Gmail has always been notable for its very all-business approach to e-mail, but with the service well established in the mainstream, Google has decided to add some more fun-oriented features. The latest is a series of themes that let you transform Gmail's appearance to suit your whims -- because nothing "spices up your inbox" like canned, swappable themes.
We've been hearing rumors of Gmail themes for some time, but now it's official. Of course, like most new features in Gmail, themes are rolling out slowly, so if you haven't seen them in your account yet, be patient.
If your account has been blessed, click the settings link at the top left corner of the screen and then look for the new "Themes" tab.
Most of the new themes are simple color schemes as you can see in the screenshot above, but there are some image-based themes as well -- one that turns your inbox into a retro notepad, some nature themes that change scenery over time, weather themes that reflect what's happening outside, and a couple character themes like "ninja."
Of course Gmail was already themeable using browser add-ons like Greasemonkey and Stylish, but the new themes are much more pixel-prefect and will work no matter what browser or PC you use to access your account.
The only thing that seems to be missing is a way for designers to create and upload their own custom themes, but we suspect something along those lines will arrive before too long.
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