inbox for, say, your Yahoo Mail or Outlook.com addresses using POP/IMAP.
The updated Gmail app will support all Android 4.0+ devices, so look for it in Google Play over the next few days.
We hope the new Gmail and Calendar Apps on Android help save you time when working on the go.
