These 4 Chrome extensions make Gmail better right now
These add-ons will track your messages, schedule your meetings, and more.
Gmail raised the bar for what we expect in an email service. But if
you’re only using its native features, you’re getting just a taste of
its power. There are a wealth of Chrome extensions that expand Gmail’s
capabilities and help you streamline your workflow. Here are four you
should install today.
Full Contact
Most of us have a similar reaction when we receive an email from a new
professional contact. We immediately try to learn more about them by
searching their profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other
social networks.
Full Contact shows you email senders’ social profiles and other details.
Full Contact eliminates that
legwork by providing the job titles, company details, and social
accounts for each email sender. Without leaving your inbox, you can
scroll through their Facebook posts, tweets, and other social updates.
Add your own notes, then sync all the contact’s info to your address
book so you’ll always have it at hand.
Snapmail
We don’t recommend emailing passwords and similarly sensitive material. But if you absolutely must, this Mission Impossible=style extension will ensure your message is seen by authorized eyes only.
Snapmail
Snapmail encrypts and destroys sensitive email messages.
It adds a Snapmail button next to the Send button in your message.
Pressing it encrypts the message and creates a URL for the message,
which is sent to the recipient. Once they follow the link, a countdown
timer informs them that the message will self-destruct in 60 seconds.
MixMax
MixMax delivers on its promise to
“make email awesome.” The extension adds a host of must-have functions
to Gmail, including email tracking, one-click business templates, and
“send later” scheduling.
MixMax adds several functions to Gmail, including “instant” meeting scheduling.
Its Instant Scheduling is particularly useful for setting up one-on-one
meetings. MIxMax does all the heavy lifting so you and the other party
don’t have to email back and forth to find a time that works for you
both. You select available times from your Google Calendar, and MixMax
adds them to your email. Your recipient selects whichever one works for
them, and MixMax puts it on your calendar and sends each of you a
confirmation message. It’s like having your own personal assistant.
MailTrack
MailTrack removes the mystery
around unanswered emails. This extension is a simple email tracker that
uses checkmarks to keep you apprised of your message’s status. It adds
one checkmark next to the message when it’s sent and adds a second once
the message has been read. Best of all, it can tell you exactly which
recipients have read a message sent to multiple parties.
MailTrack The MailTrack extension lets you know which recipients have read your email, even in a bulk message.
MailTrack’s basic functions are free for an unlimited number of emails.
For $3.50 a month you can add options including real-time desktop
notifications and daily tracking-activity reports.
Michael Ansaldo
Michael Ansaldo is veteran consumer and small-business technology
journalist. He contributes regularly to TechHive and writes the Max
Productivity column for PCWorld. More by Michael Ansaldo
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