Rumored New Gmail Features: Self-Destruction and 'Snoozing'

Plus, a 'Confidential Mode' would keep users from forwarding, copying, or printing sensitive emails
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 13, 2018 11:10 AM CDT
Rumored New Gmail Features: Self-Destruction and 'Snoozing'
This March 20, 2018, photo shows the Gmail app on an iPad in Baltimore.   (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

The Washington Post reported Thursday on rumors about Google's Gmail revamp, and TechCrunch and the Verge got their hands on supposed screenshots of the updated design and new features. Among the more intriguing-sounding innovations: a "Confidential Mode" that keeps email protected by not allowing the recipient to forward it, cut and paste from it, print from it, or download it, per TechCrunch—though more than one source points out there's nothing stopping someone from simply taking a picture of the email, either via a computer screenshot or with a camera. There also appears to be a self-destruct button of sorts, via a customizable expiration date that allows the user to send the email into the ether after a time period of the user's choosing—whether that's a week, month, or even a few years.

In a statement cited by the Post, Google acknowledged a "major" Gmail redo is in the works, but the company says it's only in "draft phase." "We need a bit more time to compose ourselves, so can't share anything yet—archive this for now, and we'll let you know when it's time to hit send," the company teased. Other features said to be on the cusp of debuting include a "snooze" option that lets users temporarily send emails back out of their inbox until they're ready to deal with them, as well as a "smart reply" feature for the web version of Gmail that automatically suggests boilerplate email responses; this option is already available for mobile. (More Gmail stories.)

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