{"id":18060,"date":"2011-04-02T00:09:40","date_gmt":"2011-04-01T18:39:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=18060"},"modified":"2026-10-15T12:59:42","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T07:29:42","slug":"gmail-motion-control-gmail-with-body-actions-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/04\/gmail-motion-control-gmail-with-body-actions-video\/","title":{"rendered":"Gmail Motion: Google&#8217;s 2011 April Fools Prank Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Gmail Motion<\/strong> was Google&#8217;s April Fools&#8217; 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.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-66917\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/gmail-motion-2026-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"Gmail Motion April Fools prank explained\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/gmail-motion-2026-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/gmail-motion-2026-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/gmail-motion-2026-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/gmail-motion-2026-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/gmail-motion-2026.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Gmail Motion never existed as a real Gmail feature. Google announced it on 1 April 2011 as an April Fools&#8217; 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.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_88 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ad14d5c9d6aa\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ad14d5c9d6aa\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/04\/gmail-motion-control-gmail-with-body-actions-video\/#What_Gmail_Motion_promised\" >What Gmail Motion promised<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/04\/gmail-motion-control-gmail-with-body-actions-video\/#Gmail_Motion_was_an_April_Fools_prank\" >Gmail Motion was an April Fools&#8217; prank<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/04\/gmail-motion-control-gmail-with-body-actions-video\/#How_researchers_made_it_real_with_Kinect\" >How researchers made it real with Kinect<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/04\/gmail-motion-control-gmail-with-body-actions-video\/#Real_ways_to_control_Gmail_faster\" >Real ways to control Gmail faster<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/04\/gmail-motion-control-gmail-with-body-actions-video\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/04\/gmail-motion-control-gmail-with-body-actions-video\/#Was_Gmail_Motion_a_real_feature\" >Was Gmail Motion a real feature?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/04\/gmail-motion-control-gmail-with-body-actions-video\/#Did_anyone_make_Gmail_Motion_work\" >Did anyone make Gmail Motion work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/04\/gmail-motion-control-gmail-with-body-actions-video\/#Can_I_control_Gmail_with_gestures_today\" >Can I control Gmail with gestures today?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/04\/gmail-motion-control-gmail-with-body-actions-video\/#How_do_I_see_Gmail_keyboard_shortcuts\" >How do I see Gmail keyboard shortcuts?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Gmail_Motion_promised\"><\/span>What Gmail Motion promised<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Google&#8217;s announcement said Gmail Motion used your computer&#8217;s webcam and Google&#8217;s &#8220;patented spatial tracking technology&#8221; 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.<\/p>\n<p>You can still watch Google&#8217;s original video on YouTube: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Bu927_ul_X0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Introducing Gmail Motion<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Gmail_Motion_was_an_April_Fools_prank\"><\/span>Gmail Motion was an April Fools&#8217; prank<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Gmail Motion doesn&#8217;t exist and never did. It was Google&#8217;s April Fools&#8217; prank that year, part of a long tradition of joke products from the company. If you enjoy these, see our roundup of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/04\/top-google-april-fools-day-pranks\/\">top Google April Fools&#8217; Day pranks<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2021\/10\/google-gravity\/\">Google Gravity trick<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_researchers_made_it_real_with_Kinect\"><\/span>How researchers made it real with Kinect<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The best part of the story came a few days later. The Mixed Reality Lab at USC&#8217;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&#8217;s video. They jokingly called their software SLOOW, short for Software Library Optimizing Obligatory Waving. Their demo video is still online: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Lfso7_i9Ko8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ICT MxR Lab&#8217;s response to Gmail Motion<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Real_ways_to_control_Gmail_faster\"><\/span>Real ways to control Gmail faster<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If the idea of hands-free email appealed to you, these real options save far more time than gestures ever could:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Keyboard shortcuts:<\/strong> turn them on in Gmail settings, then press <code>?<\/code> in Gmail to see the full list. Common ones include <code>c<\/code> to compose, <code>r<\/code> to reply, <code>e<\/code> to archive and <code>j<\/code>\/<code>k<\/code> to move between conversations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Filters and labels:<\/strong> let Gmail sort incoming mail automatically so you touch fewer messages.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Voice typing:<\/strong> on phones you can dictate emails using your keyboard&#8217;s microphone button.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For more, read our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/11\/gmail-tips\/\">useful Gmail tips and tricks<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Was_Gmail_Motion_a_real_feature\"><\/span>Was Gmail Motion a real feature?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. Gmail Motion was an April Fools&#8217; Day joke from Google in 2011. It was never part of Gmail.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Did_anyone_make_Gmail_Motion_work\"><\/span>Did anyone make Gmail Motion work?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes, as a demo. Researchers at USC&#8217;s Institute for Creative Technologies used a Microsoft Kinect and their FAAST toolkit to control Gmail with the gestures from Google&#8217;s video.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_control_Gmail_with_gestures_today\"><\/span>Can I control Gmail with gestures today?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_see_Gmail_keyboard_shortcuts\"><\/span>How do I see Gmail keyboard shortcuts?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Turn on keyboard shortcuts in Gmail settings, then press the question mark key in Gmail to open the full shortcut list.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gmail Motion was Google&#8217;s April Fools&#8217; Day prank for 2011: a fake Gmail feature that claimed you could control your&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":66917,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[95],"class_list":["post-18060","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-google","tag-videos"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18060","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18060"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18060\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66919,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18060\/revisions\/66919"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66917"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}