Ask HN: Why does Gmail still show threads oldest-first?

1 pointsJaredCampbell1mo ago3 comments

Why do you think Gmail still uses oldest-first thread ordering instead of a more natural reading order?

Is it actually better for most users, or just a legacy UX choice that stuck?

I ended up making an extension because of this, and a bunch of other Gmail frustrations.

3 comments

This is how text messages, chat, reddit, and every threaded message medium works

They are ordered chronologically from start to end

I mean thats fair. The "entry" point though is usually at the newest message, for example WhatsApp, iMessage.

There's also the "newest/oldest" option at the top of the reading pane, but it never works.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

This is how text messages, chat, reddit, and every threaded message medium works

They are ordered chronologically from start to end

I mean thats fair. The "entry" point though is usually at the newest message, for example WhatsApp, iMessage.

There's also the "newest/oldest" option at the top of the reading pane, but it never works.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse