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Using Google Contact Labels (Groups) in the Gmail Android app

One of the most persistent feature requests from the Gmail mobile app users is to be allowed the benefit of using the contact labels (previously called Groups) set up in the Google contacts manager to send out emails. 

That's because the contact labels created in the Google Contacts manager at https://contacts.google.com/ can't be used in other places except for the Gmail standard web UI accessible via https://mail.google.com/. It also meant that those contact labels or groups stayed out of bounds for users who would use the Gmail Android or iOS app. 

The Google Contacts Android app seems to have been made things just a bit better for the Gmail Android mobile app users.

To be able to use the Google Contact labels in the Gmail Android app, download and install the Google Contacts app from the Play Store.


Once installed, it will display the Contacts for the Google address as well as the Contact labels. 

To be able to see the Contact labels, tap on the 3-bar menu icon at the top left.




Tap on the contact label name you wish to send out emails to. Here, I have chosen to select the label "Test".


Now, tap on the 3-dot (more/overflow) menu, and from the options, tap on "Send email".



This next screen then allows you to select or unselect Contacts and their emails within this group by tapping on the checked or unchecked box next to their name or email address.



Once done, tap on the blue check icon at the top-right to be taken to the Gmail compose window, where the contact details will be found entered in the "To:" recipients' area.


You can now arrange the names in different recipients' area, enter the Subject and the body of the email and send it away.

Finally, it is important to bear in mind the points mentioned below:
  • While the Google Contacts Android app allows you to send to Groups, it doesn't allow forwarding to a Contact Group even after you choose to use the "Add from Contacts" option from Gmail. So, it is something that can be sent in as feedback for the team from that app itself. 
  • The possibility of copying all the contact emails for a contact label and pasting it in the Forwarding email has also been considered and checked. That doesn't happen either. So, that is another area to consider sending feedback to the team, from the Gmail Android app.
  • You can send feedback through the 3-bar menu > Help & feedback > Send feedback options from both the Gmail and Google Contacts Android apps.






Comments

  1. Peggy K10 January 2020 at 22:05

    Thanks, this is very useful to know I don't need to switch back to desktop to send an email to a Group (or I guess I should say Contact Label).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Somnath11 January 2020 at 08:15

      What I like the most is the option of selecting email addresses for a contact with multiple email addresses that is very unlike how it is in the web UI. :)

      Delete
  2. Unknown6 January 2022 at 17:31

    Is anyone having issues with the Contact Labels not showing even after doing all the steps above? I have the most recent version of the Google Contacts app and when I tap on the 3-bar icon menu it just shows "Contacts from all accounts" - I have 3 gmail accounts then it just has settings then Help & Feedback. When I open a contact I can see its contact label. Is this because I have multiple gmail accounts?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Somnath6 January 2022 at 21:01

      Yes. The rationale being, you may have similarly named Contact labels or groups in individual accounts and that may cause confusion in the display and management of contacts.

      Delete
  3. ray12 January 2022 at 01:59

    Brilliant. Have been missing this feature forever and tried again with workarounds because of a new group I just set up.
    Now the only thing missing for me is: type the group name into the to: field ;-).
    Looking forward to that...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Somnath12 January 2022 at 02:13

      Please consider sending feedback on this directly to the Gmail team via the Feedback option in the Gmail Android app.

      Delete

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