Editing Yahoo Mail (section)

==History==
===1997–2002===
[[File:Ymail 2001.png|thumb|Yahoo! webmail interface as it appeared in 2001]]
[[File:Yahoo Mail 2001.jpg|thumb|First mail of Yahoo after creation in 2001]]
Yahoo! made a deal with the online communications company [[Four11]] for co-branded white pages. Marvin Gavin, who worked at Four11 as the director of international business development, said "We always had a bias about being acquired by Yahoo. They were more entrepreneurial than Microsoft. We had a great cultural fit – it made a lot of sense." In the end, Yahoo! acquired Four11 for $96 million. The purpose behind acquiring Four11 was the company's [[RocketMail]] webmail service, which launched in 1997. Yahoo! announced the acquisition on October 8, 1997,<ref>{{cite press release |publisher=Yahoo! |date=October 23, 1997 |url=http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/pr/release128.html |title=Yahoo! Completes Four11 Acquisition |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712045932/http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/pr/release128.html |archive-date=July 12, 2007}}</ref> close to the time that Yahoo! Mail was launched.<ref name="launchannouncement">{{cite press release |publisher=Yahoo! |date=October 8, 1997 |url=http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/pr/release124.html |title=Yahoo! Expands Community Services with Free E-mail |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712045957/http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/pr/release124.html |archive-date=July 12, 2007}}</ref> Yahoo! chose acquisition rather than internal platform development, because, as Healy said, "Hotmail was growing at thousands and thousands users per week. We did an analysis. For us to build, it would have taken four to six months, and by then, so many users would have taken an email account. The speed of the market was critical."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Angel |first1=Karen |title=Inside Yahoo!: Reinvention and the Road Ahead |date=October 1, 2002 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-471-42102-3 |page=93 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ko30VuEpSnYC&pg=PA93 |language=en}}</ref>

The transition to Yahoo! Mail was not easy for many Rocketmail users.<ref>{{cite news |last=Griffin |first=Gretchen |date=2003 |title=Rocketmail Slowly Gets Grounded |url=http://www.flakmag.com/opinion/rocket.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030301011513/http://flakmag.com/opinion/rocket.html |archive-date=2003-03-01 |access-date=January 22, 2006 |work=[[Flak Magazine]]}}</ref> On March 21, 2002, Yahoo! eliminated free software client access and introduced the $29.99 per year Mail Forwarding Service.<ref name="cnet">{{cite news |last=Hu |first=Jim |date=March 21, 2002 |title=Yahoo! tacks fees onto e-mail, storage |url=http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-865570.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104094505/http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-865570.html |archive-date=November 4, 2012 |access-date=June 1, 2006 |work=[[CNET |CNET News]] }}</ref> Mary Osako, a Yahoo! Spokeswoman, told CNET, "For-pay services on Yahoo!, originally launched in February 1999, have experienced great acceptance from our base of active registered users, and we expect this adoption to continue to grow."<ref name="cnet"/>

===2002–2010===
[[File:Yahoo! Mail Logo (1997-2009).svg|thumb|200px|Yahoo! Mail logo from 2002]]
During 2002, the Yahoo! network was gradually redesigned. On July 2, 2002, the company website was changed, and it was announced that Yahoo! Mail and other services would also be redesigned.<ref>{{cite news |last=Olsen |first=Stefanie |date=July 2, 2002 |title=Yahoo! unveils home page face-lift |url=http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-941329.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060618070824/http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-941329.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=June 18, 2006 |access-date=May 31, 2006 |work=[[ZDNet]]}}</ref> Along with this new design, new features were to be implemented, including drop-down menus in [[DHTML]], different category tabs, and a new user-customizable color scheme. Yahoo! Network Services senior vice president Geoff Ralston stated that

