Screenshots show changes to Gmail interface

Screenshots have surfaced that would show Gmail’s changed interface for desktop browsers. Google announced Wednesday that the browser version for Gmail is getting a new look and many new features.

The screenshots show how many of the new features have been worked out. For example, in the standard view, Gmail will not only show that an email has an attachment, but also what type of file it is, reports Android Authority. The other views, comfortable and compact, don’t offer that option. In addition, there will be a sidebar that offers integration with other Google services, such as note-taking app Keep and Calendar. That sidebar is on the right.

The label at the top of the interface is labeled “dog food”, a term many companies use for an internal test. Google said Wednesday that users will be able to access the new version through an Early Adopters Program, but that won’t happen until sometime in the coming weeks. These screenshots presumably come from a source within the search company.

The screenshots also show the Smart Replies, a function that proposes replies based on a scan of the mail. Google already does that in other services. The screenshots show nothing of the offline working of the browser version of Gmail. That function is there.

Presumably the browser version of Gmail will become a ‘progressive web app’ with this new design. These are sites that have many features of an app. For example, the site has a manifest, where developers can define the label and icon for the home screen. In addition, a progressive web app has so-called ‘service workers’ to make the site work offline.