When Google released Gmail, it changed the way people use email. It was the first web-based email system to break out of the mold set by the desktop email clients that came before. Beginning as a sort of secret club that you had to be invited to, it took off right from the start.
Not only was Gmail faster, it had a much more advanced (and easier to use!) interface.
The way Gmail handled and sorted email was a giant leap. It left behind the hard to follow, chronological lists of messages and sorted everything into nice, neat conversations. Many people didn’t realize at the time just how revolutionary this change was.
Other email service providers like Yahoo and Hotmail scrambled to catch up with the new kid on the block. As it turns out, they never quite managed to actually catch up. Since then, they’ve tried to imitate Gmail’s features, but they haven’t seen the same user base as before.
With the success of Gmail, Google started releasing more web-based free products. Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, and so many more revolutionize the way we work.
As technology has evolved, so have all of these apps Google has given us — with one notable exception.
The Problem With Gmail On The Desktop
Have you ever stopped to think that on your mobile devices you have actual apps? And that you can switch between multiple accounts on those apps with just a tap? It’s seamless and painless. It is not, however, the same on your desktop or laptop.
You don’t access Gmail through a browser on your phone or tablet. You have Gmail for iOS, Gmail for Android, and even Gmail for Windows Phone. You’ve also got Google Drive for each of those platforms, and several other Google apps too. The point is, you get actual programs, coded and compiled apps. The different services are in independent containers.
What do you get on your desktop though? There’s no Gmail for Windows or Gmail for Mac. There is just Gmail for the browser, and Docs in the browser, which is tied into Drive in the browser, and so on. There’s also a major problem when you want to use multiple accounts in the browser — in most cases, you can’t.
On the web, Google uses what’s known as a single sign-on (SSO). This means that when you sign into one Google service, you automatically sign in to them all. This is usually very convenient. It means you don’t have to log in over and over each time you move between Google properties.
It has it’s drawbacks though.
Because of the way the SSO works, if you have multiple Google accounts, you can only use one at a time.
It’s not like your mobile devices where you can be in Gmail on one account and Docs on another.
They’ve made it possible to open multiple Gmail accounts all at the same time, but for all the other services, like Drive and Docs, you will only be logged in under the first Gmail account you signed in with. You can’t use any of your other accounts without logging out and back in again.
I’m sure we don’t need to tell you how awkward, cumbersome and annoying this becomes when you have 3, or 4, or more Google accounts.
But what if you could make your desktop Gmail and other Google apps behave like their mobile versions?
What if there was Gmail for Windows, or Gmail for Mac, or even Gmail for Linux?
What if there was a real app that would allow you to switch between accounts on your desktop or laptop computer as easily as you do on your mobile devices?
The Power User’s Secret Weapon
Psst… You wanna hear something? There is!
It’s called Shift. But we don’t have to tell you that; you’ve already arrived.
Shift will turn you into a Gmail power user. Shift works on any platform. It’s like having Gmail for Mac, and Gmail for Windows, and yes, Gmail for Linux too.
Shift allows you to use Gmail, Calendar, Drive and all of the Google apps like Docs and Sheets just like you would on a mobile device. You can switch between all of your accounts seamlessly, without the need sign in and out.
Shift will do for Gmail what Gmail did for your email. Once you see it, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. (I know you’ve heard that before, but this time it’s true!). It really is a game changer. But don’t just take my word; download the 30-day Pro trial for free!
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