Recently I went on a business trip, where I needed quick access to a good amount of information. That information was found in various emails, all of which had been added to the same Gmail label. Of course, I could open the Gmail app, open the Gmail sidebar, locate, and tap to reveal the label. While scrambling on the go, the last thing I needed was to go through that process. So instead, I shortened the task down to a single step.
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After all, isn’t that the name of the game (especially when you’re on the go)? I’m going to share how I made this happen.
SEE: BYOD (bring-your-own-device) policy (Tech Pro Research)
What you need
The only things you need for this are an Android device (associated with your Google account), a Gmail account, and a label you want to use. I’ll demonstrate on a Pixel 3, running Android Pie. The process will be similar, so long as you’re running any version of Android from 7 up.
How to create the shortcut
Fortunately, this feature is built right into Android in the form of widgets. To create the shortcut to a Gmail label, long-press a blank spot on your home screen and select Widgets (Figure A).
Locate the Gmail section in the widgets listing (Figure B). Tap and hold the Gmail Label entry and drag it to your home screen.
If you have more than one email account configured in Gmail, you’ll be asked to select which account to use (Figure C).
Tap the email address to use and, in the next window (Figure D), select the label to be used for the shortcut.
In the final window (Figure E), give the label a name and tap Done.
Your label has been added. All you have to do is tap it to open the Gmail app to reveal only those emails associated with the label.
Efficiency at its best
If you’re looking to make your Android experience as efficient as possible, and you lean heavily on Gmail labels, creating a shortcut will make your on-the-go life so much easier. Create shortcuts to as many labels as you need, and you can place them all in a home screen folder for even more convenience.
