Google is reportedly working on a new way to help users bring order to their cluttered Gmail accounts on mobile devices. Initially discovered by industry expert AssembleDebug, a “Manage Subscriptions” section is added to the app’s sidebar menu, housing all the newsletters and promotions you receive. Tapping the option will take you to the “Subscriptions” page, which will display all the mailing lists you’re currently subscribed to. Technical news site PiunikaWeb states that the window will show you messages based on the criteria you specify.
It’s not known exactly what those criteria entail, but AssembleDebug has found code strings for the function that provide insight into how it might work. There seem to be filters that allow you to mark certain mailing lists based on the number of messages they send ‘per quarter’. You can select groups that send ‘less than 10’, ‘between 10 and 20’ or more than 20 emails within a certain period. Next to the entries is the mailing list logo with an unsubscribe button.
So you can check who sends the most newsletters approximately every three months. At least, that’s the idea. Without an official word, it’s hard to say for sure, although we may not have to wait long to find out more.
Just around the corner
Several users on Reddit claim that they have encountered Manage Subscription on their Gmail accounts on mobile devices. Several people report encountering a blue window announcing the section, but when they went to view it, the page was completely blank. Nothing happened. Another poster said that clicking on the message just took them to a screen with a page that loaded endlessly.
PiunikaWeb theorizes that Google may have “accidentally” enabled the feature on their servers, but failed to properly release the patch. It could be in this strange limbo where people can see the section even though it doesn’t do anything. We haven’t encountered it on our Gmail accounts. So it is possible that its sudden appearance, for a handful of people, was really an accident.
What it does show is that the update could be almost ready for launch. It may need a little more time in the oven. Manage Subscription will be a welcome addition to all other recent Gmail updates, such as the more prominent unsubscribe button, if and when it rolls out. Speaking from personal experience, it will be extremely helpful in organizing the chaos known as the Primary tab.
While we’ve got you, check out Ny Breaking’s list of the best Android phones for 2024.