The Gmail app may lack some basic features like access to filtering rules, but at least the Android app is a little less overwhelming than the website. And when Google is not busy adding bottom bars with spam or a new icon nobody asked for, the company sometimes does tweak the user experience in satisfying ways. As an avid Redditor noticed, the Gmail app now offers vibration feedback when you use swipe gestures.

The haptic feedback has been part of the Gmail experience since version 2020.12.27, released in late January, but you'd be forgiven if you haven't noticed thus far. It's so subtle that you might not really feel it depending on your phone's vibration motor, and judging from our testing, the vibration only activates when you swipe slowly, which many might not do. While the added feedback feels nice and gives the touch interface some additional depth, it also serves a usability purpose. When the vibration occurs about mid-swipe, you'll know that you can let go to finish the action. And when you change your mind, you can slide your finger back across the vibration point to cancel.

The vibration occurs roughly in the middle of the swipe gesture.

By default, Gmail lets you swipe to archive messages or remove the label you're viewing your email in, but you can adjust actions in the app's general settings. You can set up deleting, snoozing, marking as read/unread, or moving, and it's possible to have two independent options for swiping left and right.

Your phone should have already updated you to a version of Gmail that supports haptic swiping feedback. If it hasn't, be sure to check the Play Store for updates or get the latest version right from APK Mirror. Let's hope the Gmail team also considers some features that people have actually long asked for, like marking emails as read from notifications or the option to tweak filtering rules.