If you’re a Gmail user then you’re probably already be aware of their latest update.
I gotta say, I am not a fan.
Basically Gmail has taken it upon themselves to sort our inboxes and automatically filter every message we receive.
I realize that they’re only trying to help and improve user experience. But wtf. I had my mail organized.
I had my folders and labels down pat. I had a place for everything and everything in its place.
Ok, I told myself I wouldn’t rant. But this is turning out to be a rant.
It’s just that before this new update my stuff was custom categorized the way I wanted it. I mean, I literally receive hundreds of emails a day.
Yet I knew where to go to find what I needed.
Gmail’s new feature shot that to hell.
Now they’ve rolled out this new system that automatically dumps your emails into different categories that include:
– Primary
– Social
– Promotions
– Updates
– Forums
There are so many things about this that annoy me. For one, the new categories are the same as the old labels. So redundant. But certain emails that would show up under a label wouldn’t be shown at its corresponding category.
The reason is because these new categories only include mail from your inbox and not mail that you’ve already archived.
Meaning that you actually have more emails in the label than in the category. Or more emails that you can actually see because some go straight to the label you archived them under while others go to the tab. I mean category. Or is it called a tab?
I’m confused. Are you confused?
Writing this is confusing me so I can’t imagine what it must be like for you reading this.
But what really really annoys me about the new Gmail update is that the mail I send out automatically goes into the “Promotions” category.
Hello? I’m a real person. Not some bot that coughs up discounts and deals.
I spend as much time and effort writing emails to my subscribers as I do blogging. Because delivering value and helping others has, and always will be, my priority.
I actually didn’t realize my mail was going into “Promotions” until I start receiving a bunch of messages from you guys asking me why I’d stopped emailing you.
I didn’t.
Gmail just decided I’m not human and that our correspondence is worthless.
Well anyway, there is one good thing about this new Gmail feature. And that is that they make it really easy to fix the problem and get your inbox back the way you want it.
How To Get Your Inbox Back:
- Click on the “Promotions” tab
- Find one of my emails, click and drag it into the “Primary” tab
- A pop-up will appear asking if you want this for all future messages, click “Yes.”
And that’s it.
Once you’re done we’ll stay connected and you won’t miss out on my messages.
If you want to get back your old inbox, then just click on the settings cog in the top right-hand corner. Go to “Configure Inbox” and uncheck all the tabs except for “Primary.”
What this does is remove all the tabs and give you back your original inbox.
Before I go I quickly want to mention that for me, there’s no better feeling in the world than to receive a message from someone letting me know that they finally made their first sale online, or that they tried something I recommended and it worked, or just a simple thank you for sending them a thought that motivated them for the rest of the day…
Ironically these messages are what motivate me to keep going.
So I honestly don’t feel like I am “promotional.” I think of you as a peer. A fellow marketer. A friend.
It’s always been a two-way communication channel.
Now unfortunately I can’t possibly reply every email individually. Which is why I’ve always used this blog as a means to reply to your messages.
That being said, I would be devastated if this new Gmail thing caused me to lose out on having conversations with you. So please do make the little changes to your new inbox that I mentioned so that we can still hang out online.
Thanks for listening to the rant! 😛
