Google offers two first-party email apps for Android: Gmail and Inbox. The Gmail app for Android is a feature-rich app, with support for labels, conversation view, swipe actions, smart reply, and more. Users can also use third-party apps to improve its functionality. However, some would argue the app has some work to do before it can be called feature-complete. Unlike Inbox, Gmail for Android still lacks a way to snooze notifications in non-Exchange accounts. Up until now, it has also lacked a way to change the inbox type (except default inbox to Priority Inbox).
What made the feature omission strange is that the web client and the iOS app both gave users the option for sorting their inboxes by unread first, important first, starred first, and priority inbox. Now, the sorting feature is finally making its way to the Android app.
The feature is simple to understand. In a blog post, Google stated that if users have selected a specific inbox type for their Gmail account on the web, they will see the same email configuration in Gmail for Android. For example, if users have selected the unread first inbox sorting option on the web client, the same sorting will appear in the Android app.
Users can also change the inbox type directly from the Android app by going to Settings > Inbox type. The change in inbox type will then be shown across the web client and the iOS app as well.
While the addition of inbox sorting isn't a groundbreaking option, it was a longstanding feature omission for the Android app. Now, the feature has finally been added, which means that users can use it to increase their productivity in reading and responding to emails. The feature will prove to be particularly useful if users have a large amount of unread emails. Users can use it to cut down on unread emails and respond to emails on time going forward.