How can I change the look and style of my Gmail Inbox?

Audience

Staff, Students, and Faculty

What You Need Before You Start

  • Access to your Charlotte Gmail account.

  • A web browser on a desktop or laptop (these settings are not available in the mobile app).

Steps to Customize Your Inbox

To access your personalization options, click the Settings (gear icon) in the top right corner of your screen. This opens the Quick Settings sidebar.

1. Adjust Density and Apps

  • Apps in Gmail: Click Customize under "Chat and Meet" to choose which apps (like Google Chat or Meet) appear on your left-hand panel.

  • Density: Choose how much space you want between messages:

    • Default: Shows attachment icons for quick access.

    • Comfortable: A clean look with standard spacing.

    • Compact: Minimizes spacing so you can see more emails at once.

2. Personalize Your Theme

Themes allow you to set a background image for your inbox.

  • Select a suggested image or click View all for more options.

  • Fine-tune your theme: At the bottom of the theme selection window, use the three icons to adjust text background (light or dark), add a vignette (make corners darker), or blur the background image.

3. Choose Your Inbox Type

You can change how your messages are prioritized and organized:

  • Default: The standard chronological format. You can select tabs (like "Promotions" or "Social") to appear at the top.

  • Important First: Places emails marked with a yellow "important" marker at the top.

  • Unread First: Keeps your unread messages above everything else.

  • Starred First: Displays starred emails in a separate top section.

  • Priority Inbox: The University's Gmail uses predictive analysis to show your most important and unread emails in one combined view.

  • Multiple Inboxes: Allows you to create custom sections using search criteria (e.g., "is:starred").

4. Configure the Reading Pane

If you want to read emails without leaving your inbox list, scroll to the Reading Pane section:

  • No Split: The standard view where you click an email to open it fully.

  • Right of inbox: Displays the email content to the right of your list.

  • Below inbox: Displays the email content underneath your list.

Important Notes

  • Conversation View: At the bottom of the Quick Settings menu, you can toggle Conversation View on or off. Turning it on groups emails from the same thread together.

  • Advanced Settings: For more granular control, click See all settings at the top of the sidebar.

Contact Information

If you have questions about your Charlotte account, please contact the OneIT Service Desk.

 

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