Gmail could introduce self-destructing messages

Gmail will be rolling out its new look with new features when the next update is launched in a few weeks.

Google confirmed the update to The Verge last week and a leaked email about the update promises a “fresh, clean look” for Gmail with some new features, including a predictive “smart reply” feature for Gmail’s web version.

New features

This new feature is already available for people who use the Gmail app on their phones.

Part of that “fresh, clean look” will likely include new fonts.

The fonts, called Product Sans and Roboto, are Google’s own.

Product Sans letters look like the “g” used in Google’s current logo; Roboto will make some noticeable changes to characters like “Q,” “?” and “$.” The letters will also be thinner.

For those of us who can’t deal with the onslaught of messages in our inbox but really need to remember to reply to a certain message, Google will be offering some help in the form of a snooze button.

This feature is already available for people who use the Inbox by Gmail app or Boomerang, a third-party Gmail tool.

Self-destructing emails

Gmail may also introduce “self-destructing emails,” which become inaccessible after a set amount of time, TechCrunch reported on Friday based on leaked screenshots.

This “confidential mode” should prevent people from forwarding, printing or downloading the email and may also allow senders to require recipients to verify their identity with a personal identification number.

TechCrunch notes email encryption service ProtonMail already has this feature. Encrypted messaging app Signal also gives users a less-intense version that erases messages after the recipient has read them.

One of the many changes to be seen is:

Smart Reply - Smart Reply suggests three responses you might send based on the content of an email you received. You can simply choose one of the three and hit send, tweak it as desired, or ignore all three.