fix
Manually Enable Gmail Labs in Your Account
Posted by Adam Pash at 4:00 AM on June 7, 2008

If the 13 new experimental features in Gmail Labs have you salivating for new Gmail functionality, but your account still hasn't been enabled, here's a quick solution: Just copy and paste https://mail.google.com/mail/?labs=1#settings in your address box when you're logged into Gmail to enable it manually. Once you do, you'll have access to the new Quick Links, Superstars, Custom keyboard shortcuts, and yes, even Snakey. Note that this trick doesn't work for Gmail for your domain. Thanks Bashar,frstie, and others!

Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
xgravity23
Posted 4:26 AM 7/6/08
AWESOME! Since I read the post about Gmail Labs, I've been obsessively checking my settings. So glad you announced this. Thanks!
xgravity23
DahCheet
Posted 4:25 AM 7/6/08
As an FYI, I'm not sure if this was mentioned in the other comments or not, but to get Snakey up after enable it you press "&". I had to search around a little bit to find the keyboard short cut. I didn't see a link anywhere to start it up.
I just enabled a couple of the new things and tried some of them out. I love the move signature feature. I hated having to copy and paste it every e-mail.
I like Better Gmail 2's keyboard short cuts better than the new Custom Keyboard Shortcuts because I can get to specific labels with it.
I'll have to experiment some more with the other components before I comment of them. I hope everyone's enjoying them though.
DahCheet
inkedmn
Posted 4:22 AM 7/6/08
Well, I suppose it makes sense since GAFYD is ostensibly for businesses, etc. that probably aren't interested in bleeding-edge functionality that might not actually work as advertised.
That said, being a "personal" GAFYD user, I agree with you :)
inkedmn
jonezy
Posted 4:20 AM 7/6/08
yeah, I hate that it takes so long for these types of things to roll out into Apps for your domain :(
jonezy
inkedmn
Posted 4:14 AM 7/6/08
FWIW, this doesn't appear to work if you use Gmail under Google Apps.
inkedmn
Gonzie
Posted 5:03 AM 7/6/08
i dunno whats going on, mine was there when i signed in this afternoon.
i wished they'd hurry up and do something about the gmail spammers
Gonzie
TechTalk WRLR 98.3FM
Posted 4:48 AM 7/6/08
Snakey!
TechTalk WRLR 98.3FM
mickbw
Posted 4:45 AM 7/6/08
Do you need to do this for each computer you use or will the change be saved with your google profile?
mickbw
Tammy
Posted 4:42 AM 7/6/08
@inkedmn: Sure wish they wouldn't make we Apps users wait longer than the others. You'd think it would be the opposite.
Tammy
gottwhat
Posted 5:30 AM 7/6/08
@caedus: Same here...
gottwhat
caedus
Posted 5:25 AM 7/6/08
maybe its me, but i dont really see any use to these...
caedus
C-3PO
Posted 5:24 AM 7/6/08
Any tips on how to enable "Tasks" too? ;-)
C-3PO
glpelletier
Posted 5:23 AM 7/6/08
Hey Adam,
Where did you get the 'Tasks' tab net to ther 'Labs' tab?
I want One!!
Guy
glpelletier
ollywompus
Posted 5:22 AM 7/6/08
The only one of these that was remotely interesting to me was Snake... wow.
-olly
ollywompus
kirnkorner2001
Posted 5:54 AM 7/6/08
@kirksucks
I had the same problem this morning. After you enable the keyboard shortcuts in the Labs section, you then have to go to the "General" section and enable keyboard shortcuts (3rd item on there).
That got to work for me.
kirnkorner2001
kirksucks
Posted 5:47 AM 7/6/08
I enabled everything.. the keyboard shortcuts just dont work.
thanks.
kirksucks
yachius
Posted 5:43 AM 7/6/08
If your an apps administrator you can enable experimental features.
yachius
kirksucks
Posted 5:41 AM 7/6/08
might be a separate issue but the keyboard shortcuts dont work for me. (first time ever trying to use these btw)
kirksucks
sw4383
Posted 6:21 AM 7/6/08
I've got the advanced features enabled in my account. I got a little frustrated with GFYD and went with a separate Gmail account about a month ago. On a Gmail account less than a month old it has the Labs portion enabled but not on my GFYD.
sw4383
Adam Pash
Posted 6:16 AM 7/6/08
@all: Yeah, like sw4348 said, it's from the Remember the Milk Firefox extension.
