Marking two decades since its launch, Gmail, Google’s renowned email service, commemorated its 20th anniversary on April 1, 2024. Launched on April Fools’ Day, many users initially questioned if it was merely a prank orchestrated by Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
At its inception, Gmail revolutionized the email landscape by offering a substantial 1 gigabyte of storage, surpassing competitors by a significant margin. This, coupled with its advanced search capabilities, quickly set Gmail apart, eventually propelling it to become the world’s leading email service with millions of users worldwide.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, extended his congratulations to Gmail on reaching this milestone, playfully acknowledging the skepticism surrounding its launch. “Happy 20th birthday, @gmail! Glad it wasn’t an April Fools’ Day prank after all,” he quipped in a social media post.
Throughout its journey, Gmail has undergone significant evolution, with Google consistently introducing new features to enhance user experience. Most recently, Google unveiled the “AI-powered Help Me Write” feature, aimed at assisting users in composing emails effectively.
With a staggering 1.8 billion active users globally, Gmail continues to reign supreme as the world’s most popular email service, constituting approximately 27% of all email traffic worldwide. Notably, 75% of Gmail users access their accounts via mobile devices, reflecting its widespread adoption for on-the-go communication. In the United States, Gmail holds an impressive market share of nearly 76%.
The success of Gmail has not only shaped Google’s trajectory but also paved the way for the launch of other groundbreaking products such as Google Maps, Docs, the Chrome browser, and the Android operating system. Furthermore, Google’s acquisition of YouTube further solidified its position as a dominant force in the digital landscape.