Gmail 2.0 for iOS launched with new design, multiple account support

Google has given a facelift to its native app on iOS with the launch of Gmail 2.0. The sleeker, feature rich new app finally seems like it will be at par with Gmail’s Android app that was updated earlier this week.

“With version 2.0 of the app, you’ll get a totally new look and feel, plus a bunch of improvements like profile pictures in messages, numerous new animations from swivels to transitions and infinite scrolling in the message lists,” said Google in a blog post announcing the 2.0 version of the app.

Gmail for iOS version 2.0 is feature rich

The newly updated iOS app brings with it a long awaited feature – multiple account support. Gmail for iOS can now handle up to five accounts. The app could previously support only one account. Users can shuffle between accounts quickly from the menu. The changing over has been made easier with icons and little flags that indicate unread messages.

More from News & Analysis

What is the US HIRE Bill and why is India’s $250-billion IT sector worried? Is the internet dead? What's this theory that OpenAI's Sam Altman says might be true?

Users can also save up on some precious time with the auto-complete function that makes searching for mails in the inbox easy. Features like RSVP to Google Calendar invites and adding a +1 or a comment to Google+ posts without having to leave the inbox are some of the other ‘time saving’ features added to the update.

Google said in the blog post that the Gmail app update for iOS had been in the making since last six months. The company had bought Sparrow, a popular client for Gmail on iOS, and both the teams were said to be working on bettering the Gmail app.

The inbox looks sleeker and switching between accounts is a breeze

The app has retained features that it was best known for before the update – the sleek, clutter free app design. The style has been even bettered and scrolling through the inbox and reading through mails is very easy on the eyes. The app deserves full marks for being aesthetically pleasing.

It’s a huge change for the iOS app that hasn’t had the best of reputations. The app has had troubles with bugs ever since it was launched. It was pulled down from the store soon after its debut in the App Store last November, thanks to a bug that broke down notifications and caused users to see an error message when first opening the app. Google seems to have left its tumultuous Gmail history behind to launch an app that impresses.

Gmail’s update for iOS came only a little after the Android version was updated with new features and bug fixes. The Android update contained features like image thumbnails in the mail, swipe to archive or delete and the much awaited ability to attach images and videos from within the message.

It looks like Google has been trying to step up its game after Microsoft’s newly revamped Outlook.com started luring Gmail users with more features and a clutter free Mobile UI. Microsoft had released numbers last month that showed 28 million active users on the website. Microsoft also claimed to have invited a panel of Gmail users to try out its services and said four out of five users of the Google mail service would want to switch.

The winner of this battle of email services is clearly the user who gets feature rich inboxes that go beyond just emails. To update your Gmail app, go to the App Store or click here to download it for your iOS device.