Gmail is a free email service provided by Google. As of 2019, it had 1.5 billion active users worldwide. A user typically accesses Gmail in a web browser or the official mobile app. Google also supports the use of email clients via the POP and IMAP protocols.

How long has Gmail existed?

But its most important April 1st announcement came 10 years ago today and centered around a very real product: Gmail. The leading email service was launched in beta form on April 1st, 2004.

When did email become popular?

When the internet went live in 1991, email was primarily used by universities or for corporate communications. The general public saw it as a novelty and still too expensive for everyday use. On July 4, 1996, Hotmail launched the first free web-based email service.