{{blockquote|source=|The launch of Yahoo! Mail Plus is part of Yahoo's strategic initiative to offer premium services that deliver innovative, reliable and relevant services to consumers ... In just five years, Yahoo! Mail has grown from one million to tens of millions of users, illustrating how consumers have made email an essential part of their daily lives. Through Yahoo! Mail Plus, Yahoo! continues to demonstrate leadership and innovation by offering consumers the industry's most complete and powerful email solution.<ref name=release1023>{{cite press release |publisher=Yahoo! |date=November 14, 2002 |url=http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/pr/release1023.html |title=Yahoo! Introduces Yahoo! Mail Plus To Help Consumers Manage Their Growing E-Mail Needs |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609131745/http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/pr/release1023.html |archive-date=June 9, 2007 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>}}

[[File:Ymail Messenger Beta.png|thumb|[[Yahoo! Messenger]] chat integration in the Yahoo! Mail webmail interface, in beta in 2007]]
On July 9, 2004, Yahoo! acquired [[Oddpost]], a webmail service which simulated a desktop email client. Oddpost had features such as drag-and-drop support, right-click menus, RSS feeds, a preview pane, and increased speed using email caching to shorten response time. Many of the features were incorporated into an updated Yahoo! Mail service.<ref>{{cite press release |publisher=Yahoo! |date=September 14, 2005 |url=http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/pr/release1260.html |title=Yahoo! Begins Public Testing of New Yahoo! Mail |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609003015/http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/pr/release1260.html |archive-date=June 9, 2007}}</ref>

====Competition====
On April 1, 2004, Google announced its [[Gmail]] service with 1 GB of storage, although Gmail's invitation-only accounts kept the other webmail services at the forefront. Most major webmail providers, including Yahoo! Mail, increased their mailbox storage in response. Yahoo! first announced 100 MB of storage for basic accounts and 2 GB of storage for premium users.<ref>{{cite press release |publisher=Yahoo! |date=June 15, 2004 |url=http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/pr/release1168.html |title=Yahoo! Announces "New and Improved" Yahoo! Mail, Introduces Major Increase in Storage Space, Makes 50 Million Additional E-Mail Addresses Available |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701083758/http://docs.yahoo.com/docs/pr/release1168.html |archive-date=July 1, 2007}}</ref> However, soon Yahoo! Mail increased its free storage quota to 1 GB, before eventually allowing unlimited storage. Yahoo! Mail had free unlimited storage from March 27, 2007, until October 8, 2013.

===2011–present===
[[File:Yahoo! Mail Logo (2009-2013).png|thumb|200px|Yahoo! Mail logo from 2009]]
[[Image:Yahoo Mail Screenshot.png|thumb|right|Screenshot of the 2011 version of Yahoo! Mail]]
On September 17, 2010, Yahoo! showed off a new Mail program to reporters.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mossberg |first=Walter S. |date=August 30, 2007 |title=Years in the Making, Powerful Yahoo Mail Is Worth the Wait |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118842954470812791 |url-access=subscription |access-date=October 9, 2021 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Graham |first=Jeffrerson |date=September 16, 2010 |title=Yahoo shows off new Mail program |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2010/09/yahoo-sneak-peek/1?csp=34 |access-date=2024-01-27 |newspaper=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> Codenamed "Minty", the 2011 release was announced on September 16, 2010.<ref>{{cite web |last=Srivastava |first=Kakul |date=2010-09-16 |title=Get Ready… Yahoo! Mail Beta Is Coming |url=http://www.ymailblog.com/blog/2010/09/get-ready-yahoo-mail-beta-is-coming/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526004014/http://www.ymailblog.com/blog/2010/09/get-ready-yahoo-mail-beta-is-coming |archive-date=May 26, 2011 |access-date=May 22, 2011 |website=Yahoo Mail Blog}}</ref> It included a new interface, enhanced performance, improved Facebook and Twitter integration, the ability to watch YouTube videos straight from email, and improved search.<ref name="Yahoo! Mail Beta Includes...">{{cite web|last=David|first=McDowell|title=Yahoo! Mail Beta Includes...|url=http://www.ymailblog.com/blog/2010/10/|access-date=May 22, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518202820/http://www.ymailblog.com/blog/2010/10|archive-date=May 18, 2011}}</ref> Public beta began on October 26, 2010.<ref>{{cite web |last=McDowell |first=David |date=2010-10-26 |title=Yahoo! Mail Beta Rolls Out Worldwide |url=http://www.ymailblog.com/blog/2010/10/yahoo-mail-beta-rolls-out-worldwide |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513122522/http://www.ymailblog.com/blog/2010/10/yahoo-mail-beta-rolls-out-worldwide |archive-date=2011-05-13 |access-date=May 22, 2011 |website=Yahoo Mail Blog}}</ref> In May 2011, the new Yahoo! Mail became the default interface.<ref name="Beta">{{cite web |last=McDowell |first=David |date=2011-05-23 |title=Introducing The Best Yahoo! Mail Ever |url=http://www.ymailblog.com/blog/2011/05/introducing_the_best_yahoo_mail_ever/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628024258/http://www.ymailblog.com/blog/2011/05/introducing_the_best_yahoo_mail_ever/ |archive-date=June 28, 2011 |access-date=July 2, 2011 |website=Yahoo Mail Blog}}</ref> As the new interface became mandatory for users, some users of Yahoo! Mail reported slow typing speeds, contradicting Yahoo's claims of faster performance. Yahoo! offered no resolution to the problem {{As of|2011|September|12|df=US|lc=y}}. Users also missed the ability to paste textual email addresses into the sender box. The new version disabled the use of the "secondary" addresses provided in the previous version. The new interface overrode the browser's [[right mouse button]] (making functions such as opening mails in new tab windows unavailable).{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}

