Gmail: custom avatars with Google Illustrations

Gmail

Don't feel safe putting your photograph as a profile picture on the Internet, do you use your email address for a hobby or small business, or just think your personality is better expressed through other types of images? Good news, Google Illustrations, available from these days on Gmail for Android, is the one for you.

Designed to allow everyone to better express their digital identity while using Google services thanks to advanced customization options, the new Google Illustrations are much more than just preset profile photos. You can access the Google Illustrations library from Gmail simply by changing the profile photo associated with your account. Once selected “Add new profile photo” Illustrations will be available together with the already existing options of Google Photos and the internal memory of the device.



The real strength of Google Illustrations, as already anticipated, however, is its versatility. The gallery contains hundreds of illustrations, characterized by a bright color palette and a comic style that is well suited to the Material You interface of Android 12, divided into several categories. It is also possible to search by word in the gallery: Google suggests, for example, to search for terms related to one's culture or hobby.

Once you have selected the image you like best, enter however the peculiarity of Google Illustrations is at stake: each illustration can in fact be customized in the colors and elements present, so as to better represent the identity and tastes of the user.



Once set, the profile image thus obtained will be viewable in public on all Gsuite and Google Workspace platforms, as well as YouTube, Maps and all other Google services. With the increase of users, even very young ones, who use these services for educational purposes, the Mountain View company has thus devised a nice and safe way to express themselves without revealing personal details if it is not considered appropriate.

Google Illustrations is rolling out right now on Google applications for Android devices; for the Web and iOS version it will be necessary to wait until the first months of 2022.

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How to Inte­grate Gmail in Out­look on Web and Mobile

New apps are available across popular platforms under Microsoft's new 'mobile first, cloud first' strategy. Among them, Outlook shines when it comes to handling emails on the go. The good part is, it works flawlessly with other email providers like Yahoo, iCloud, and Gmail. And if you're just getting started, here's how you can integrate Gmail in Outlook on the web and mobile.

The Outlook mobile and desktop apps come with a handy Focus Inbox function. It declutters your email inbox and keeps the irrelevant emails in the Other inbox. Let’s first integrate Gmail into Outlook web.

Why You Should Integrate Gmail with Outlook

Outlook has excellent native apps compared to Gmail’s web solution on desktop.

The convenient Focused Inbox feature works with Gmail account as well.

You can seamlessly switch between two email inboxes.

The ability to integrate Gmail calendar on Outlook is available as well.

1. Outlook Web

Microsoft has recently released the same excellent Focus inbox on the web. And the good news is, you can use it with Gmail as well. Here’s how.

Step 1: Visit Outlook on the web and sign in with your account credentials.

Step 2: You will notice a + icon beside the Outlook account, as shown in the screenshot below.

Step 3: Click on it and Outlook will open a window to choose an email provider. Click on Gmail.

Step 4: Sign in using your account credentials.

Step 5: After a successful connection, you will see the Gmail icon appearing below Outlook on the left sidebar.

You can click on it and Outlook will take you to the Gmail inbox to check emails. Focus inbox is here to manage your emails.

2. Outlook Mac App

Outlook for Mac app received a nice makeover on the Mac. Microsoft is expected to replace it with a single Outlook app on Mac and Windows, but it’s far from over, and as of now, we will use the current Outlook Mac app for demonstration.

Step 1: Download the Microsoft Outlook app from the Mac App Store.

Step 2: Sign in with your Outlook account and click on Outlook from the menu bar.

Step 3: Open Preferences and go to Accounts.

Step 4: Click on the + icon at the bottom and select New account.

Step 5: Enter the email provider’s address and add a password and within a couple of minutes, Outlook will sync emails from Gmail and shows a separate account in the app.

From the same Accounts menu, you can rename Gmail as Work or Home or any other label. Another advantage of using Gmail on Outlook is the OneNote integration. You can directly send important emails from Gmail to OneNote with a single click.

3. Outlook Windows App

Microsoft recently revamped all the Office apps on Windows to keep in sync with the design changes of Windows 11. We will use the redesigned Outlook app on Windows to add Gmail to it in the screenshots below.

Step 1: Open the Outlook app on Windows.

Step 2: Click on File at the top.

Step 3: From the Info menu, select Add Account.

Step 4: Add your Gmail email ID and password from the following menu.

Step 5: If you have two-factor authentication enabled for a Google account, Gmail may ask you to verify it with another code.

Step 6: Verify yourself and you will soon see Outlook importing emails from your Gmail account.

Unfortunately, there is no way to integrate Gmail emails into your Outlook account. However, Google offers a handy tool to integrate all the incoming Outlook emails into Gmail inbox and treat them as normal Gmail emails. It also gets count against your Google Drive storage.

All you can do it, go to the All Email/All Inbox option and view all emails in a single place.

4. Outlook Mobile Apps

Many GT team members prefer Outlook iOS/Android app compared to the Gmail app. Google has cluttered the Gmail app with Chat, Rooms, and Meet add-on and still feels dated compared to rivals out there.

Outlook delivers a fresh look with multiple theming/accent options and excellent calendar function (thanks to Sunrise Calendar acquisition).

Both Outlook iOS and Android carry an identical UI. The screenshots below are from the Outlook iOS app.

Step 1: Open Outlook on iPhone.

Step 2: Tap on the Home button at the top and go to Settings.

Step 3: Select Add Email Account and sign in using your Gmail ID/Password.

Start Using Gmail in Outlook Apps

If you are someone constantly switching between Gmail and Outlook, it makes sense for you to add the Gmail account to one of the Outlook apps or web to manage emails like a pro. Outlook also supports Google calendar, so you are covered with your Gmail events as well.

Last updated on 25 Sep, 2021The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.