Google have hit F5 on their Gmail inbox, redesigning the service for the first time in years. It's super easy to get involved right now and see what all the fuss is about.

Gmail is one of the best email apps available, but there's still a lot of room for improvement. Luckily, there are a bunch of handy plug-ins, add-ons, and extensions that can add extra features to Google's email service. Here are five of our favourites that make managing our Gmail inboxes even easier.

Google's Gmail tweak broke some of the more popular features of my Better Gmail 2 Firefox extension this week, including Folders4Gmail and Hide Spam Count. Thanks to the quick work of Arend v. Reinersdorff, the problems have been fixed.

Google made a change that recently broke Firefox extension Better Gmail 2's saucy favicon alert feature, but as of today Mozilla has approved the fix, so go grab the latest to get Better Gmail back up and running, just how you like it.

Now that the Firefox 3.6 beta is available for download (portable version is here), it's time to start updating the Better Firefox extensions. The most popular ones, Better Gmail 2 and Better GReader, are already 3.6-compatible; the rest will come in the next few weeks. As always, join the Google Group to ask questions or make comments about the Better Firefox extensions.

Just pushed the latest version of the Better Gmail 2 Firefox add-on I maintain to Mozilla Add-ons, now with new options for favicon alerts and attachment icons. Here are full details and the changelog.

The latest version of the Better Gmail 2 Firefox add-on boasts a useful new feature: a summary panel of unread email grouped by sender, as shown in the screenshot above.

Firefox only: Google's recent improvements to Gmail's labels broke one of Better Gmail 2's most-loved features: Folders4Gmail. Folders4Gmail displays labels with slashes in them as subfolders of a parent label, and I must say, I've missed it a whole lot this week.

Windows only: Better Gmail for Google Chrome is a compilation of user scripts designed to enhance your Gmail experience—and to make it easy, we've tested and bundled them together in one easy download.

Google rolled out some changes to the HTML that runs Gmail in the last few days that rendered several of Better Gmail 2's features completely busted. (Yes, that's the technical term). So I just posted a quick fix-it version 0.7.3.1, which includes changes from the very speedy and helpful Arend von Reinersdorff. (Arend is responsible for Better Gmail 2's most popular features, Folders4Gmail and Hide Spam Count, and I know-because users flip out the moment they stop working. Thanks, Arend.) Sadly I had to remove several scripts which have not yet been updated to work with Gmail's new markup, namely Add Row Highlights, Hide Chat, and Hide Invites Box. If you're a CSS jockey willing to take a look at getting those styles working again, many people would be very grateful. Post a comment if you do. In the meantime, download the new fix-it version 0.7.3.1 from Better Gmail 2's homepage or just by using the "Find Updates" button on Firefox's Add-on manager. Thanks for your patience with the broken features the last couple of days.

Better Gmail 2 Fixes Now Available

I've an update to the Better Gmail 2 Firefox extension, adding a few new features and cleaning out the Better Gmail 2 features that have been incorporated into Gmail Labs.

Hey, Gmail Redesigned fans! Your favourite skin is no longer included in the latest version of the Better Gmail 2 Firefox extension—to get it, download and install the official Google Redesigned extension instead. It makes more sense to get the goods straight from the horse's mouth. Special thanks to Redesigned makers Globex Designs for their generosity for letting us keep the style in our extension for this long. Better Gmail users, a new version is now available with updates and fixes and Firefox 3.1 Beta 2 compatibility. Download the latest version of Better Gmail 2 now.

All platforms with Firefox: Just uploaded a freshly-baked new version of the Better Gmail 2 Firefox extension, which includes several fixes and new user scripts. First, if you Redesigned skin lovers were bogged down by slowness, that's been fixed. If the Gmail Labs' Agenda gadget just isn't enough for your calendar-in-Gmail needs, now you'll find Michael Balazs' excellent collapsible Calendar and Reader user script in the extension, as well as the Show Editable Subject script I whipped up last month. Hit the changelog at the extension homepage for a full rundown of what got fixed and updated, and download the new version there. (Note: I've submitted the new version to Mozilla Add-ons and await approval now.) Also: Better Gmail 2 turned one year old earlier this month! Thanks for all your support and help making the extension one of Mozilla's official Recommended Add-ons with over half a million daily users from Mozilla Add-ons alone, but special thanks to the user script developers whose hard work amazes me more with every version.

Better Gmail 2 Firefox Extension for New Gmail

Just published an update to the Better Gmail 2 Firefox extension, which adds the excellent GmailAgenda user script (in the General options tab) and updates the Gmail Redesigned style. Download the latest version 0.6.1 here.

All platforms with Firefox: Just posted an update to the Better Gmail 2 Firefox extension which upgrades the gorgeous Redesigned skin to its latest version and the Filter Assistant. The add-on's now meaner and leaner, with a whole new streamlined code base, and no more scripts you don't need slowing down your Gmail. (For example, the HTML Signatures script—which has grown up into its very own extension, is no longer in Better Gmail, as is the Force Encrypted Connection script which Google's built into Gmail natively.) Go download version version 0.5.3.2 (yes, we're getting creative with version numbers here) at the extension's homepage. Now available on Mozilla Add-ons!

Better Gmail 2 Firefox Extension for New Gmail

All platforms with Firefox: Just posted the long-awaited update to the Better Gmail 2 Firefox extension, a compilation of the best user scripts and skins for the new Gmail interface. This update to version 0.4 adds Firefox 3 compatibility, the absolutely beautiful Gmail Redesigned skin, the oft-requested HTML signatures, bottom posting, and a reintroduction of the much-missed Filter Assistant, plus several other script updates and fixes. Head over the home page to download the latest version, which hopefully Mozilla Add-ons will approve soon. Mozilla Add-ons has approved the new version, so it's also available there.

Better Gmail 2 Firefox Extension

All platforms with Firefox: Just uploaded updates to three Better XXX extensions, which added secure updates and Firefox 3 Beta 4 support, plus a few other goodies. Go get the latest version of Better Gmail 2, Better YouTube (now with YouTube Canada support!), and Better GReader (now with a working Minimalistic skin!) from their homepages, or current users can just hit the "Update" button in Firefox's Add-ons dialog. Thanks for your patience, Firefox 3 beta testers.

Firefox only: Good news for Firefox 3 beta testers—Lifehacker's home-compiled Better YouTube and Better GReader extensions are now approved and hosted at Mozilla's official Add-ons site. That means you get secure updates and to sleep easy knowing a third party has vetted our crackhead code and made sure it's worth your time. Here's a full list of all the Better Site extensions which are Firefox 3 Beta 3-compatible and hosted at Mozilla Add-ons: Better YouTube Better GReader Better Gmail 2 I'm working on getting the original Better Gmail, Better GCal, Better Flickr Firefox 3-compatible and updated on Mozilla Add-ons. Thanks for your patience.

Firefox only: Happy Valentine's Day, Better Gmail users! A nasty bug and some Firefox 3 issues have kept some of you from using the extension in the last few days, but no more. New fixes and improvements are fresh out of the oven like pink icing-slathered Valentine's Day cupcakes: the latest version 0.3.3 restores our beloved Hide Spam Count feature, Brent Nef's amazing Modfied Gmail Macros script, includes Firefox 3 Beta 3 compatibility, and fixes the hanging inbox bug (caused by the Google Reader Integration script, which, sadly, was our one casualty). Grab the latest version of Better Gmail 2 using Firefox's built-in Find Updates button, or hit the link to grab the download. Better Gmail 2 is, of course, a free download for Firefox users. Better Gmail 2 Firefox Extension for New Gmail