In 2013, Yahoo! redesigned the site and removed several features, such as simultaneously opening multiple emails in tabs, sorting by sender name, and dragging mails to folders.<ref>{{cite web |last=Blue |first=Violet |date=2013-10-14 |title=Anger explodes at Yahoo! Mail redesign disaster: Key functions removed or broken |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/anger-explodes-at-yahoo-mail-redesign-disaster-key-functions-removed-or-broken/ |access-date=February 5, 2017 |website=[[ZDNet]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Molina |first=Brett |date=October 15, 2013 |title=Yahoo! email users not happy with redesign |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/10/15/yahoo-email-redesign/2986433/ |access-date=February 5, 2017 |website=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> The new email interface was geared to give an improved user-experience for mobile devices, but was criticized for having an inferior desktop interface.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} Many users objected to the unannounced nature of the changes through an online post asking Yahoo! to bring back mail tabs with one hundred thousand voting and nearly ten thousand commenting.<ref>{{cite news |last=Whitehouse |first=Kaja |date=November 11, 2013 |title=Yahoo! users gripe over latest email change |url=https://nypost.com/2013/11/11/yahoo-users-gripe-over-latest-email-change/ |access-date=January 31, 2014 |work=[[New York Post]]}}</ref> The redesign produced a problem that caused an unknown number of users to lose access to their accounts for several weeks.<ref>{{cite web |last=Blue |first=Violet |date=December 12, 2013 |title=Yahoo! forced to acknowledge Yahoo! Mail problems in worst failure yet |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/yahoo-forced-to-acknowledge-yahoo-mail-problems-in-worst-failure-yet/ |access-date=January 31, 2014 |website=[[ZDNet]]}}</ref>

In December 2013, Yahoo! Mail suffered a major outage where approximately one million users, one percent of the site's total users, could not access their emails for several days. Then Yahoo! CEO [[Marissa Mayer]] publicly apologized to the site's users.<ref name="theverge1">{{cite web |last=Newton |first=Casey |date=December 13, 2013 |title=Marissa Mayer apologizes for lengthy Yahoo! Mail outage |url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/12/13/5209132/marissa-mayer-apologizes-for-lengthy-yahoo-mail-outage |access-date=January 31, 2014 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Murphy |first=David |date=December 14, 2013 |title=Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer Apologizes for Yahoo! Mail Outage &#124; News & Opinion |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/yahoo-ceo-marissa-mayer-apologizes-for-yahoo-mail-outage |access-date=January 31, 2014 |work=[[PCMag]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Panzarino |first=Matthew |date=December 13, 2013 |title=Yahoo! CEO Mayer Apologizes For Mail Outage That She Says Affected 1% Of Users |url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/12/13/yahoos-marissa-mayer-apologizes-for-mail-outage-that-she-says-affected-1-of-users/ |access-date=January 31, 2014 |website=[[TechCrunch]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Grandoni |first1=Dino |last2=Kleinman |first2=Alexis |date=2013-12-11 |title=Yahoo's Prolonged Email Outage Enrages Those Who Still Use It |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/yahoo-mail-down_n_4426253 |access-date=November 15, 2021 |work=[[HuffPost]]}}</ref>

