Yahoo Mail gets Web and Android upgrade, plus new iPhone and Win8 apps

IDG News Service - Yahoo Mail has gotten a makeover intended to make it faster, streamline its interface and simplify its use.

The improvements are being applied to Yahoo Mail's Web version and to its Android application, as well as to new apps for iPhones and Windows 8 computers.

"We've redesigned the new version of Yahoo Mail with speed in mind -- getting through your emails is faster than ever before. We've also made your inbox more intuitive and easier to navigate, allowing you to focus on what matters most: your messages," wrote CEO Marissa Mayer in a blog post on Tuesday.

Speed enhancements include an infinite scroll feature in the Yahoo Mail applications, so that users can browse for all messages on a single screen. When logging into the webmail version, users are taken directly to their inbox, and back-end tuneups have increased the performance of the service, according to Yahoo.

It's also now possible to do a keyword search across the entire contents of the inbox in the Yahoo Mail apps. The webmail version now features a search query auto-complete.

To simplify and streamline the user experience, Yahoo has eliminated buttons deemed not essential, while photos and attachments now show up at the top of messages.

The iPhone and Android applications let users attach photos directly from phones' camera rolls, as well as take and send photos from within the Yahoo Mail interface. The Windows 8 application makes use of features that are distinctive to the new operating system, such as displaying new email arrival notifications on dynamic Live Tiles on the main device screen.

"Today, we're taking a step towards bringing email back to its roots," wrote Vivek Sharma, general manager of Yahoo! Mail & Messenger, in a separate blog post.

Juan Carlos Perez covers enterprise communication/collaboration suites, operating systems, browsers and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Juan on Twitter at @JuanCPerezIDG.