I don't believe iOS has ever supported push with gmail, and people had to resort to fetch. Is this changed on iOS 7? I think the new Mail app has some nice new features, but it'll be difficult to stick with if it doesn't support gmail push... As of now, I am using the gmail app just for its push capabilities.
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Does iOS 7 stock Mail app allow Gmail push?
- Thread starter vaultwit
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This is a Google problem, not iOS.
Push Gmail was possible by setting up your account with Exchange, however Google chose to stop supporting it.
If you want Gmail Push I'd suggest the Gmail app.
Maybe one day Google will bring it back.
Push Gmail was possible by setting up your account with Exchange, however Google chose to stop supporting it.
If you want Gmail Push I'd suggest the Gmail app.
Maybe one day Google will bring it back.
Back before Gmail supported Exchange I used to use an app called Boxcar:
http://boxcar.io
You log into Gmail with it and all it does is send push notifications when you get mail. (It can include the mail's subject line in the notice, if you wish.)
So you can leave Gmail set to fetch (or, heck, even manual) and when you get a boxcar notice you open the mail app to get your mail. I never even opened the Boxcar app itself, I just used it for its notifications.
I really liked it and only stopped using it because I switched to iCloud mail.
http://boxcar.io
You log into Gmail with it and all it does is send push notifications when you get mail. (It can include the mail's subject line in the notice, if you wish.)
So you can leave Gmail set to fetch (or, heck, even manual) and when you get a boxcar notice you open the mail app to get your mail. I never even opened the Boxcar app itself, I just used it for its notifications.
I really liked it and only stopped using it because I switched to iCloud mail.
Hmm this is an interesting idea... I suppose you can use the Gmail app's push notifications in the same way too. However, the only problem is, typically I open my mail by swiping the little app icon on my lockscreen's notification. So whatever app triggers the notification would be the one that opens... But thanks for your suggestion anyways, it may be helpful to others!
Now that I think about it, you're certainly correct. That app didn't exist when I used Gmail.
Another downside I never thought about since that method of swiping didn't exist back then either.
This is an iOS problem, it's called IMAP IDLE and it's the standard outside of Exchange for push email and works in a similar way. There is no reason that they don't support it.
If you had it set up as an exchange account and did an upgrade then it should still work.
It's nice, because in the built in app, when it receives a push, the mail app updates itself. It's fast and ready to go when you open it.
With the GMail app, or with IMAP and iOS Mail. You would open the app, and wait for it to refresh.
I currently use the GMail app set to push, but only for sound. No lockscreen/banner pop down. So I get the sound notification that I have email, but then I goto the regular Mail app to refresh it.
With the new PUSH TRIGGERS in iOS7. Google can adopt this, and when a push email comes in, it can in the background trigger a refresh, and the GMail app can be ready to go quickly.
I look forward to this.
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Gmail/IMAP IDLE feature would be really nice to have baked in support for.
But I think it's a battery drain. It probably requires the handset to maintain connection with the IMAP server, rather than waiting for a push from Apple's Push servers.
I have my doubts about that. For most apps maybe but the gmail app is mostly a web view, not a native app so it likely won't be all that refreshed. It should help apps like Mailbox that actually download the emails though.
That is the same way that ActiveSync works...
Part of me would like to see it, but for me personally I don't see it as necessary (and perhaps an unnecessary use to battery). I get both work and personal (gmail) on my phone, and I get far more work emails in a day than I do personal, so naturally when I go in to read my work email the whole mail app automatically checks for new mail and any new gmail messages just show up then.
With fetch your phone wakes up every 15 min to check your mail regardless if you have mail or not. This constantly wakes up your phone, enables the radios.
With Push the server tells your phone you have mail. If not, it doesn't bother it.
Difference is battery usage. Of course if you get non stop mail all day with Push it's not that great
With fetch your phone wakes up every 15 min to check your mail regardless if you have mail or not. This constantly wakes up your phone, enables the radios.
With Push the server tells your phone you have mail. If not, it doesn't bother it.
Difference is battery usage. Of course if you get non stop mail all day with Push it's not that great
Exactly!
Another way I look at it is with text messages.. Can you imagine if you had to set your phone to poll for new texts every 15 minutes. It seems ridiculous, right?
They don't put IMAP IDLE on the iPhone because it is a massive battery drain, even compared to push.
ActiveSync doesn't work the same way IMAP IDLE does. ActiveSync works exactly the same way Push services work. IMAP IDLE is literally 24/7 refreshing every second connection
IMAP IDLE is horrible on phones though.
I second this, mine pushes instantly through the GMail app, but refuses to play nicely with the stock Mail app.
Except that the Gmail app sucks donkey balls.
Example. Get 5 messages. Check said messages on computer.
Gmail app displays 5 messages still waiting.
Yea. Ill stick will pull so I actually know when I have new messages.
Doesn't do that for me, the update is within a matter of 30 seconds or so when I'm on the iMac and then check the iPhone 5.
the question is does Google allow Gmail push and the answer is no. They used to if you set it up as an exchange account using m.google.com for the server.
My guess is that Google had to stop supporting Google Sync because the ActiveSync license fee got too high.
Remember that Google letter to Congress talking about how essential patents should be treated as FRAND? They weren't talking about anything that Apple did.
They were talking about single-source patents that, just like FRAND patents, had been freely licensed to everyone for years, and thus had become a standard... yet later were re-licensed through a third party who raised prices.
Google specifically mentioned ActiveSync as an example, which makes me think that MS used a shill company to jack up prices.
Anyone know for sure?
Google jealously (imho) stopped sync working, so their clunky Gmail app which has a 10-15 second fancy-schmancy loading screen and out-of-context aesthetics, could be king of the hill.
No, would be my guess - why would Google leave things that work well, alone? Have they ever?
No, would be my guess - why would Google leave things that work well, alone? Have they ever?
I don't get it. Is the phone listening constantly for messages, or does it open some port for servers to connect to it, tell it to wake up, and receive the data?