Hands-on: Gmail’s new sidebar feels like a big banner ad for Google Chat

Gmail’s newest redesign appears to have lastly began hitting a large variety of accounts over the weekend. The brand new desktop website modifications up the 2018 design by turning the highest and aspect parts of the net app grey, turning the purple spotlight to blue, and rounding over a few of the corners. Oh yeah—it additionally provides a giant, second sidebar to the left aspect of the display screen. The conventional Gmail sidebar displaying all of your mail sections remains to be there, however now there’s an entire extra sidebar that’s principally an app switcher for different Google apps. It is bizarre.

The brand new colours are high quality, however Gmail is theme-able anyway, so the brand new default design does not actually matter a lot. However the brand new “built-in view” and sidebar will most likely trigger controversy. You are on Gmail.com to verify your e-mail, and now on the aspect of the display screen, there are 4 new buttons. There’s “Mail,” which is simply Gmail. Then “Chat” and “Areas,” that are each for Google’s newest messaging service, Google Chat. Then there is a button for Google Meet, Google’s Zoom competitor.

That is just about it. A top-to-bottom vertical bar to show 4 measly buttons (5 for those who depend the returning hamburger button) after which a desolate Siberian wilderness of whitespace. Oh, for those who occur to get an incoming Google Chat, you may see a profile image pop-up within the abyss that’s the backside of the brand new sidebar. It is a large waste of area for buttons which might be irrelevant for those who go to Gmail to—you already know—use Gmail.

Critically, you possibly can’t collapse the brand new sidebar, even for those who plan on by no means utilizing Google Chat and Meet when you’re making an attempt to verify e-mail. The hamburger button within the prime left nook seems to be prefer it would possibly collapse the brand new sidebar, nevertheless it collapses the Gmail sections as a substitute, not the app switcher. You’ll be able to by no means make the app bar go away within the new Gmail design. Traditionally, you’ve got been in a position to head to the Gmail settings and switch off Google Chat and Meet individually, however flipping the swap on both a type of providers kicks you out of the brand new Gmail design and into Gmail Traditional. That is going to be an issue sooner or later when the “traditional” design goes away.

The shortage of management is what actually makes this app switcher a horrible addition to Gmail. The brand new sidebar is massive, it is annoying, it is taking over display screen real-estate to advertise unrelated merchandise, and I am unable to do away with it. It is a principally a banner advert for Google Chat and Meet.

Even for those who use Google Chat and Google Meet, the brand new Gmail buttons aren’t significantly good. Google Chat made the inexplicable resolution to separate 1-to-1 chats from group chats (or “Areas” within the Google Chat parlance). Similar to the cellular app, the brand new Gmail makes the important mistake of not displaying each of those sections on the identical display screen. Half of your chats will likely be within the “Chat” part, group chats will likely be within the “Areas” part, and you will have to click on to maneuver between them. The previous Gmail and the chat.google.com web site present all of your chats in a stacked sidebar, with group and 1-to-1 chats nonetheless cut up into separate sections however proven a single display screen. The web site or previous Gmail is a a lot nicer interface for that reason.

We have already run into bugs with Gmail’s new interface. Abner Li at 9to5Google cannot get the brand new grey colour scheme to load correctly on his enterprise account, so his Gmail incorrectly shows with an all-white background. For me, the “Meet” tab does not do something. Nothing occurs once I click on on it. Even for those who may get it to open, apparently there’s not a lot to have a look at. Meet’s solely actual capabilities are “Be a part of a gathering” and “Begin a gathering,” and even the devoted meet.google.com web site has subsequent to no interface. All of those sidebar buttons open up large full-screen interfaces, and what Google Meet plans to do with all that area is unclear.

Chat and video options have been a part of Gmail for a thousand years now, beginning with Google Speak in 2006 and Google’s first video chat in 2008. On the “traditional” Gmail design out there right now, Google Chat and Meet are already built-in with Gmail, and they’re out there in a approach that looks like a completely higher design than this new rollout. Within the traditional view, there’s one sidebar, with “Mail”, “Chat,” “Areas,” and “Meet” stacked on prime of one another. Any part is collapsible, and you’ll dig into the settings and completely flip off any part you do not need. Sections like Google Meet, which solely has two small buttons to supply, solely has a tiny sidebar part, which looks like a way more acceptable quantity of area.