The New Gmail buttons

If you really cannot stand the new interface then scroll to the bottom of this Blog

Text in the buttons is available now by going into 
Settings > General > Button Labels 
where you can make your own choice


Should something be too small to see please use Ctrl and + at the same time to Zoom it larger

How to find your way around Gmail.

Gmail logo has a menu leading to the other main pages

The Top Bar when Inbox is displayed

Does not change in any view.

What the Buttons Do:

Click a button when in Gmail to see what it leads you to from a menu. Some items might lead to a further sub menu.

Left hand side of Inbox 

This one changes depending on where you are so might show as Mail, Contacts or Tasks but leads to the other two

The Checkbox helps you chose which boxes you want checked for further actions

The Refresh button which does exactly what it says but more localised than the Browser Refresh

The More button without an email checked

 

Settings gives you the choice of how your display looks 

 

Control bar for Inbox

If you are using anything but Classic then the left hand side of the bar directly above the Subject lines shows “unread” but the right hand side gives a new control menu.

The Top Bar when an email is open or check marked in Inbox

Return to Inbox

Takes you back to the Inbox or whatever you were using last such as Search or Label

Archive button

Although this shows a folder please don’t be mislead. Gmail does not use Folders, this moves the active ones to All Mail  or you can create Labels for each and these can be found by using Labels in the left hand column. Only one copy of an email is kept so if you delete it you have lost it into Trash and then forever.

Replying from an open email plus the menu

 

Report Spam button which moves to Spam when used

Best to leave in Spam to give Google’s servers time to remember your choice.

Delete

Moves to Trash/Bin where it will be kept for thirty days to allow for a rethink. Only one copy of an email is kept so if you delete it you have lost it into Trash and then forever.

Move To

Once again misuses a folder/file icon because it moves to or activates a Label so you can find it. Only one copy of an email is kept so if you delete it you have lost it into Trash and then forever.

Labels

Here you can create new Labels and add extra Labels to an email so it can be cross referenced.

More

If you are wondering about "Boomerang" it allows me to set a time/date to send a post.

This is the way you will see it from an open post or the Inbox if you have check marked a post.

Forward and Back buttons

 

The left button takes you up the to later posts and the right to earlier.

Expand/Contract, Print, Open in New Window

As seen in a Conversation View

The ellipsis

Bottom left of an open email will reveal what has been trimmed from the email.

Gadget

Bottom of the left hand column is to find any Gadgets you may have installed.

Above and Below the Inbox

Clicking on your name top right leads to a menu.

Add Account will allow you to open secondary accounts in their own Tabs by signing into or adding them

Above and top right

Share allows you to share something with your Google + Circles and this is completely controllable.

Detail

Gmail’s Search box has incorporated all the old Search and Filter Options behind the menu arrow leading to the box shown below.

Below

 

If you still can't find anything you like about the new look it's possible to create something very close to the old version by using "Style" so this does the look and this does the Conversation view. There is an advisory blog on this at http://gmail-miscellany.blogspot.co.uk/2012_04_01_archive.html

 Another thing you can do is to open two Tabs for Gmail with one running the Standard version any way you want it to look and the second using the HTML version. http://mail.google.com/mail/h/ will take you straight there. 

 Big Request from myself

Save me coming back to this and removing Comments which I will do please, unless you need help with something, don't comment. I will add new screenshots and advice as wanted or needed.

This Blog is meant to help but is not meant as a commentary box on what is right or wrong, whether you like the new style of Gmail or not. Post those comments in the Forums or wherever you wish, in fact, anywhere except here