Modernize: You might be here because you heard that Google is “sunseting Gmail” this year, as a prank that’s spreading fast online puts it. The prank reportedly shows an email from Google saying that “Gmail’s journey is coming to an end.” Here’s a version we spotted on Twitter/X:
Rest assured, Gmail isn’t going anywhere, but one way to access it is, as you can read below. Most will have defaulted to the “new” Gmail view a long time ago, so unless you’ve specifically requested the “basic HTML” view, nothing should change for you.
Another day, another Google product goes to the graveyard. The company goes down Gmail’s basic HTML viewwhich allows users to view their emails bare-bones, starting in January 2024.
The company informed the support page to reflect that Gmail will automatically switch to Standard view after the deadline date. Users to Hacker news posted that they received an email from Google signaling the end of the feature.
“We’re writing to let you know that Gmail’s native HTML view for desktop web and mobile web will be disabled beginning January 2024. Gmail’s native HTML views are previous versions of Gmail that were superseded by their modern successors 10 + years and do not include full Gmail functionality,” the email states.
Even today, when you try accessing the HTML version, Google displays a message saying that the version is designed for “slower connections and legacy browsers” and asks you to confirm that you don’t want to use the standard version.
Image Credits: Screenshot from TechCrunch
The HTML version lacks many features such as chat, spell checking, search filters, keyboard shortcuts and rich formatting. But it’s useful in cases where you’re in a low-connectivity area or just want to look at emails without extra bells and whistles. It is not clear if Google plans to add a feature for low connectivity.
Google is currently focusing on integrating AI-powered features into its products, including Gmail. Last month, the company launched a Duet AI feature to help users write emails. Last week, it allowed the Bard chatbot to integrate with Google Accounts so you can ask questions about your email history.
We’ve updated this post since it was originally published on September 25, 2023 to reflect the release of this change in February 2024, as well as a prank apparently related to it.
