Gmail’s web client is set to receive one of its most substantial overhauls ever in the next few weeks, but Google has yet to publicly announce the update. But that hasn’t stopped The Verge from sharing details about the new design all week, including a new report today covering an interesting upcoming feature called “confidential mode.”
In addition to smart replies, a snooze feature and a sidebar for calendar appointments, the new web version of Gmail will also include a confidential mode that will allow users to either stop recipients from forwarding an email you send them, or restrict them from copying, downloading or printing out the contents of the email.
Google is also going to allow Gmail users to require an SMS passcode to open an email and even set an expiration date on emails they send. All of these features will allow Gmail users to have more control over who sees their emails and how the content of those emails is distributed. Of course, this won’t stop anyone from copy and pasting the text or snapping a screenshot, but it is an effective way to warn a recipient about the sensitive nature of an email.
Google confirmed the existence of the design overhaul in a statement to The Verge, saying that it is “working on some major updates to Gmail (they’re still in draft phase).” And while the new Gmail won’t be ready for at least another few weeks, it looks like there are plenty of new features to get excited about.
