Gmail for iPhone gets "expandable" compose box

Jessica Dolcourt | Oct 27, 2009

(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

Even with the most practiced digits, composing long email on the iPhone's virtual keyboard is the slow, awkward pits compared with typing on a desktop keyboard. However, Google released a small new feature on Monday just for long-winded iPhone email authors that makes typing lengthy Gmail messages easier on the iPhone and iPod touch.

Before, the composition box was fixed. Starting today, verbose emailers will see blank lines appear below the cursor as you reach the bottom of the window. If there's a limit to how many lines you can add in a Gmail message, we haven't found it yet. We went crazy with the carriage return and created an estimated extra 100 lines for text without trouble. To review your message, just swipe up and down to scroll.

At this point, Gmail's composition window won't contract when you delete lines; expansion alone is the name of the game. The expanding Gmail composition box is part of Google's iterative Web project for slowly introducing new features to Gmail mobile one at a time. The composition feature is available to iPhone and iPod users who reach Gmail via Gmail.com from the Safari browser.

Google's Gmail-for-mobile project began in April 2009.

Originally posted on iPhone Atlas

Filed under: Mobile Phones
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