Frequently Asked Questions about Google Workspace

Tags FAQ Email Gmail

Can I change the 30 day auto-delete setting for spam or trash?

The 30 day auto deletion period for SPAM and Trash are system settings that you cannot change.

Can I search messages by size?

The Gmail advanced search box now has an option to search emails by size. Emails can now be searched without using operators like “size:” and “larger:”.

The advanced search options can be accessed by clicking on the down arrow in the search box in Gmail.  You'll see a new option to search by size where you can indicate "greater than" or "less than" and enter the size.

I hit the send button too soon - can I UNSEND a message?

Yes, there is a Lab module that will allow you to unsend a message, but you will only have a few seconds to do so. (Please note that Lab modules are a testing ground for experimental features that aren't quite ready for primetime. They may changebreak or disappear at any time.)

To enable this feature, go to your Settings and click on Labs.  Scroll down and find the "Undo Send" module and enable it.  Scroll to the bottom and click Save Changes.

Now whenever you send an email, you will see a yellow dialogue box that says: 'Your message has been sent' and then an option to "undo".  Click undo and you will see your message appear back in a compose window. 

NOTE: The default amount time you have to click the undo is set to 10 seconds.  To change that to 30 seconds, go back to your Settings, click on General, scroll down to the Undo Send setting and select 30 from the dropdown menu for "Send cancellation period".

Why am I seeing meetings that people have invited me to but I have not accepted yet on my calendar?

Under calendar settings, the option “Automatically add invitations to my calendar:” is set by default to “Yes” which will put all meeting invitations onto your calendar.  You may want to consider selecting the “No, only show invitations to which I have responded” so that only those meeting invitations that you have said “yes” to show up on your calendar.

Can I search for messages by date?

Yes, you can search for messages sent or received during a certain period of time by using the advanced search operators after: and before: and using the date format yyyy/mm/dd.   For example,

after:2018/04/16 before:2018/04/18

This will find messages sent between April 16, 2018 and April 18, 2018.*
*More precisely: Messages sent after 12:00 AM (or 00:00) April 16, 2018 and before April 18, 2018.

Is there a save button in Gmail?

As you write a message, Gmail automatically saves a draft of it. This way, you can always step away from your inbox and finish a message later.

If you want to find a draft of a message you were in the middle of writing, click [Drafts] along the left side of any Gmail page. (Don't see Drafts? Go to the Labels tab in your Settings, then click the [show] link next to the Drafts label.)

If you no longer need your draft, just click the [Discard draft] icon at the bottom of your compose window icon (looks like a trash can).  You can also discard any old drafts by clicking your [Drafts] label, checking the box next to the messages you'd like to delete, and clicking [Discard drafts] near the top of the page. Your draft will be permanently removed.

How can I set it so only the subject line shows in my inbox?

The option to control whether you see the subject line only or a snippet of the body of the message in your inbox is located in the Settings area.  The option is called "Snippets".

Go to Settings, and scroll down to find Snippets under the General tab.  Select [No snippets] to show only the subject line in your inbox and scroll to the bottom of the page and click [Save Changes].

I sent a message to distribution list, like social@union.edu, but I don't see the message in my inbox. Did it get sent?

Yes it did get sent. When you send mail to any group or mailing list you subscribe to, Gmail automatically skips your inbox and archives the message to save you time and prevent clutter. The message will appear in your inbox if someone responds to it or if there is an error delivering the message. If you'd like to view your message, you can find it in Sent Mail or All Mail.

Can I hide the star/important labels?

Yes, you can hide the starred and important labels.  To hide them:

  1. Select [Settings] under the Gmail gear icon.
  2. Select the [Labels] tab.
  3. In the Show in label list column, click the [hide] link to remove that label from the left panel of your Gmail page.

You can hide importance markers. To hide the importance markers:

  1. Select [Settings] under the Gmail "gear" icon.
  2. Select the [Inbox] tab.
  3. In the Importance markers section, select the [No markers option].
  4. Click [Save Changes] at the bottom of the page.

Can I just search for all email messages from a particular person?

Yes, you can either use some of the available advanced search operators in the search box or you can use the search drop-down box, which proivdes a variety of search options.

How do I see my calendar in my Gmail window?

Go to Settings, select Labs, enable Google Calendar gadget and scroll to the bottom and click [Save Changes]. You will see the gadget icon (looks like an ellipsis …) in the lower left hand corner of your screen. Click that and your calendar will appear.

How do I get a split-screen/preview-pane view like Outlook?

The 30 day auto deletion period for SPAM and Trash are system settings that you cannot change.

Are students also in the Union College Google Apps for Education domain?

Yes, students are now also in the @union.edu domain.  Because of this, watch your auto-fill when typing in the names of people you are sending a message to! The entire campus community is now all on @union.edu email addresses.


If you are having difficulty or you have unanswered questions, please contact the Help Desk through the ITS Service Catalog or call (518) 388-6400.


Details

Article ID: 59344
Created
Mon 8/6/18 11:40 AM
Modified
Tue 2/9/21 1:25 PM