Yahoo has updated the Yahoo Mail app for Android and iOS, with the goal of better surfacing the personalised and real-time information you want to see. Among the changes are a new panel that appears with the Yahoo Mail inbox as well as a handy smart search experience.

"When you first open the Yahoo Mail app, you’ll see your Yahoo Mail inbox and a new panel at the top with icons for Mail, News and Today. This is where all your news, information, and communications come together in one integrated experience," announced Yahoo through a blog post published on 6 August.

Apart from the integrated experience, the Yahoo Mail app has added another kind of experience called smart search. It's useful when you search for people in your inbox. Similar to Google's autocomplete function present in many Google services, the feature offers suggestions - like people and messages - when you start typing.

In order to help you narrow your search results, Yahoo said the updated app will also filter your search results by messages, files, photos, etc. Just scroll to sift through all the search results. And if you don't see the smart search filters available straightaway, it's because the feature is rolling out over the next couple of days.

READ: Yahoo Mail iPhone app update brings Google Now-like stream

Other new features include the ability to see what’s happening in the world by tapping on the News icon and scrolling a "visually rich news stream". You can also swipe from tab-to-tab on Android phones. And finally, the Today icon houses a snapshot of personalised data such as local weather, latest stock quotes, and sport scores.

"Tap the relevant icon in the upper right-hand corner of your screen to quickly and seamlessly move between your inbox, news stream, and Today," Yahoo added.

The latest version of the Yahoo Mail app for iPhone and iPad is available now, though Android users will have to wait for the update to roll out over the next week.

Check out the gallery below for screenshots of the changes.