Google plans to retire Gmail’s basic HTML view from January 2024 with the more advanced ‘Standard’ view. The exact date when Google made this decision is unclear, but it is mentioned on a Google support page titled ‘Use the latest version of Gmail in your browser.’ The last known capture of this page on Archive.org is from late 2022.

The Basic HTML view was designed primarily for users with slower internet connections and legacy browsers. Despite its limited features, it provided an essential service for those in low-connectivity areas.

According to a report by TechCrunch, even today when you attempt to access the HTML version of Gmail, Google displays a message indicating that this version is intended for ‘slower connections and legacy browsers.’ It typically prompts you to confirm that you prefer not to use the standard version, signalling their gradual transition away from the basic HTML view towards the more modern standard version.

Some users on Hacker News have reported receiving emails from Google announcing the end of this feature. The email read, “We’re writing to let you know that the Gmail Basic HTML view for desktop web and mobile web will be disabled starting early January 2024. The Gmail Basic HTML views are previous versions of Gmail that were replaced by their modern successors 10+ years ago and do not include full Gmail feature functionality.”

The Basic HTML view, while serving its purpose admirably, is notably stripped of many features found in its modern counterpart, the Standard view. Features like chat, spell check, search filters, keyboard shortcuts, and rich formatting are absent. It’s unclear whether Google has plans to introduce a low-connectivity mode to cater to users in remote areas.

Google introduced the Standard view over a decade ago to replace the Basic HTML view, offering a visually richer and feature-packed interface. Since then, Gmail has seen continuous enhancements and the addition of new functionalities. Google emphasises that the Basic HTML view falls short of delivering the comprehensive feature set available in the Standard view.

The retirement of Gmail’s Basic HTML view is just the latest addition to Google’s growing graveyard of discontinued products and services, according to a Verge report. Recent discontinued services include the Pixel Pass phone upgrade programme, Google Currents and Nest Secure, the report added.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)