Google on Thursday updated Gmail for iOS with a trio of notable new features: quick actions, the ability to email files from other apps and a new attachment viewer. Gmail users on iPhone and iPad can now attach photos and documents to Gmail from other apps such as Instagram using the updated in-app share sheet, and open attachments from Gmail into any app.

Gmail for iOS 4.0
Taking advantage of Apple's addition of interactive notifications in iOS 8, quick actions enable Gmail users to archive or reply to emails directly from a notification without leaving the app. The functionality also works for notifications in Notification Center and on the Lock screen. The latest release of Gmail for iOS pushes the app to version 4.0 on the App Store.

What's New in Version 4.0
• Take quick actions - Archive or reply to messages directly from a notification
• Email files from other apps - Attach photos and documents to Gmail right from your favorite apps
• New attachment viewer - Open attachments from Gmail into any app

Gmail for iOS [Direct Link] is free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad.

Top Rated Comments

gmintz09 Avatar
133 months ago
Nice update, but why archive and not delete? I never have understood archive as an action in email. It doesn't get rid of it, it throws it to my "All Mail" section but still stays in my inbox. I would have preferred "Reply" and "Delete" as options.

Furthermore, these actions really don't work on the lock screen if you have a passcode/TouchID...I have to unlock my phone to complete the action. I also still have to leave the app I'm in to reply to an email. Not sure why it says I can do it right from the notification. Disappointing.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
133 months ago
Nice update, but why archive and not delete? I never have understood archive as an action in email. It doesn't get rid of it, it throws it to my "All Mail" section but still stays in my inbox. I would have preferred "Reply" and "Delete" as options.

With Gmail, you are the product. Google wants you to retain as much email as possible so that they can profile you for adverting campaigns. Regarding "All Mail" messages staying in your inbox, you just need to adjust some settings. Archived messages don't stay in your Inbox when configured properly.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mpavilion Avatar
133 months ago
I recently switched from using the Gmail app to accessing Gmail via the Outlook app. I love it -- you can do almost everything that you can do via the Gmail app (except for "Labeling" messages while leaving them in the Inbox), plus a lot more... without the hassles and annoyances of the Gmail app (poor design, notifications that don't clear when you view the message in the app, account sign-in issues, etc.).
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
technosix Avatar
133 months ago
I've been using all the Google iOS apps. They enhance the iPhone experience a lot. Very enjoyable.

Perhaps best of all is how rapidly Google Innovates without fear. They just do it and do it well.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mms13 Avatar
133 months ago
Nice update, but why archive and not delete? I never have understood archive as an action in email. It doesn't get rid of it, it throws it to my "All Mail" section but still stays in my inbox. I would have preferred "Reply" and "Delete" as options.

You aren't using Gmail correctly.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bozzykid Avatar
133 months ago
With Gmail, you are the product. Google wants you to retain as much email as possible so that they can profile you for adverting campaigns.
That simply isn't true. Deleting email will not have any affect on advertising campaigns shown to you. Google uses an automated process to scan emails when they arrive. Once you delete the email, nothing will change. So there is no incentive for Google to want you to archive the email. To be fair, Apple scans emails (incoming and outgoing) as well. They just choose to not retain the data for advertising purposes.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...