Users can now have more control over email messages, thanks to Google's introduction of block and unsubscribe features to Gmail for web and for Android. A Google chrome extension called Gmelius offers more control by filtering disruptive ads in Gmail messages.
Google launched the block feature for web-based Gmail and will soon release it to the Gmail app for Android. With the new option, users can block an email ID to keep from receiving the blocked user's messages, reported Android Police. The block option cleans up the user's Gmail account by filtering blocked messages and sending them directly to the Spam folder.
NDTV Gadgets said that blocking someone does not mean reporting the blocked user's messages as spam. Google clarified this with Venture Beat, saying, "Blocking a sender will result in having all future messages from a specific email address be moved directly to spam. It does not hurt the reputation of that sender. 'Report spam', however, provides feedback to Gmail on the nature of the email and helps it improve its classification overall."
The block action can be undone in Gmail settings. It has already been launched on the web version of Gmail while it will arrive on the Gmail Android app next week.
Aside from the block option, an unsubscribe setting has been added for Gmail for Android. It was already introduced to Gmail for Web in 2014. With a single click, users can choose to unsubscribe from a mailing list that they do not want to receive notifications from or in which they were accidentally added to upon signing-up in a website.
The unsubscribe feature can be accessed by tapping the three-dot icon on the top-right corner of the screen. It is available on the updated Gmail app which can be downloaded from Google Play Store.
With over 900 million users, Gmail has become the most popular free email service worldwide. Google wants to keep its users from subscribing to another webmail service by making a friendlier and cleaner Gmail experience, without annoying spam messages and ads.
Information Week reported that users can have better control of their Gmail accounts using a Chrome extension called Gmelius. The extension removes disruptive and intrusive ads and elements. It also features personalized hashtagging, Gmail searching from any tabs, and blocking email trailing mechanisms.
Google's block and unsubscribe options for Gmail are available only for Web and Android in the meantime. Google said that a date for the iOS or mobile web launch has not been decided yet.
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