Change email notifications

In February 2021, Google announced it would be phasing out the unlimited and free storage allocation previously available to schools and universities that use Google Drive. Instead, it will offer a base amount of storage for a fixed fee and a charge for additional storage. An initiative is underway to support the university’s transformation to a new Google service. 

You can change your email notifications on both desktop and mobile versions of Gmail. Here’s a breakdown of how to do it for each:

On Desktop:

  1. Open Gmail on your web browser.
  2. Click on the Settings gear icon in the top right corner and select “See all settings” from the dropdown menu.
  3. Click on the “Notifications” tab.

Here you can configure your email notifications in several ways:

  • Email Notifications: Choose between “On” (for all new emails), “High priority only” (for important emails marked as priority), or “Off” (to disable all notifications).
  • Sounds: Enable or disable notification sounds for new emails.
  • Desktop notifications: Choose to receive pop-up notifications for new emails on your desktop or disable them entirely.
  • For specific labels: If you use labels to organize your emails, you can set custom notification settings for emails with specific labels. Click on “Add a label” and choose the label you want to customize notifications for. Then, select your preferred notification settings (sound, pop-up, etc.) for emails with that label.

On Android:

  1. Open the Gmail app on your Android phone or tablet.
  2. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner.
  3. Select “Settings” from the menu options.
  4. Choose the email account you want to modify (if you have multiple accounts).
  5. Tap on “Notifications”.

Here you can manage your email notifications for the chosen account:

  • Inbox notifications: Toggle on or off to receive notifications for all new emails in your inbox.
  • Sound: Enable or disable notification sounds for new emails.
  • Vibrate: Choose whether your phone vibrates when a new email arrives.
  • Label notifications: Similar to the desktop version, you can set custom notification settings for emails with specific labels. Tap on “Manage labels” and choose the label you want to customize. Then, select your preferred notification settings (sound, vibration, etc.) for emails with that label.

Additional Notes:

  • You can also access notification settings for individual emails. Open the email and tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select “Settings” and choose your preferred notification behavior for that specific email (e.g., silence notifications for this conversation).
  • Notification options might vary slightly depending on your specific Gmail version and device settings.

By customizing your email notifications, you can control the flow of information and avoid notification overload. You can choose to be alerted for all emails, only important ones, or silence notifications altogether, depending on your preferences and workflow.