Google’s Gmail 2.3.2 Released for Android

In September of this year, Google separated its Gmail application from its core Android OS, allowing it to update the program without relying on a full system. Now, it has released its first independent application update with version 2.3.2.

According to the Google Mobile Blog, this program was released on the Android market on December 9, 2010. Dependent on the application settings of the user, a re-login to the marketplace or a manual update may be necessary. The prominent updates include: inline message composition, a new interface for selecting message type and recipients, the option to send mail from non-Gmail addresses, and a priority inbox view.

Inline message composition, or the ability to write messages interspersed between the quoted text of a message, was not available on previous Gmail versions. As of 2.3.2, however, it can be activated just by clicking on a single “respond inline” button in the compose window. With similar simplicity, you can now change from the default “reply” to either “reply to all” or “forward” from the compose window itself.

Another highly requested feature, that of being able to send from alternate email addresses, has also been integrated. While you will have to set up the custom “from” address in your Gmail desktop client, any address added in this way can be used from your mobile device.

And finally, Google’s priority inbox, a feature that did well in the standard web-mail version of Gmail but lacked deep functionality in the mobile client, has been revamped. It is now easier both to label messages as important (which can be done by clicking on a new double-arrow marker) and view all the priority messages in your inbox. Integrated with this, users can also alter their phone settings so they only receive an alert when a new priority message is received.