Adam Pash
Felipe Coury
Posted 6:15 AM 7/6/08
@sw4383: Ah, OK!
Felipe Coury
sw4383
Posted 6:14 AM 7/6/08
Tasks are from Remember the Milk plug-in.
sw4383
Felipe Coury
Posted 6:11 AM 7/6/08
I am curious as well... Where do that "Tasks" come from!?
Felipe Coury
dougaitken
Posted 7:36 AM 7/6/08
This doesn't work for IE6 sadly. I'll have to wait til I'm back on my laptop after work
dougaitken
kirksucks
Posted 7:36 AM 7/6/08
thanks kirnkorner2001 !
it works.. snakes!
kirksucks
blackbones
Posted 8:42 AM 7/6/08
@yachius:
Where is that option?
blackbones
dapezboy
Posted 10:16 AM 7/6/08
Thanks!
It works, and I love the new features!
dapezboy
irish_hoya
Posted 1:00 PM 7/6/08
@dougaitken: Ever thought about sneaking Firefox portable into work?
irish_hoya
atomic1fire
Posted 3:10 AM 8/6/08
I want quicklinks to support external urls
or maybe a gmail specific set of gadgets (as productivity stuff....and maybe a few more games for productive brain resting of course)
atomic1fire
KJA
Posted 4:14 AM 9/6/08
Gmail 2.0 works great in Opera!
KJA
Ken
Posted 9:45 PM 9/6/08
how to make it work if you are using google mail under a domain name?
Ken
tonyquan
Posted 4:46 PM 7/6/08
Signature tweaks... Awesome! i hated the signature at the bottom of every msg.
tonyquan
shinyobject
Posted 6:31 AM 7/6/08
I'm waiting for PermTabs, but I have a sinking feeling it's not going to get updated. I used that one with FaviconizeTabs all the time. That way my Gmail, Basecamp and Ace Project tabs open every time I start FF.
shinyobject
MarkDemon
Posted 5:25 AM 7/6/08
I tried this and it didn't work. I am on IE6 (I know, lame; but that's all I have at work), so perhaps that's the problem?
MarkDemon
copydeskcat
Posted 4:31 AM 7/6/08
Doesn't work for me - I'm in the UK...
:(
copydeskcat
Udo
Posted 4:30 AM 7/6/08
Google Mail Labs is rolled out for the shown language (English (US)) only, it seem. These hack has no effect on Google Mail on other languages, so switch to English (US) in Settings in order to benefit from this.
Udo
lucida
Posted 7:46 AM 8/6/08
change the language in English US and it worked for me
lucida
lucida
Posted 7:43 AM 8/6/08
First it didn't worked for me
I live in belgium so in my settings was enabled for dutch.
I changed the language in english US and emediatly there was gmail labs before I used the link when I changed the language.
so try tho swicht the language it helped for me !
lucida
delo
Posted 9:30 PM 7/6/08
in opera: go to [url=http://mail.google.com/mail/?nocheckbrowser=2][/url] and under setting the should be labs tab
delo
viettut
Posted 6:59 PM 7/6/08
Update from GMAIL Blog:
abs is now out to all English users (US and UK), and administrators using Google Apps can choose to enable Labs by checking the "Turn on new features" box in Domain Settings.
viettut
lgv
Posted 5:43 AM 7/6/08
@glpelletier, @C-3PO:
It's the Remember The Milk gmail integration (which rocks, by the way).
lgv
elpea
Posted 6:58 AM 7/6/08
(I also tried pasting it in to the address bar)
elpea
elpea
Posted 6:57 AM 7/6/08
Doesn't work for me. I click it and nothing has changed.
elpea