A supposed letter from Google began making rounds on X on February 22, Thursday, stating that the company is sunsetting Gmail. However, it holds no truth as Gmail is not going anywhere but the basic HTML version of it will be shut down. Google also confirmed the same via a post on X.
The letter was being shared across the social media platform, making people believe that Gmail is indeed shutting down, whereas it’s not. The formal language of the letter and Google’s reputation for killing off some of its best products lead people to believe the hoax. However, the X account of Gmail then posted on the platform itself that it is “here to stay”.
As to what is actually shutting down, is the basic HTML version of Gmail. The Basic HTML view was introduced as an alternative to the Standard view for users with slow internet connections or older browsers. However, at this point, the Basic HTML view is outdated. It does not support many of the modern functionalities of Gmail, such as chat, spell checker, keyboard shortcuts, custom “from” addresses, and rich formatting.
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Those opting for older Browser versions or operating systems or lacking sufficient Bandwidth to support the more intensive version will find the Standard view experience disappointing. Google confirmed the sunsetting of the HTML version back in September last year.
After the HTML view is disabled, users will be directed to the standard Gmail view. Google plans to provide users with an in-product announcement detailing how to switch to the standard view in the weeks leading up to removing the HTML view.