Google has removed and apologised for their April Fools’ Day Gmail button after users were angered that the feature caused many users disciplinary issues at work.
A “MicDrop” button was accessible beside Gmail’s normal “send” button, allowing users to close an email thread by sending a gif of a character dropping a microphone, which would also block any replies after using it.
Within hours Google’s forums were full of angry users. The company has since withdrawn the feature and released an apology.
“It looks like we pranked ourselves this year,” Google said in a statement. “Due to a bug, the MicDrop feature inadvertently caused more headaches than laughs. We’re truly sorry.”
Google did not clarify the details of the bug but added that users could get rid of the feature by closing or restarting their Gmail.
“Thanks to MicDrop I just lost my job,” said one user on Google’s product forums. “I am a writer and had a deadline to meet. I sent my articles to my boss and never heard back from her. I inadvertently sent the email using the MicDrop send button.”
Another user complained that they had inadvertently used the MicDrop on “an important message to over 30 recipients.”
Another revealed that they had preliminary interviews for a job with a company for three months and then “accidentally sent a mic drop email to the HR department.”
You can follow Ben Kew on Facebook, on Twitter at @ben_kew or email at ben@yiannopoulos.net
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.