Gmail: advanced search autocomplete predictions and three labs graduations

If you are accessing your Gmail account in a web browser you have probably noticed that Google has been busy lately adding new features to its Google Mail service. It was just last week when the company announced support for additional languages for Gmail's autocomplete predictions search feature. Previously, only English predictions were available, and the update changed that by adding support for 47 additional languages to the feature.

Google yesterday announced that it has improved the feature further so that predictions are now also available when users type in text in the from and to fields of the advanced search menu. Before, predictions were only displayed for text entered in the main search field.

Text that you enter in the to or from fields are automatically matched with the database of known contacts making it easier to find a particular contact.

But search improvements are not the only new features that have found their way into Gmail yesterday. Google has graduated three Gmail labs features. Gmail users can install experimental features that are listed in the labs section of the site. Some of the features there are included permanently into Gmail, while others may be pulled again at a later point in time. The three new features that Google has graduated are the following ones:

• Refresh POP accounts: a click on the refresh button will now update the inbox and fetch new messages from all POP accounts linked to the Gmail account.
• Filter import/export: you can now import and export filter lists, for instance to provide friends or family with your list, save it for backup purposes, or import it into one of your other Gmail accounts.
• Navbar drag and drop: gadgets on the left sidebar on Gmail can now be rearranged via drag and drop.

All features are already live on the site so that all Gmail users can make use of them.