Google plans to discontinue this Gmail feature this year, here are more details
After more than a decade of existence, Google is discontinuing Gmail's basic HTML view, which has long served users seeking a simplified email experience.
Highlights
- Google will be discontinuing Gmail's basic HTML view, which has been available for over a decade
- The HTML version lacks certain capabilities present in the normal view, such as chat, spell checking, & search filters
- Google's trend of discontinuing features includes Google Podcasts & the Jamboard
Google is once again making changes to its beloved Gmail platform, and this time, it's the retirement of an over 10-year-old feature that's catching everyone's attention. Starting in January 2024, Gmail's basic HTML view, a version of the email interface, will cease to be supported.
Google has been actively notifying Gmail users of this forthcoming change via email, marking the end of an era for the HTML view.
The end of an era: Gmail's HTML view retires
After more than a decade of existence, Google is discontinuing Gmail's basic HTML view, which has long served users seeking a simplified email experience.
Google has explained that this move is in alignment with the evolution of Gmail. The HTML view lacks several features present in the standard interface, and it no longer meets modern requirements.
Which features will be removed?
Users relying on the HTML view will automatically shift to the standard view in January 2024. The transition signifies a departure from a basic but favoured interface to a more feature-rich experience.
The basic HTML view in Gmail serves users seeking a simplified email experience, catering to those who prefer a less cluttered interface without the abundance of features found in Gmail's Standard View. It provides a straightforward way to handle email without distractions.
However, it comes with trade-offs; many advanced Gmail features, such as chat, spell checking, keyboard shortcuts, and contact importing, are absent in Basic HTML.
The future of low-connectivity solutions
An intriguing question remains unanswered: Will Google introduce an alternative mode to cater to low-connectivity scenarios, or is this truly the end of Gmail's HTML view era?
The discontinuation of features within Google services follows recent announcements about the closure of Google Podcasts and the discontinuation of Jamboard, a collaborative whiteboarding app. This discontinuation will also extend to the associated hardware, a large 55-inch interactive whiteboard that was available for $5,000.
As Gmail evolves, it raises questions about how tech companies balance progress with the preferences of their diverse user base.
