- Managing Unwanted Emails: Avoid the Inbox
- Use Disposable Email: Protect Your Inbox from Spam
- AI-Enhanced Writing: Let Gmail Assist You in Composing Emails
Wanted and undesirable emails can arrive at any time.
One way people make their online lives wretched is by allowing their inboxes to become clogged with unsolicited e-commerce sales pitches, special offers, political donation requests, dubious newsletters, and even worse.
Whether it’s writer’s block with a loathed cover letter or that regrettable email you sent, there’s no reason to allow each day’s never-ending stream of email to control your life, rather than work for you.
Here are some of the finest tools accessible directly from your Gmail inbox:
Avoid the inbox.
We all receive communications that we do not wish to read immediately… or possibly ever. If you cannot unsubscribe, such as from a relative’s weekly political rants, attempt this alternative.
In the top-most search box, select the three-line icon.
Enter your search criteria, such as the sender, subject line, or the presence of specific terms. (If you want to verify that your search is functioning as intended, select Search to view the results.)
Click Create Filter in the search window’s footer.
Choose the desired behavior of the filter. Bypassing the inbox (Archiving it) stores the message for you.
Select Create filter from the menu.
This only applies to new emails that arrive in your inbox; it does not apply retroactively. You can, however, filter out obsolete messages from your inbox.
Alternatively, you can avoid the inbox entirely by sending a “burner” email.
Use a disposable email
Most people are also unaware of a common error that causes them to receive more spam and be enrolled for more junk: Use your actual email and phone number!
Fortunately, it is simple, inexpensive, and sometimes even free to use so-called ‘burner’ options to access a website or online deal in a crisis.
Consider all the reasons you unwittingly share your email address: Signing up for a new account, emailing a business with a query, and obtaining a discount code are a few examples.
When you provide your email address to a third party, you expose yourself to unwanted mail, malware, and an inbox full of spam messages. This is where a disposable email is useful.
Burner email addresses are disposable and can be substituted for your principal email address. There are multiple methods to obtain one.
Temp Mail provides temporary, impermanent, and anonymous email addresses. Registration is not required for the free version. Remember that the service does not deactivate your temporary email address (you must do so manually) and that you cannot send emails. Emails are stored for approximately two hours before being deleted automatically.
10MinuteMail is another well-known option for sending emails. The email and address are purged 10 minutes after being sent. If you receive a message that you cannot afford to lose, you can forward it to another email address. A nice feature is that no personal information is required to get begun.
However, Gmail also enables you to create free aliases that are linked to your primary inbox. They are useful for filtering email and determining how your email address got on a spam list. (More on this later.)
Type it up for me
If you have access to Gmail’s Workspace Labs, allow it to compose an email on your behalf. Start a new draught and a plus sign with a stylus will appear at the bottom. This link will reveal several options.
The ‘Help me write’ button will generate an email based on the prompt you enter. You can also use it to formalize, shorten, or lengthen an email.
Lacking the option? Also here you can register for access to AI features. After the trial period, you will be required to pay for an enhanced Workspace account.
