Yahoo! Mail Blog, UK and Ireland

OK - this is the second post for this feature (read the first one if you want). OK, it was there in the beta but we’ve beefed it up with a couple of key additions… best of which, you can now chat to people on Windows Live™ Messenger too.

What’s all this then?
We’ve integrated Yahoo! Messenger into New Yahoo! Mail. That means you can now have a live conversation with someone right from within your Yahoo! Mail mailbox. You can talk this way with anyone who has a Yahoo! or Windows Live™ Messenger ID. That’s almost everyone isn’t it?

Here’s how
When you log into your mailbox you’ll see, at the top of the window, a status message and a drop down arrow. When you click that icon, here’s what you’re going to see…

Once you set yourself Available, your contact list will show all of your contacts that have set themselves Available too. From here, you can select anyone on that list and start a conversation with them right from the comfort of your own Mailbox window. Here’s what it’s going to look like when you’re engrossed in a conversation with one of your friends:

Or, like this, or this…
We’ve added a couple of other new ways to start a chat. Yahoo! Mail is more than just email these days, so if you click on the arrow next to the New button (top left) you can choose “Chat” to open a chat window and go from there. Or, if you want to be really flash, you can use the keyboard shortcut. Just hit “c” and you’re off.

Not up for a chat?
As always, you can always turn this feature off too. I’ve posted about how to do that.
Happy chatting!
Andrew – Yahoo! Mail Beta Team

The standard Yahoo! Mail interface was grey (sorry, chrome) – smart, slick and professional. But it’s Autumn now and it’s grey enough outside so we thought: let’s have a bit of colour!

Now you can choose from one of six colours for your inbox. It’s one of the things people have been asking for ever since we launched new Yahoo! Mail Beta and we’re really pleased with the results. Hope you are too.

Here’s how to splash about some colour:

1. Click on the Options menu (top right, next to Help)
2. Roll over the Colours selection
3. Make your choice
4. Try out the other five (optional)

Enjoy.

Andrew - Yahoo! Mail Team

No, we’re not talking about the wonderful Monty Python sketch so lovingly put to song. Spam in your inbox is a nuisance and sometimes even downright infuriating. But dealing with Spam has just got a whole lot easier in the new Yahoo! Mail Beta.

Never open another spam message again:
The all-new Yahoo! Mail lets you zap spam messages without even having to open them. One click and it’s off to the spam folder for those unsolicited emails. Just highlight an email (or multiple emails using the checkboxes), then point your mouse to the button labeled “Spam” at the top of your inbox, then click that button and the message(s) is moved to your spam folder (not only that, but you’ve just reported that email address as spam and all future messages from that address will go directly to your spam folder).

Delete it all with one click:
Our enhanced SpamGuard automatically detects and directs spam into your Spam folder. With SpamGuard, your inbox won’t get bogged down with all those spam emails. And if you want to delete all spam messages with one click of the mouse, just click that “Empty” link next to the Spam folder. You never even have to open it to delete it.

What else can I do?
With the new Yahoo! Mail Beta, you’ve got options. Not only are we taking spam seriously here, but we also want to give you the tools to manage spam effectively and correctly. See that “Options” link hanging out in the top right corner? Click it and then click Mail Options.

In the left column, click the link called “Spam”. From here you can tell SpamGuard what to do with the unwanted mail that you get. You can choose how often to empty the Spam folder, and set up blocked email addresses.

What’s the bottom line?
When it comes to Spam, with the new Yahoo! Mail Beta, you’re in control. With our SpamGuard filter and greater consumer awareness you’re more protected from Spam than ever. Of course if you want to order it in a restaurant, that’s your choice!

Happy Emailing!
Andrew - Yahoo! Mail Team