John Paul M. Joaquin Tech 09.26.2023 05:Sep AM EDT

Google To Retire Gmail’s HTML View in 2024

Google will retire Gmail's HTML view sooner than users think.

The search giant recently announced it will no longer support Gmail's Basic HTML view come Jan. 2024, forcing everyone, regardless of internet speed, to view it in its Standard View.

As of press time, anyone with a legacy web browser with slow internet speeds could use Gmail's Basic HTML view.

Gmail's New View

Google mentioned in its Help webpage for Gmail that users can display its email service on their web browsers in Basic HTML only until Jan. 2024. The search giant means to retire Gmail's Basic HTML view to have its email service focus on its Standard view.

For those unaware, Gmail's Basic HTML view is a stripped-down version of Gmail reminiscent of its old appearance when it launched in 2004, per Bustle. Gmail users with a slow internet connection or an old web browser can view Gmail in this way to better access their emails.

However, Gmail's Basic HTML view lacks many of the Standard view's features most Gmail users may be accustomed to using by now. According to Bleeping Computer, these features include chat, spell checking, keyboard shortcuts, adding or importing contacts, setting custom "from" addresses," and using rich text formatting.

Another reason why Gmail's Basic HTML view is still popular is its more reliable text-to-speech tools that users with visual impairment often use. Apparently, the one in Gmail's Standard view introduces technical complexities that are more difficult for these tools to manage.

Nevertheless, Google is removing Gmail's Basic HTML view without providing a reason why. However, Google's decision could be due to its focus on adding AI-powered features to its products.

According to a report from Tech Crunch, the search giant is focusing on adding AI-powered features to its products like Gmail. For instance, Google launched a Duet AI feature and Google Bard chatbot integration in Gmail to help users write emails and ask questions about email history, respectively.

What Happens After Jan. 2024?

Even so, Google's decision will likely have a negative effect on Gmail users using old hardware/web browsers, slow internet connections, and the HTML view's text-to-speech feature. Google stressed that Gmail will always load in its Standard view starting Jan. 2024 regardless of a user's hardware and internet speed, forcing them to upgrade their hardware, internet service plan, or both.

For those who couldn't do either, Bleeping Computer suggests using lightweight clients like Mozilla Thunderbird and Microsoft Outlook. The publication believes that lightweight clients are generally preferable to loading web-based platforms.

Gmail users in need of accessibility features like text-to-speech would do well using Thunderbird. It allegedly works well with the Jaws, NVDA, and Windows Eyes screen readers and offers a range of display and text size adjustment options that enhance accessibility.

Time will tell if Google will add a view mode to replace Gmail's Basic HTML view for Gmail for users left behind by the decision it recently made.