By this time, maybe all of you got a mail from Google. It says - Gmail Update: Reach More People you Know. Basically this is a new feature added to Gmail. And with this feature, Google+ and Gmail get closer. Now you can contact those people who are already in your circles even you don't know your their email addresses!
What you Need?
You should be a Google+ user with some circles. And of course you must have some people in your circles. If you haven't created your circles and added some friends then visit Google+ to get some . . .
And if you wanna use this new feature, make sure you're using Gmail in Standard View. Basic HTML version of Gmail will not have this feature. If you're using basic HTML view, then you will find the Standard View option just at the bottom of the screen. Or at the top, just left to your email address. Once you click on the Standard View option, your Gmail will reload.
Note: Standard view can't be used properly, if your net connection is too bad.
About the Update - Reach More People you Know
Do you want to email someone you know, but haven't shared emails addresses yet? This update of Gmail makes your task easier! While composing a new message, Gmail will suggest your Google+ connections as recipients, even if you haven't exchanged your emails addresses. (Gmail should be loaded in Standard View)
How it Works?
As you know the privacy issue is related with this feature, emailing Google+ connections works little bit differently.
If you wanna send message to someone you know, but don't know his email, simply type his name. Gmail will show his name in your to box. Then you can send email. Just see the image below:
Your email address will be kept invisible to your connections until you send then an email. And their email addresses will also be invisible until they respond. Those of you're using the Google Talk or Gmail Chat option, should understand the process. You can chat with your circles without knowing their emails. And from now, you can send message without knowing someone's email.
Receiving Emails from People Outside Your Circles
If someone outside your cricles sends you message, this email will be filtered into the Social Category of your inbox. And if you wanna start conversation with them, you can simply respond to that email or add him to a circle.
Control Who can Contact You
This new feature makes communicaiton more convenient. But some people may find this boring. Specially who receives too much emails everyday. Okay nothing to worry about. You can easily control who can contact you.
- Open Gmail in Standard View.
- Click on the Gear from upper right corner.
- Go to Settings.
- Scroll down to the Email Via Google+ sections from the General tab.
- Hit on the Drop Down menu and choose any of them: Anyone on the Google+, Extended Circles, Circles, No One.
- When you're done, hit on the Save Changes from the bottom of the page.
Critical Analysis
If you've regular interactions with social sites like Google+, Twitter or Facebook, you must understand, why Google brings this update!
Facebook was about to take over the control of internet by introducing itself as social site. Though Google was somewhat late, but they also introduced Google+ few years later. And Google is trying to cover the mistake through Google+.
But Google+ has not as many active users as Gmail. After this update, there will be a deep relation between Google+ and Gmail. Certainly this will give a boost to Google+. The number of active Google+ users will be increased. Google will be able to say, people are moving to Google+!
