Imagine opening your Gmail and instantly knowing which emails you’ve missed—no more guessing or scrolling endlessly. Google is rolling out a game-changing update to its Workspace apps, and it’s all about making your life easier. First up, Gmail for Android is introducing unread dots, a simple yet brilliant addition that places a Dynamic Color-themed circle next to the date/time of unread messages. This small but mighty feature joins the existing bold text for sender names, subject lines, and timestamps, giving your inbox a cleaner, more intuitive look. But here’s where it gets interesting: this update is still in the early stages, rolling out via a server-side change, so not everyone has it yet. It’s part of Google’s ongoing Material 3 Expressive redesign, which previously gave each email its own distinct container for better visibility. And this is the part most people miss: while the unread dots are a welcome addition, they’re just one piece of Google’s larger effort to streamline its apps. Speaking of which, Google Tasks is also getting a major upgrade—you can now set deadlines for your tasks, not just date/time reminders. This feature appears above the ‘Add date/time’ option on the details page, though it’s worth noting that deadlines don’t yet sync with Google Calendar or the Android homepage. They do show up on tasks.google.com, hinting that this feature might still be in the works. But here’s the controversial part: while deadlines are a step in the right direction, they currently lack the ability to specify a time, which could be a dealbreaker for some users. Is this a minor oversight or a missed opportunity? Let us know in the comments. Meanwhile, Google is also testing other features like Gemini-powered scheduling in Gmail and Calendar, a ‘Purchases’ view for tracking online orders, and a reminders-to-Tasks migration in Google Keep. With so many updates on the horizon, one thing’s clear: Google is doubling down on productivity—but are these changes enough to keep up with your workflow? FTC: We use income-earning auto affiliate links. More. (https://9to5mac.com/about/#affiliate)
