Google starts rolling out Gmail themes
The new option shows up in the Gmail settings menu, to the right of the Labs option. If you don't see a Themes tab in your settings, you're not crazy. Google has a tendency to roll out new features in phases, with some users getting the update before others.
Ashish Mohta at TechnoSpot is already seeing the new themes, and uploaded the images you see above. If you can't access the new themes yet, you might want to check out Gmail Redesigned, an unofficial theme that changes the appearance of Gmail when viewed in Firefox.
Update: It looks like these changes are rolling out quickly. Less than an hour after writing this post, the new themes tab showed up in my Gmail. Check out the gallery below for screenshots of some of the more unusual themes. OK, the Cold Shower theme isn't particularly unusual, but it's the one I plan to use as my default... for now.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
ranova said 5:17PM on 11-19-2008
Yup my gmail has themes now. Looks much nicer than the old default :)
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alexa said 7:55AM on 12-17-2008
how did you get them i don't have them yet?
wrecker said 5:21PM on 11-19-2008
Well, its been up on the Official Gmail Blog for 2 hours now, with more screenshots...
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RG said 5:47PM on 11-19-2008
The localized Planet theme looks really nice
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Samuel said 6:40PM on 11-19-2008
Back in 1996 the Terminal theme would have been a massive hit, now, its a one time only, but you'd rather have the option than not. These themes, from the four up at the moment, look like their user hacks, created by madmen, not 200+ IQ people (the types were all lead to believe staff even the canteens).
For myself it reminds me of the transition of IGN (Int Gaming News) after the dot.com crash when online companies had to really think about surviving, they turned to adverts and subscriptions. That's how its stayed ever since. People that used the website (IGN) will recall how an entire theme would be used on the page, maybe a McDonnald's promotion, the following week a Burger King one, or a haloween one promoted by a gaming company.
Essentially these themes could be, in the very plausible case of the "Gmail Ninja theme" an advert in itself. Rebuffing the need to have sidebar adverts if an RSS theme was used and then you'd load your email to whatever advert was on that week, anything more frequent could annoy people, stability at a minimum of a week is fair. Even changing the ad-theme like the news Web Clip at the top of your email today.
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Mysterius said 6:50PM on 11-19-2008
I highly doubt Google would make users view sponsored themes. Perhaps companies may choose to sponsor a theme, which users may choose to adopt, but forcing the entire page to become essentially a display ad would quickly wear users out. Given Google's focus on speed and usability in Gmail, to the point of shaving even fractions of a second if possible, I don't find anything that reduces usability likely.
As for the themes, who said all geniuses are good at art?
I think they look fine myself, but it's a matter of taste.
Perhaps later on they'll spend some more time and come up with themes that satisfy your sense of style.
samuel said 6:59PM on 11-19-2008
I think you misunderstood me, I think the themes are fab! I have only just realised that some of them are weather/seasonal/local dependent - something I have been calling for in computer OS's for years!! Finally Google have done it with GMail themes.
I also did not mean every theme to be an advert, I meant a single one, that chosen by the user and then they would receive themes in the form of wallpapered ads.
Shannon said 8:53PM on 11-19-2008
Under settings, my gmail doesn't have "Themes" can it be installed?
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grlofthecity said 8:53PM on 11-19-2008
IT'S ABOUT TIME! I'm quite thrilled with the themes and although I've always loved Gmail for its speed, reliability and features, the old default theme was pretty "blah." But that's speaking as a visual designer. It was certainly usable and clean, but I prefer a bit of eye candy now and then! ;)
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notatoad said 8:53PM on 11-19-2008
i seem to have a new "mark as read" button now in this update, rather than it being an option in the dropdown. nice
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Xerloq said 1:02AM on 11-20-2008
Surely someone who has themes can dissect the link for the benefit of us all!
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Brian said 8:13AM on 11-20-2008
i don't have the theme option.....
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scperi said 8:13AM on 11-20-2008
but I want it now!
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chesama said 9:40AM on 11-20-2008
i tried to get the themes tab working manually, to take a poke around (and because my gmail redesigned skin has a few little quirks which make it hard to use in chat and such). i tried the usual suspects of query strings on the end of the gmail url to see if i could force the option, but....no :-(
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Jash Sayani said 12:36PM on 11-20-2008
I dont have it yet.... Anyways, I love the default theme, so its ok. Will check it in a week...
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Generic said 4:12PM on 11-20-2008
Me love ya...
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adem said 4:37PM on 11-20-2008
i don't have themes, it's annoying. more annoyingly, my co-worker has it, and he kept calling me a n00b all day... what did i do to deserve this?
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Joshua said 5:44AM on 11-21-2008
So Google is copying what AOL, Windows Live, and Yahoo! have been doing for years already? Well at least they finally got the themes going on.
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tutanhamon said 2:01PM on 11-28-2008
Look at Gmail Dynamic Themes Preview page - http://tutanhamon.com.ua/technovodstvo/gmail_themes/ that contains all possible (I hope) decoration styles for dynamic themes and weather conditions description as a bonus.
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jarion said 9:57PM on 12-10-2008
I can't get me a gmail theme and I really want it.
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