Yahoo! Mail Blog
The latest scoop on Yahoo! Mail product updates, new releases, bug fixes,

We’ve reached two major milestones with over 500,000 fans on our Facebook page, which was the most explosive page on Facebook in June, and more than 100 million monthly active users in the newest version of Yahoo! Mail! Thanks to each and every one of you who made it happen! You are the reason that Yahoo! Mail is the #1 email provider in the US.  As you can imagine, building features for such a popular product can be challenging. If you are wondering how we manage to do it, here’s an inside view of how we use your feedback to build compelling features.

At Yahoo! Mail, we take pride in actively listening to and incorporating your feedback into the product. The “feedback loop” begins when you write to us about the things you love, the things that you would like us to change, or ideas you would like us to implement. You can do this by clicking on the “Send Feedback” link in the help drop down and sending us a line or two about the problem/issue/feature you want us to look into.

In any given day, we get upwards of 5,000 pieces of feedback. Manually going through each one is a daunting task for even the most industrious product manager. So, we redirect this feedback into a tool that helps us automatically recognize and categorize the important trends in your feedback. We monitor the tool for topics that bubble up and dig deeper into each of the big ones, reading your input and designing product features that are aimed at solving those issues for you. The engineering team then builds the requirements into actual features that are delivered to you on a regular cadence.

Bringing back stationery, implementing the “switch view” feature, and improving page load time are just a few examples of how we have improved the product based on your feedback.

One change that we made most recently was putting the message toolbar at the bottom of messages.  We heard a lot of feedback about how the toolbars at the bottom of the message list and at the bottom of long messages were missing and hindering productivity. Once we noticed a trend in our tool, we redesigned the feature and rolled it out to users in our next release. From a design perspective, we made sure that the toolbar shows up only on long messages that require scrolling so users can get maximum screen real estate for the actual message. We also made the toolbar appear consistently in all views (message list view, message view, folder view and so on), and allowed for the menu to pop up (versus down) when there is no space at the bottom of the page.

While creating intuitive products is fun, it’s always more fulfilling to see that our users notice these changes and appreciate it. And, here is what one of our users had to say when we rolled out the feature:

Pleasant surprise! @yahoomail has gone & added back the Mail action buttons at the bottom of long messages. Glad to know they are listening.

On that note, keep the feedback coming! We love delivering features that improve the Yahoo! Mail experience for our hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

Have you ever received an email from a friend that was just downright spammy and wonder what possessed him or her to send it? Worse, have you received emails from concerned relatives and friends asking why you sent them emails pitching prescription drugs? If you’re familiar with either situation, then you know what happens when someone’s email account has been compromised and taken over by spammers.

Whether it be via malicious software being silently installed on users’ computers, unknowingly logging in through a phishing page, or the use of common or easy-to-crack passwords, we are seeing an increase in legitimate user accounts that are being accessed and exploited by spammers. While we have measures in place to detect and mitigate the damage, it’s still a daunting and disconcerting dilemma being faced–and collaboratively worked on–by email providers across the industry.

If you have (or know of someone who has) been a victim of such an account compromise, here are the 2 most important actions to secure the account:

1) Change your password immediately. If you have a Yahoo! account, you can change your password at https://edit.yahoo.com/config/change_pw.

If you can no longer access your account, you can get a new password at https://edit.yahoo.com/forgotroot/. If you still can’t access your account after going through the “Forgot Your Password” process, you may contact our Customer Care team for assistance at:

help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/security/general.html

Important: If you use the old password at other sites, we recommend you change it for those accounts as well. Furthermore, don’t revert to the old password at any time; that password can never be used safely again for any of your accounts.

2) Scan your computers for malicious software. If you have an anti-virus program installed, make sure to update it and then run a scan. Do this for both your personal and work computers. (You should be doing this periodically, by the way.)

If you don’t have an anti-virus program and are using a Windows computer, Microsoft provides a free, anti-virus program at:

www.microsoft.com/en-us/security_essentials/default.aspx

For more tips and recommendations to keep your online experience safe, be sure to visit the Yahoo! Security Center.

We’ve been listening to your feedback since the initial launch of Yahoo! Mail a few months back. One of the features you’ve asked for is a greater variety of themes. So, a bunch of Yahoos around the world answered the call and we’re pleased to let you know that today we have more than 50!

