Struggling with Gmail’s Layout? How Can You Activate the Outlook-Style Preview Reading Pane?

Annoyed by Cluttered Emails? Why Not Activate Gmail’s Hidden Reading Pane Now?

I used to hate scrolling through endless emails. Then I found Gmail’s secret weapon: the reading pane. Let me show you how it works.

Gmail gives you 15 GB of storage. That’s like stuffing a closet with 5,000 pairs of shoes. But finding one email? Painful. The reading pane slices your screen like a pizza—half for your inbox, half for reading. No more clicking.

How to turn on Reading Pane in Gmail

1. Open Gmail on a computer. Phones can’t do this yet.
2. Click the gear icon at the top right.
3. Pick “See all settings.”
4. Under “Inbox,” check “Enable reading pane.”
5. Choose right-side or bottom view.
6. Hit “Save changes.”

Done. Now your inbox looks like Outlook.

How to turn off Reading Pane in Gmail

1. Open Gmail on a computer. Phones can’t do this yet.
2. Click the gear icon at the top right.
3. Pick “See all settings.”
4. Under “Inbox,” uncheck “Enable reading pane.”
5. Hit “Save changes.”

Same steps, but uncheck the box. Poof—back to normal.

If you’re drowning in emails, this is your life raft. If not? Still handy. Like learning to chop onions faster.