Google recently launched a new Labs feature that makes it easier to stay on top of new messages in Gmail. When enabled the new feature embeds Gmail’s unread message count into the Gmail icon itself. This means that without having to switch tabs to access Gmail you can quickly determine if you’ve received any new messages. To learn how to enable this time-saver, follow the steps below. If you have any comments or questions please use the comments form at the end of the guide.
Enable the Unread Message Count Icon in Gmail
1. Open Gmail and click Settings. If you have other Google Labs features enabled, click the small Labs beaker icon.
2. Click the Labs tab in the Settings page.
3. Scroll down the list until you reach Unread message icon and click Enable.
4. Click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
Gmail will automatically reload and the icon containing the unread count should automatically appear.
