What a surprise for Gmail users when they discovered a new form of advertising between their emails. This unexpected approach has provoked strong reactions, and it goes without saying that this advertising change is far from unanimous.
Source: Justin Morgan on Unsplash
Always looking for new ways to monetize its services, Google recently decided to overhaul the way ads are displayed in Gmail. In fact, many users have noticed an increase in the number of ads in their inboxes. This seems to be particularly worrying for those using the web interface.
Advertising between our emails
As if advertising at the top of the view wasn’t enough, Google decided to be even more generous and put advertising between our emails. Of course, many complain about this change. In response to a user’s concerns on Twitter, the official Gmail account was evasive, while linking to a support page that explained how ads work.
Example of ads in an email list // Source: @MarkIrvine89 on Twitter
It’s important to note that despite numerous complaints on Twitter, this might be a small test. After all, a few thousand affected users among several million accounts is a drop in the ocean. However, the future will tell if Google decides to expand this new advertising approach to all of its Gmail users.
How do I remove ads?
To remove unwanted ads from your Gmail inbox, follow these instructions carefully:
First, access Gmail through your web browser. Next, find the gear icon in the top-right corner of the screen and click “Settings.” Select “Show All Settings” to access detailed options. Go to the Labels tab and scroll down to the Categories section. Under the Show in message list heading, click Hide for the following categories: Social, Notifications, Forums, and Promotions.
This removes the relevant tabs from your inbox, which can result in less differentiation between spam and important messages. However, you benefit from an ad-free Gmail inbox.
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