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Gmail App for iOS Adds New Inbox Widget

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Google recently updated the Gmail app for iOS devices, and though it's not mentioned in the release notes, the new version of the app introduces a second Gmail widget.

gmail-widget-inbox.jpg

The new Gmail widget displays the last three emails in the Gmail inbox, along with a button to compose a new email. The widget joins the existing widget that displays a compose button, a search interface, and lets users know how many unread emails are in the inbox.

Google's new widget is much more informative because it provides actual email content, unlike the prior version.

gmail-widget-example.jpg

The widget can be added to either the Today screen alongside other widgets or to the Home screen among apps. To add the new widget, long press on the Home screen, tap the "+" button upper left corner, and scroll down to Gmail.

You will need the latest version of the Gmail app, which can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Gmail App for iOS Adds New Inbox Widget
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2022/01/10/gmail-ios-inbox-widget/
Anyone else's Gmail app awful when scrolling inside emails? Especially one with images?

I'm not sure if it's always been there but I'm not able to ignore it on my 13 Pro Max and have since switched to the native Mail app. The inbox scrolls fine and at 120 Hz but it just stutters like crazy inside emails.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: MudPipes
I know it's quite popular, but why anybody would use Google Mail (knowing they data mine every last word) is beyond me.
EDIT: and before everybody beats me to it, even if Apple don't data mine their iCloud customers, I guess the email recipient's email provider and indeed all the ISPs along the way data mine everything so there's that. I guess there's just no escaping it. Sigh.
 
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Kylo83 said:
It doesn’t update in real time, so it’s usless
Click to expand...
Yeah, because it is based on the complications from watchOS, which similarly don't update in real time because it would be a HUGE drain on battery life on the Watch and you would end up with like 30 min of battery life, instead of "all day" battery life.
 
Jensend said:
It's a limitation of Apple's API.
I wish the API could at least support more frequent updates when a device is plugged in.
Click to expand...
That’s fair. But it’s still stereotypical Google on iOS that the Gmail app finally has a widget, even though widgets were introduced about 18 months ago. 18 months is approximately their usual lead time for bringing support for new iOS features to Google apps.
 
Sigvard said:
Anyone else's Gmail app awful when scrolling inside emails? Especially one with images?

I'm not sure if it's always been there but I'm not able to ignore it on my 13 Pro Max and have since switched to the native Mail app. The inbox scrolls fine and at 120 Hz but it just stutters like crazy inside emails.
Click to expand...
I’m also on a 13 pro max and now cannot Un-see this ??‍♂️… I think it is refreshing at 60hz within emails, hence why it feels like judder.

Anyway to retain (important only) emails in the native mail app? Not for Gmail only either as I also use hotmail and the gmail app is able to filter through less important emails from multiple email providers. If that makes any sense.
 
Sigvard said:
Anyone else's Gmail app awful when scrolling inside emails? Especially one with images?

I'm not sure if it's always been there but I'm not able to ignore it on my 13 Pro Max and have since switched to the native Mail app. The inbox scrolls fine and at 120 Hz but it just stutters like crazy inside emails.
Click to expand...
Yes, 100%. It’s so noticeable!
 
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Mick-Mac said:
I know it's quite popular, but why anybody would use Google Mail (knowing they data mine every last word) is beyond me.
EDIT: and before everybody beats me to it, even if Apple don't data mine their iCloud customers, I guess the email recipient's email provider and indeed all the ISPs along the way data mine everything so there's that. I guess there's just no escaping it. Sigh.
Click to expand...

I use Google Mail for work and I prefer to use it in the Google app instead of Apple Mail so I can keep work and personal email separate.
 
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Mick-Mac said:
I know it's quite popular, but why anybody would use Google Mail (knowing they data mine every last word) is beyond me.
EDIT: and before everybody beats me to it, even if Apple don't data mine their iCloud customers, I guess the email recipient's email provider and indeed all the ISPs along the way data mine everything so there's that. I guess there's just no escaping it. Sigh.
Click to expand...
Because Apple Mail doesn’t play nice with Gmail and the fact that I can’t access Apple Mail from work plays a huge part. Apple Mail is nice for privacy but as far as functionality it’s behind pretty much every email client in existence.
 
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anjinha said:
I use Google Mail for work and I prefer to use it in the Google app instead of Apple Mail so I can keep work and personal email separate.
Click to expand...
Would you still use it if you could run two instances of mail? I ask because I do something similar with Outlook.
 
Sheepish-Lord said:
Because Apple Mail doesn’t play nice with Gmail and the fact that I can’t access Apple Mail from work plays a huge part. Apple Mail is nice for privacy but as far as functionality it’s behind pretty much every email client in existence.
Click to expand...
Well, that whole not playing nice with Gmail business is actually mostly Gmail’s fault. Gmail doesn’t work well with the IMAP email protocol (basically, it never has, and that seems to be intentional behavior, as the iPhone is pretty much the only reason Google added IMAP support, previously only supporting the POP3 protocol), which happens to be what Apple (or any third party email app) uses to connect to Gmail. I’m sure Google thinks of the features that break IMAP as a value add, but I’ve never been particularly fond of them, as I’d rather use a native email app that supports all of my email accounts over logging into multiple webmail web apps.
 
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Zaft said:
apple should make the widgets more interactive. Right now they are mostly for displaying info.
Click to expand...
Not even up to date info, I tried it and a new email didn’t display at all until I opened the app
 
You can’t set it to show unread messages so quite useless.. I use unread messages as a sort of todo-list so that would be something.

Another huge problem with gmail-app. When using it as a pop-up from another app (for example sending files from scannable), you’re stuck with your primary address. I always use my custom domain alias.

And another problem: sometimes selecting a reciever selects wrong person, which is quite dangerous. It only happens with some specific names, but it’s 100% repeatable.
 
Whoever really runs the App Store loves widgets !

As such, I predict this app gets an App of the Day (OR something similar) recommendation very soon !

If you think I'm kidding, that happened just-yesterday with one camera app !

So, I say it again, "whoever really runs the App Store loves widgets".
 
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