Yahoo! has added a number of new features to its e-mail platform in addition to launching a new mobile application for smartphones.

“Email is the most prevalent way people communicate online. However, mobile use requires a faster and smarter inbox,” said Jeff Bonforte, senior vice-president of communication products at Yahoo!. “Both of these needs are at the centre of our new app.”

Password-free login

One of the key new additions to the new Yahoo! Mail is its password-free login system. “We’re taking a major leap towards a password-free future with the launch of Yahoo! Account Key, which uses push notifications to give users simple and secure access using their mobile device,” said Dylan Casey, vice-president of product management. It remains unclear how this system will function for users who do not own smartphones.

Users of Yahoo! Mail will also be able to take advantage of a new server-side syncing feature that will allow them to operate multiple e-mail accounts from within their Yahoo! inbox. Third-party services that are currently supported include Outlook and AOL.

Yahoo!'s new email app, which is available on iOS and Android, will come with gesture-based organisation, smarter search, contacts management and rich compose.

The app fills in contact information from previous conversations and even connects to social media accounts to pull display pictures. The new compose functionality allows for inline attachment of pictures and long-pressing to send self-addressed e-mails.

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