Simplify Gmail v2 updates & v3 preview

A quick overview of what has been added over the last year and a preview of the big changes coming soon and how to try it now

Hello Simplify Gmail fans and customers! It’s been a while. A whole year in fact since my last post. For some, this might be your first newsletter. Welcome!

Over the last year, I’ve been busy. I updated Simplify Gmail 38 times with hundreds of improvements and fixes to make Simplify even better and keep up with changes to Gmail. I’ve listed some of the bigger improvements at the end of this email.

I’ve also spent much of the last year working on Simplify v3 which is nearing full release and will include:

• Bundles (early demo, some early press); this was the most requested feature

• Bulk actions on date groups and bundles

• Profile photos in the inbox

• Total revamp of Simplify settings with option to sync across devices*

• Press [ i ] to reply to an introduction

• Better support content and onboarding*

• And so much more!

While anyone can use the v3 beta, not all of the above features(*) are in the beta and there are still a few rough edges and missing details. So not quite ready for primetime, but it’s getting close!

Later this summer, I plan to launch Simplify v3 to everyone. And as that launch nears, the newsletter will become active once again with more details on the bigger changes.

Back to the Simplify v2 you all know and love – here are some of the many improvements and new capabilities added over the last year:

• Support for Gmail’s new design (video tour)

• Play video attachments inside Gmail without having to download the file

• Blocking over 260 trackers now (up from 170 when Simplify v2 first launched)

• Hide Inbox for deep focus with option to temporarily disable notifications

• Option to reverse the order of messages in a conversation or a list

• Improved support for Gmail as a Progressive Web App

• Compatibility with more extensions (up to 32 now)

• New keyboard shortcuts:

  • Unarchive a thread with Shift+E

  • Select or unselect a single thread with Spacebar

  • Select multiple messages with Shift+Up / Down

  • Print a conversation with Ctrl+P / Cmd+P

• Option to keep the compose button at the top of the nav

• Improvements to dark mode

• Option to customize the favicon color for different accounts

• Highlight the drop target in compose to attach an image (instead of inserting it into the body)

• Option to make links https by default when linkifying a domain

• Don’t auto-expand messages that match a search if the only match is in the quoted text

• Option to suppress the external recipient warning in Workspace accounts

• Fixing some lingering Gmail bugs like removing problematic invisible styling when you copy and paste content from Google Docs to Gmail.

• And so much more…

One more thing: In addition to a dedicated Twitter account (@useSimplify) where I have been posting more frequent updates, I started a YouTube channel where I am posting support content and tours of new features.

I just uploaded an excessively long video walking through all of Simplify’s options (seriously, this thing is feature film length… bring popcorn and a caffeinated beverage… or better yet, use the timestamp list in the description to jump to the options you are interested in).

As always, feel free to pass this on to others (you know all your contacts want a laundry list of features on your favorite browser extension) or better yet, tell me what’s on your mind in the comments or over email at hi@simpl.fyi. Onward!