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Gmail Notifier for Multiple Accounts?

J

joejoejoe

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 13, 2006
1,428
110
Hi,

I want to stop using Mail.app and use Gmail exclusively, but want instant notifications. Gmail notifier is perfect, except I have two accounts with Gmail: my personal email and my school email (through Google Apps).

Are there any solutions to get Google Notifier to work with multiple email accounts? I searched the web but the only I found that was Mac compatible needed developer tools, which I don't have.

Thanks.
 
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Give Mailplane a try.
 
I know you said you wanted to stop using Mail, but since checking multiple accounts with Gmail Notifier is tricky, I'd almost recommend Mail for this trick instead.

Just configure it with IMAP for your GMail accounts and change preferences in Mail to disable caching messages (to avoid them being downloaded to and saved on your hard drive, taking up space) and make a few other adjustments as you see fit, then keep Mail running in the background but closed. All it will do is periodically check the server for new messages--you don't even have to use it.

This might take up a bit more memory than GMail notifier might, but it's probably what I would do, and for most people it shouldn't be a problem. Plus, in a pinch, you can even check your mail with it or write one offline (if you configure SMTP--which you also don't have to). :D

EDIT: Actually, if you can find any generic IMAP or POP new-mail-notification utility for OS X, you can use it with your Gmail account. Any such utility would undoubtedly support multiple accounts. I don't know of any because I use Mail (a recent convert from Thunderbird) and just keep it running in the background, so I don't need one--but I'm sure they're out there. And of course, they'll work with your Gmail accounts as long as you enable IMAP or POP, whichever you configure the checker to use.
 
the only reason you would need developer tools is to change the "toolbar menu" whatever that means. Ive edited the plst file with text edit and i can have two instances of the app running, each with their own account. Yes the icons will be the same, but the order of the icons will remain the same (if your personal account is on the left and your business account is on the right, it will remain that way). Also, i usually have 160~ unread messages on my personal acct and none in my school account, so i can tell the different accounts by looking at the number next to the icon.

You can also change the "new mail sound" between applications, and a simple click gives a drop down of the most recent messages, making it clear what account the click icon is assoicated with.

I've only changed the plst file and I run two instances of gmail notifier and im very happy with the way it functions.
 
BoogieTrain said:
the only reason you would need developer tools is to change the "toolbar menu" whatever that means. Ive edited the plst file with text edit and i can have two instances of the app running, each with their own account. Yes the icons will be the same, but the order of the icons will remain the same (if your personal account is on the left and your business account is on the right, it will remain that way). Also, i usually have 160~ unread messages on my personal acct and none in my school account, so i can tell the different accounts by looking at the number next to the icon.

You can also change the "new mail sound" between applications, and a simple click gives a drop down of the most recent messages, making it clear what account the click icon is assoicated with.

I've only changed the plst file and I run two instances of gmail notifier and im very happy with the way it functions.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification. I got it done and it works really well.
 
correction: it was working great. Now the notifier doesn't seem to be checking my messages on a constant basis. I sent myself emails on both accounts to test and nothing has popped up over the past 10 minutes. When I click on the notifier icon in the menu bar it says "checked 10 minutes ago" on both.... any ideas??
 
if you click "check mail now" do your new messages pop up?

The default for the notifier is to check mail every 10 minuties, but mine typically goes longer w/o checking (it says checked 12 minutes ago atm)

You can change the interval that it checks for mail by holding down command and option while clicking the preferences from the notifier icon's drop down menu.

"This will pop open a box for a key/value pair. Use AutocheckInterval as the key (case-sensitive) and then set the interval (in minutes) for it to check as the value."

Code: 
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20081204143710211
 
BoogieTrain said:
if you click "check mail now" do your new messages pop up?

The default for the notifier is to check mail every 10 minuties, but mine typically goes longer w/o checking (it says checked 12 minutes ago atm)

You can change the interval that it checks for mail by holding down command and option while clicking the preferences from the notifier icon's drop down menu.

"This will pop open a box for a key/value pair. Use AutocheckInterval as the key (case-sensitive) and then set the interval (in minutes) for it to check as the value."

Code: 
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20081204143710211
Click to expand...

Awesome, thanks. I set it to 1 and its working great now. Thanks for all the help.
 
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