Gmail launched on April 1, 2004, as an invitation-only email system.
Google introduced Gmail with an unusually large 1-gigabyte storage allowance, far more than many competing webmail services offered at the time. The service also emphasized fast search, threaded conversations, and advertising-supported access.
Because of its April 1 launch date, many people initially assumed Gmail was an April Fools’ joke. Google nevertheless continued developing the product, and invitations gradually expanded before Gmail became broadly available. In some countries, Google used the name Google Mail because of trademark conflicts involving the Gmail name.
Gmail is a Google product rather than an Alphabet subsidiary with a separate corporate identity. Alphabet was created in 2015, more than a decade after Gmail began. The service remains one of Google’s major consumer products alongside Search, Maps, YouTube, and Google Drive.