Google gives Gmail simplified email search options

Google is going to make it easier for Gmail users to search their email. This is done with so-called “search chips”, with which search results can be refined without having to enter complex searches.

The change was announced on the G Suite website, and should be available to all Gmail users right away. However, it can take up to 15 days for the new search functionality to reach everyone, because a phased rollout has been chosen.

The new search chips allow users to enter a search query and then refine it further. This is possible because buttons appear after the search that show additional options. For example, it is possible to search for a contact person, and then refine the search results by choosing the chip that indicates that certain attachments must be in the e-mails. Certain emails can also be actively excluded, such as calendar events.

According to Google, the chips should make it easier to refine searches without having to enter complex searches, for example requiring and and or operators. According to the internet giant, that would not be intuitive.