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Google launches "priority inbox" for Gmail

By Stewart Mitchell and Reuters

Posted on 31 Aug 2010 at 08:36

Google is trialling a new Priority Inbox feature for its Gmail service that will separate a user's important emails from the ones that don't get read as often.

According to Google, the new feature helps users manage messages more easily, without having to set up complex rules.

The Priority Inbox application splits the inbox into three sections: 'Important and unread', 'Starred' and 'Everything Else'.

“People get a lot of mail that isn't outright junk but isn't very important," said Google on its official blog. "We've evolved Gmail's filter to address this problem and extended it to not only classify outright spam, but also to help users separate the important stuff."

"As messages come in, Gmail automatically flags some of them as important. Gmail uses a variety of signals to predict which messages are important, including the people you email most and which messages you open and reply to."

Google said Priority Inbox would be rolled out to all Gmail users, including those who use Google Apps, over the next week.

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User comments

Google at it again, sigh

I don't suppose they'll give us the option to turn this off, will they? In case the filters don't work as expected? Probably not, or they will hide them somewhere unreachable.

By mviracca on 1 Sep 2010

It should be easy ...

... because there should be a tab in Settings to configure Priority Inbox.

Unfortunately, whoever wrote the help files/PR didn't tell the developers to turn it on. I just looked, and it's not there. Sort it out Google!

By rabigo on 2 Sep 2010

Works well

The regular GMail is still available, and you don't get the Priority box unless you choose to.
I heard about this on the PCPro podcast, and I agree that the mail was correctly classified when I opened it; it was impressive. I chose to change some of the classifications, but that was for recent important exchanges. It appears that, with time, the system gets even better.

By eddetlie on 5 Sep 2010