iOS users have a new Mail client in form of MailBox. This App take a whole new approach to viewing emails in your inbox, going where no email client has gone before. The ever so good labels in Gmail have been given a miss by this App. This App lets you snooze and postpone emails in your inbox, so that you can be alerted later. However setting is up is a bit complex, so read on and set it up.
First and foremost download the App here at Apple Store, if you haven't already done so. Do download it even if you are not interested because it is free and worth a try. The App has seen a huge amount of downloads and there is a waiting list for activating the App. Mailbox has ensured a Railway ticket like reservation system so that the millions of users are optimized for its service in a FIFO method. So don't worry if you are in a queue.
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| (Credit: Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET) |
After your download you will receive a reservation number. Anytime you want to check out your progress, simply open the App and the you will know your current status.
If you are eager to know how soon you will be able to gain access, visit the Cult of the Mac website here which gives a probable time of your access based on your number. If you have already applied for the reservation before the launch of Mailbox but have forgotten the number, don't worry, visit the Mailbox help here to sort it out.
So with the reservation issue sorted out, lets go to setting it up. Mailbox takes a whole new approach to the emails. You wont find any Gmail labels on this App, instead you will have to mark a email for action later. It just adds a new set of labels under 'Mailbox' and moves the messages in and out of it.
However using it requires some practice. When you short swipe from right-to-left on an e-mail and select when you'd like to be reminded about it the message is moved to the Later label. The e-mail will then move back into your Inbox and an alert will display on your iPhone when the set period of time has expired.
When you open the same email on Internet, you will see the email you have marked for later will appear as a a starred item in you Inbox.
Mailbox also allows you to add e-mails to personalized lists. These lists are basically another set of labels nested under the main Mailbox label to aid you in keeping your e-mail organized and easy to access.
To manage your e-mail you'll need to learn the gestures used by Mailbox. The first time you launch the app there is a tutorial explaining the basic gestures for archiving, deleting, scheduling, and adding an e-mail to a list. However If you have say 100 emails in you inbox, CNET has given a way out.
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| (Credit: Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET) |
Scroll to the bottom of the messages and touch and drag on either corner of the bottom bar as shown in the image above. Doing so will move every message in your Inbox in one quick swipe; be it archiving, a list, deleting or snoozing for later. To reorder the messages in your Inbox, you can tap and hold on any message and it will begin to float. Move it up or down in the list to prioritize your Inbox.
You can set custom snooze times in Settings > Snoozes. Set your work day start time, your weekend start time and how long to delay an message for the "later today" snooze option.
The new Mailbox may have plenty more surprises, so be the first one to notice some easter egg and go viral over net. Hope the above tutorial helps you. Please post your comments regarding this new age Email App so that fellow readers can get some valuable inputs.
Vijay Prabhu.
Video of Mailbox thanks to CNET
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