Gmail Motion: Google’s 2011 April Fools Prank Explained

Gmail Motion was Google’s April Fools’ Day prank for 2011: a fake Gmail feature that claimed you could control your email with body movements in front of your webcam. Here is what the joke promised, how researchers turned it into a real demo, and the real ways to control Gmail faster today.

Quick answer: Gmail Motion never existed as a real Gmail feature. Google announced it on 1 April 2011 as an April Fools’ joke with a straight-faced video. Soon after, a lab at the University of Southern California used a Microsoft Kinect sensor to make the gestures actually work. If you want faster Gmail today, use keyboard shortcuts instead.

What Gmail Motion promised

Google’s announcement said Gmail Motion used your computer’s webcam and Google’s “patented spatial tracking technology” to detect your movements and turn them into Gmail commands. The video showed people miming actions, such as licking a finger and pretending to lick a stamp to send, or pointing backwards over a shoulder to reply. It looked like a real product launch, which is why many readers fell for it.

You can still watch Google’s original video on YouTube: Introducing Gmail Motion.

Gmail Motion was an April Fools’ prank

Gmail Motion doesn’t exist and never did. It was Google’s April Fools’ prank that year, part of a long tradition of joke products from the company. If you enjoy these, see our roundup of top Google April Fools’ Day pranks and the Google Gravity trick.

How researchers made it real with Kinect

The best part of the story came a few days later. The Mixed Reality Lab at USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies used a Microsoft Kinect sensor and its FAAST toolkit (Flexible Action and Articulated Skeleton Toolkit) to control Gmail with the same gestures shown in Google’s video. They jokingly called their software SLOOW, short for Software Library Optimizing Obligatory Waving. Their demo video is still online: ICT MxR Lab’s response to Gmail Motion.

It worked, but it also showed why the joke was funny: waving your arms to archive an email is much slower than pressing a key.

Real ways to control Gmail faster

If the idea of hands-free email appealed to you, these real options save far more time than gestures ever could:

• Keyboard shortcuts: turn them on in Gmail settings, then press ? in Gmail to see the full list. Common ones include c to compose, r to reply, e to archive and j/k to move between conversations.
• Filters and labels: let Gmail sort incoming mail automatically so you touch fewer messages.
• Voice typing: on phones you can dictate emails using your keyboard’s microphone button.

For more, read our useful Gmail tips and tricks.

FAQ

Was Gmail Motion a real feature?

No. Gmail Motion was an April Fools’ Day joke from Google in 2011. It was never part of Gmail.

Did anyone make Gmail Motion work?

Yes, as a demo. Researchers at USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies used a Microsoft Kinect and their FAAST toolkit to control Gmail with the gestures from Google’s video.

Can I control Gmail with gestures today?

Gmail has no gesture control on computers. On phones, the Gmail app supports swipe actions on messages, and keyboard shortcuts remain the fastest option on a computer.

How do I see Gmail keyboard shortcuts?

Turn on keyboard shortcuts in Gmail settings, then press the question mark key in Gmail to open the full shortcut list.