Google is making it easier to find the email you’re looking for, and it’s all thanks to Gmail search filters. These search filters, called Search Chips, let you pare down the results of a search, making it quicker and easier to zero in on the exact email you want to find.
Searching for That Elusive Email in Your Inbox
While Inbox Zero (the idea that you should strive to keep your email inbox empty) is a thing, most of us are nowhere near achieving it. Whether through a lack of desire or an inability to manage our emails, most people’s inboxes are full to overflowing.
The problem is that a full inbox makes it very difficult to pinpoint an email when you need it. This is especially true in Gmail, which, for a product made by an expert in search technology, has been sorely lacking. However, Google is now seeking to change that.
How to Use Google’s Search Chips in Gmail
As detailed in a post on the G Suite Updates Blog, Google is introducing what it calls “Search Chips” to Gmail. According to Google, these Search Chips provide “an easier way to sort and filter search results to find exactly what you’re looking for faster.”
Search Chips are filters which will appear when you search for an email in Gmail. You tick the filters you want to apply, and Gmail will pare down the results to make it easier to find the email you’re looking for. Or at least that’s the idea.
With search chips in #gmail you get faster results and can filter by:
? A colleagues name
? Attachment type
? A specific timeframeLearn more ? https://t.co/UzEoO0GzVX pic.twitter.com/fDYJrAYPli
— G Suite (@gsuite) February 19, 2020
These new Search Chips let you specify whether the email has an attachment, what kind of attachment it is, when it was sent, and more besides. You can also exclude things like calendar invites and chats to further narrow your search results.
The Gmail Search Tricks Everyone Should Know
There actually has been a way of filtering search results in Gmail for many years. And it worked on the same principle as Search Chips. However, this required the user to manually input the search filters by typing “has:attachment” and “from:[email address]”, etc.
Google is rolling Search Chips out to G Suite customers first, before rolling it out to all Gmail users. Which should save us all precious seconds when searching for old emails. And if you’re still struggling, here are the Gmail search tricks everyone should know.
Read the full article: Gmail’s New Search Filters Help You Find Emails Faster
