Google has updated Gmail, its web-based email service, extending the functionality of its quick action buttons to include more web services and actions. The buttons essentially allow users to perform certain actions without the need to open an email message if the messages contain links to a web service or a calendar based invite or a flight confirmation notification. These were first rolled out in May this year.
With the new
update, the web version of Gmail will offer more such buttons including ones that allow users to rate and review restaurants they ordered from on Seamless and modify OpenTable reservations (US only). It will also offer the ability to save a promotion from Google Offers or view finished video uploads on YouTube and Vimeo or RSVP to events.
The updated Gmail Quick Action buttons will also allow you to directly open files and documents in a Dropbox folder or on Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides that have been shared with you via email. If the action is to be performed outside Gmail, the button will feature an arrow icon.
Google says that it is up to the message sender to select one of these action types, and provide the right information to set it up correctly. So, the sender controls which actions are available and determines the button text. The functionality can be integrated by developers by adding code in their preset email messages.
The Internet giant also clarified that it does not share additional information from the users' Google Account, such as their names, address, or phone number, with the service, addressing privacy concerns.