China Yahoo! Mail officially announced its shutdown on April 18, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|script-title=zh:中国雅虎邮箱于2013年4月18日启动整体迁移|url=http://migration.cn.yahoo.com/explain.php|publisher=Yahoo.com.cn|language=zh-cn|access-date=April 18, 2013|archive-date=April 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420181936/http://migration.cn.yahoo.com/explain.php|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Users were warned that all emails, contacts, and account settings would be inaccessible, unless users migrated to the American version of Yahoo! Mail. Individuals who made China Yahoo! Mail accounts during the Alibaba takeover were required to create new accounts under new usernames.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=China Yahoo! Mail is closing |url=http://help.yahoo.com/kb/index?page=content&y=PROD_MAIL_ML&locale=en_US&id=SLN14752 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424022241/http://help.yahoo.com/kb/index?page=content&y=PROD_MAIL_ML&locale=en_US&id=SLN14752 |archive-date=April 24, 2013 |access-date=April 18, 2013 |website=Yahoo Help }}</ref>

In January 2014, an undisclosed number of usernames and passwords were released to hackers, following a security breach that Yahoo! believed had occurred through a third-party website. Yahoo! contacted affected users and requested that passwords be changed.<ref>{{cite web |author=Hachman |first=Mark |date=January 30, 2014 |title=Yahoo! acknowledges Yahoo! Mail hack |url=http://www.techhive.com/article/2092198/yahoo-acknowledges-yahoo-mail-hack.html#tk.nl_thbest |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140131075254/http://www.techhive.com/article/2092198/yahoo-acknowledges-yahoo-mail-hack.html#tk.nl_thbest |archive-date=January 31, 2014 |access-date=February 8, 2014 |work=TechHive |publisher=[[International Data Group |IDG Consumer & SMB]]}}</ref>

In October 2015, Yahoo! updated the mail service with a "more subtle" redesign, as well as improved mobile features. The same release introduced the Yahoo! Account Key, a smartphone-based replacement for password logins.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 15, 2015 |title=Yahoo! Mail gets a redesign, goes "password-free" |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2015/10/15/yahoo-mail-gets-a-redesign-goes-password-free/ |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=[[The Mercury News]] |publisher=}}</ref>

In 2017, Yahoo! again redesigned the web interface with a "more minimal" look, and introduced the option to customize it with different color themes and layouts.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lee |first=Nicole |date=June 27, 2017 |title=Yahoo gives Mail a makeover and introduces Yahoo Mail Pro |url=https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/27/yahoo-mail-update/ |access-date=April 14, 2018 |website=[[Engadget]]}}</ref>

In 2020, Yahoo! added a feature to view NFL matches.<ref>{{cite web |last=Davenport |first=Corbin |date=3 October 2020 |title=Yahoo Mail now has a section for watching NFL games, because why not? |url=https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/10/03/yahoo-mail-now-has-a-section-for-watching-nfl-games-because-why-not/ |access-date=5 October 2020 |website=Android Police}}</ref>

In 2022, Yahoo! Mail started offering the suffix <code>myyahoo.com</code> for new signups.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yahoo Mail - My Yahoo |url=https://overview.mail.yahoo.com/myyahoo?guccounter=1 |access-date=2025-03-02 |website=overview.mail.yahoo.com}}</ref>