Dying and taxes will be the most well-known of life’s certainties, however it’s also possible to all the time depend on Google to kill off one other service or function. It’s typically one thing fiercely beloved or downright helpful, too. (No, I’m nonetheless not over dropping Google Reader.) And sadly, the Grim Reaper has appeared as soon as once more. This time the scythe is coming for one of many firm’s oldest options—Gmail’s fundamental HTML view. In January 2024, that easy interface heads for the nice past. 

In keeping with The Verge, the upcoming loss of life was introduced quietly in a Google assist web page round mid-September. 

For a lot of, this information might appear to be a no brainer—most individuals are accustomed to the usual view, which is the default whenever you log into Gmail by the net. It’s full featured, with assist for contemporary fonts, a customizable inbox, built-in chat options, wealthy textual content formatting, and extra. In the meantime, the essential HTML view is precisely as described—it appears like one thing from 2005 and behaves prefer it, too. All you may actually do is learn your electronic mail (and on cellular net, you’d higher hope there’s a correctly formatted textual content model, as a result of it doesn’t render fancier codecs properly).

However that simplicity is what made the essential HTML view so good. As a result of it takes so little information to entry, you might nonetheless entry Gmail with a foul web connection or whereas on an historic gadget. Or each. A couple of member of the PCWorld employees makes use of the essential HTML view—some throughout commerce reveals or conventions, others wherever native reception is dangerous. Even when service crawls alongside on the equal of 2G or slower speeds, you’re not shut out of your inbox. Beginning subsequent 12 months, although, we’re all out of luck.

Whereas this growth is disappointing, it’s not stunning. Google’s been pushing a number of merchandise and tasks onto the chopping block (and into the graveyard) as of late. Google Domains is gone, as is the Pixel Cross program (a lot to the ire of subscribers who by no means acquired their promised telephone improve). It’s a stark distinction with Microsoft, which not solely offers reprieves to venerable apps as soon as marked for retirement, however decides to soup them up, too.