Gmail 'search chips' could be lifesaver when searching for old emails

Finding an old email can be a chore. In Gmail, you can use search operators to make it a bit easier, but those aren't immediately obvious and I bet most people don't know about them.

Now, Google is making it easier to find exactly the email you're looking for with search chips, a new feature that will add relevant filters to the top of your Gmail search.

To use them, simply type in a keyword into Gmail's search field. Atop the list of results, you'll get a number of additional filters for your search. For example, Gmail might offer to limit the results to emails from one person only, exclude chats and calendar updates, limit the search to a specific time frame, and only look for emails that contain attachments.

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Credit: Google

The search chips offer similar functionality to the search operators mentioned above, but Google appears to be applying some of its AI smarts to make it easier for you to choose the correct filter.

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Note that search operators still offer a wider variety of search filters, but again, you have to know what they are, which isn't always easy given there are nearly 30 of them. Search chips should be more intuitive and easier to use for most users.

Google is rolling out search chips to G Suite customers now, but TechCrunch reports that the company will make the feature available for all Gmail users after the G Suite rollout is done.