The additions include more colors as well as tons of image-based themes. Whether you’re a nature-lover, star-gazer, art aficionado, or simply a pattern-person, you’ll find something that fits your interest or mood.

You’ll find Themes in the Options menu in the top-left area of the page, then browse and pick a theme to express your personality with a customized Mail experience.

Let us know which themes you’d like to see next!

Sincerely yours,

If you’re purchasing a shiny new MacBook with the latest OS X Lion just released you’ll find a seamless integration with some of your favorite Yahoo! products.  On OS X Lion, the first time you open up your Mail application, Lion will ask if you’d like to setup your Yahoo! account.  Once set up, you will have access to your Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Contacts, Yahoo! Calendar, and Yahoo! Messenger (embedded in iChat) services.  Here’s a bit more details on how the individual Yahoo! products play with the new operating system:

Yahoo! Mail: Send mail to your friends directly from Apple’s Mail application.  With our Mail service you can access your entire mailbox and carry it anywhere you go.  Read email on the web, on your phone, or on your MacBook and they all stay in sync.

Yahoo! Contacts: Yahoo! is the only partner that supports the tight contacts service integration with OS X.  All the contacts in your Yahoo! Contacts automatically flow down to your MacBook.  The contacts you add to your Apple Address Book are automatically backed up to Yahoo!.

Yahoo! Calendar: Using Yahoo! Calendar with Apple’s iCal service enables you to streamline your life effortlessly.  Share calendars with your family and stay in sync with them across your Apple devices or other Yahoo! Calendar enabled devices.

Yahoo! Messenger: Quickly chat realtime with your friends using Apple’s iChat product shipped with OS X.  See which of your Yahoo! Messenger friends are online and reach out to them right from your computer.

Set up Yahoo! services on OS X Lion and instantly make your MacBook yours. Carry your information anywhere you go, and never lose your data backed up by Yahoo!’s cloud services.

Over the years, I’ve signed up for many emails to keep up to date on everything from tech trends, to travel tips, to pet grooming and more.  Today, I only look at a fraction of these emails that continue to come into my inbox.  Even though I no longer have a pet, for instance, I just haven’t taken the time to unsubscribe.

Unsubscribing from unwanted email is now as easy as moving a message to a folder, with the new Unsubscriber app from OtherInbox.  To use Unsubscriber, simply click on the Unsubscriber app in the lower left hand side of your Yahoo Mail.  Then click to “Create my Unsubscribe Folder” and an unsubscribe folder will automatically appear in your folder list.  From there, just drag unwanted emails into that folder and OtherInbox will work to unsubscribe you from those email lists.  Even if you can’t be safely unsubscribed, the emails will continue to automatically be moved into the unsubscribe folder so you never have to see those emails again.  Try it today!

No, Kate Middleton didn’t commit a fashion violation (is it just me or is her post wedding style flawless?).  The newest version of Yahoo! Mail is out of beta and ready for you!

We’ve got over 50 million users actively using the newest version of Yahoo! Mail and we want you to join them in this faster, safer, easier experience.  In the coming months you’ll be asked to upgrade to the latest version of Yahoo! Mail, but you don’t have to wait.

Simply go to overview.mail.yahoo.com to upgrade now and reap the benefits:

Faster: This version of Yahoo! Mail is 2x faster than our previous versions of Yahoo! Mail, even for those of you who have slower internet connections.

Safer: Yahoo! Mail blocks over 550 billion spam messages a month and our advanced SpamGuard technology  and anti-phishing platform have helped us reduce spam reports by 60 percent.  Here’s to a clean inbox!

Easier: Getting things done in Yahoo! Mail is even easier with features like rich photo slideshows, inline video viewing, chatting with Facebook friends, instantly responding to messages with the reply bar and tracking online purchases through the All My Purchases app.

We listened to your feedback over the last 7 months, fixing things and releasing new functionality every few months. And, we verified that 89% of users were able to complete key tasks before we removed the Beta label as well as links to the previous versions of Mail. We also put together these tips to help you during the migration process.

Finally, even though we’ve taken the Beta label off, we will continue to improve Yahoo! Mail.  There is a long list of features and functionality we’re tackling in the coming months.  We’ll continue to update you here on the blog, so please stay tuned.  In fact, it’s an awesome feeling to read your feedback, build something our users want, post about it on the blog and read that you guys love the improvements.  It motivates our team here even more, so thank you for that!

We’re constantly listening to your feedback, so  if you’re posting on Twitter, please use the hashtag #newyahoomail.

Yahoo! Mail now provides a new way to quickly reply to messages from your friends and social network. The reply bar appears at the bottom of your email messages and lets you easily reply to the sender or a group.

I’ve been using the reply bar for a few months now, prior to us turning it on for you. One thing I’ve noticed with my own usage is that it has really increased my engagement with my social network and speeded up my response time to personal messages.

I get a lot of Facebook and Yahoo Groups email notifications about activity happening in my social network. I had been in the habit of reading my Facebook notifications and then making a mental note to respond later. I did that because I didn’t want to take the time switch outside of my email, go to Facebook, wait for a page to launch, and then, after context switching over to Facebook to reply, having to then switch back to Yahoo mail. It was too distracting for me so my interactions suffered.

Now, I simply click into the reply bar at the bottom of my message, type my message, click send and I’m done. Now on to my next message. It’s simple and fast.

We are excited to announce that the latest version of Yahoo! Mail will roll out of beta testing and be available for all 284-million users worldwide in the coming weeks. This latest version of Yahoo! Mail is faster, safer, easier to use, and offers a seamless experience across PC, mobile and tablet devices.

Here’s what you can look forward to:

Social Infusion: Instantly respond to messages from Facebook, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Mail and other webmail providers with a new easy reply bar. View photo slideshows, inline videos and more from within your inbox. Plus, you can view and share notifications and updates from Twitter, Facebook and Zynga from within a new Updates tab.

Conversations Aren’t Just Email: Yahoo! Mail prioritizes messages and contacts that matter most. When you want to compose an IM, SMS or email you will find your most frequent contacts and lists surfaced first . Also, chat with Facebook friends alongside Windows Live and Yahoo! Messenger contacts and view all of your past IM and text conversations within Yahoo! Mail.

Tailor Your Inbox: Choose from over 50 vibrant themes and stationery options to express your personality and customize how you view messages and contacts.

App-ify Mail: New, easy-to-use applications help you be more productive and organized right from your inbox. Now you can track your online orders with the All My Purchases app, stop receiving unwanted newsletters using the Unsubscriber app, and send mega files using Attach Large Files by YouSendIt.

Mail Search Redefined: Our mail search experience leverages Yahoo!’s wealth of search science and technology to help you quickly find the emails you are looking for. Easily sort and narrow search results by sender, attachment file, date, or folder location using the refinement column tools on the left-hand side.

Lightning Speed: Leveraging Yahoo!’s cloud technology, Yahoo! Mail provides performance that is 2x faster than the previous versions of Yahoo! Mail, even in regions where only basic internet speeds are offered.

Spam Buster: Advanced SpamGuard technology and a new anti-phishing platform have reduced spam reports by 60 percent and help protect users from email hackers and unwanted instant message conversations. Yahoo! Mail blocks over 550 billion spam messages per month.

To upgrade an existing Yahoo! Mail account or create a new Yahoo! Mail account go to overview.mail.yahoo.com and click on the ‘Upgrade Now’ button.

Hey folks,

With the latest release of Yahoo! Mail Beta comes our new Yahoo! Contacts interface. It’s our hope you find it cleaner, easier, and much more pleasant to use. Checkout the ‘lists’ feature. Now you can easily create lists of people and compose emails to them. It makes sending emails a breeze! We’re looking forward to hearing your feedback.

If you are curious about using lists, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Select ‘New List’ from the contacts tab interface.

Step 2: Give your new list a name. I’ll use ‘Friends’.

Step 3: Now that my ‘Friends’ list is created you’ll want to select contacts you’d like to add to the list and press the ‘Assign to List’ button. From the ‘Assign to List’ dialogue select your new ‘Friends’ list. (Side Note: You can also drag contacts into lists on most browsers. It’s pretty nifty.)

Step 4: Congratulations! You’ve created a list. When you’re composing a new email your list will appear as an addressable contact.

We’ll be giving you faster and easier ways to create lists of your most relevant contacts in the future. We’re very excited about providing ways for you to simplify your communications with the people you care about the most.