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Gmail Push in Mail App

lolkthxbai

lolkthxbai

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 7, 2011
1,430
491
Does anyone know why Google doesn't support push notifications in iOS?

I'm seriously considering switching over to iCloud Mail for my personal mail and using Gmail for mailing lists or signups. I'm already using exchange for my work email and it supports push so I don't have any issues there. It's just Gmail that is really bugging me with the constant fetching.

How does iCloud compare to Gmail in features?

I rarely use the Gmail desktop site unless I need to adjust settings like filters or for mass email deletion.
 
iCloud, or me.com is terrible. Terrible spam filtering is on the top of my list.

Gmail doesn't support push because Apple doesn't let them. This is Apple not Google. I would use the GM app that pushes.
 
GoCubsGo said:
iCloud, or me.com is terrible. Terrible spam filtering is on the top of my list.

Gmail doesn't support push because Apple doesn't let them. This is Apple not Google. I would use the GM app that pushes.
Click to expand...

Nice try. Google doesn't support push because they don't want to anymore. It has nothing to do with Apple.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zdnet.com%2Fgoogle-discontinuing-support-for-exchange-activesync-affecting-windows-phone-and-iphone-users-7000008833%2F&ei=M5IKUoygCoXYyQGD64HoDw&usg=AFQjCNHr6h2u62h5k-J1-vuTkJzeC25WTA&sig2=urnKkO1-vx4nEy1KtBJ-NQ&bvm=bv.50500085,d.aWc
 
 
Is fetching Gmail really that annoying? I feel like my experience overall with Google on my iPhone is way better now that mail is IMAP, Contacts are CardDAV, and Calendar is CalDAV. But in addition to that, the Gmail app really is nice, especially if want the Gmail/Labels experience.

If you enjoy using Gmail, I would definitely stick with it and put up with fetch rather than push.
 
iMerik said:
Is fetching Gmail really that annoying? I feel like my experience overall with Google on my iPhone is way better now that mail is IMAP, Contacts are CardDAV, and Calendar is CalDAV. But in addition to that, the Gmail app really is nice, especially if want the Gmail/Labels experience.

If you enjoy using Gmail, I would definitely stick with it and put up with fetch rather than push.
Click to expand...

I don't want my phone constantly checking for mail with fetch. I could just set it to manual but I'm not the kind of person to manual check my email since I've gotten so used to push notifications. Honestly, push is so much better IMO compared to fetch. Easier on my phone's battery life and make much more sense to look at my mailbox when there's new mail, not every 15 mins or so.

My contacts, notes and calander are all in iCloud. I don't know what CardDAV and CalDAV is.

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GoCubsGo said:
iCloud, or me.com is terrible. Terrible spam filtering is on the top of my list.

Gmail doesn't support push because Apple doesn't let them. This is Apple not Google. I would use the GM app that pushes.
Click to expand...

So far, the only "Spam" I get from my iCloud mail is from Apple. I rarely give out my iCloud email because I get tons of spam in my Gmail account. Does iCloud have email aliases?
 
bjsterilite said:
I don't want my phone constantly checking for mail with fetch. I could just set it to manual but I'm not the kind of person to manual check my email since I've gotten so used to push notifications. Honestly, push is so much better IMO compared to fetch. Easier on my phone's battery life and make much more sense to look at my mailbox when there's new mail, not every 15 mins or so.

My contacts, notes and calander are all in iCloud. I don't know what CardDAV and CalDAV is.

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So far, the only "Spam" I get from my iCloud mail is from Apple. I rarely give out my iCloud email because I get tons of spam in my Gmail account. Does iCloud have email aliases?
Click to expand...
It sounds like you're already set up and pretty much ready to just use iCloud for your mail needs. I feel like iCloud is so basic compared to Gmail though.

I'm fairly comfortable saying that you aren't correct about Push being easier on your iPhone's battery life. Search this Apple page for "push" and "fetch". Push is working harder and more often than a scheduled Fetch.
 
bjsterilite said:
Does anyone know why Google doesn't support push notifications in iOS?

I'm seriously considering switching over to iCloud Mail for my personal mail and using Gmail for mailing lists or signups. I'm already using exchange for my work email and it supports push so I don't have any issues there. It's just Gmail that is really bugging me with the constant fetching.

How does iCloud compare to Gmail in features?

I rarely use the Gmail desktop site unless I need to adjust settings like filters or for mass email deletion.
Click to expand...

use the Gmail app... seriously use it! It's better than Mail.App - so worth it.
 
I'm in a similar boat. Now google doesn't support push (terrible in this day and age) I've been forced to use fetch.

Gmail app is good and I keep it installed but I don't use it for live mail checking. I keep it as a backup for searching, my filter boxes and labels. That is all its good for. It's slow, I can't stand seeing that silly colour circle every time I get a message. It doesn't have offline support and its slow because its simply a glorified wrapper. It also has really bad text control, so it doesn't wrap text very well.

I use the mail app on fetch and quite honestly, its fine. I use mail as a key part of work and have a lot of mal everyday. In a way its a bit more liberating and less intrusive receiving mail in batches. If you are trying to work you realise it can be quite distracting getting mail all the time.

As for battery life, I'd say its practically indistinguishable, with all the push iCloud stuff going on and fetching every 15min I didn't notice a difference.

The fact that eventually with new devices you will have to choose

1) buy google apps and host your personable domain mail to get push
2) use mail app and fetch
3) switch to iCloud mail, I've had spam issues
4) use gmail app, personal preference
5) hybrid, use gmail app for push notifications and mail app as reader
 
I went back to using NuevaSync to get push gmail. That's the service I used before Google announced Gmail sync and now that they killed it i'm back with them.

Sure, it's not perfect. But I really really hate seeing ios mail notifications for emails I have already read on my computer.
 
Alright, so after thinking it over I think I've come to a decision. I'm going to continue using Gmail and iCloud Mail. I'll use iCloud Mail for all my personal emails and Gmail for registrations or mailing lists. I refuse to use the Gmail app because I prefer to have a unified inbox and the stock Mail app does it perfectly for me. Also, I've decided to set my gmail account to hourly fetch since the mail I receive in my gmail (after I update my email settings across my accounts) won't be as important so I won't be as bothered if I can't get push.

Two things though:

1. No one has commented on Aliases in iCloud Mail so I guess I'll look it up on their support page.

2. If I forward my Gmail to my iCloud mail wouldn't I then get push for those emails as well...?
 
bjsterilite said:
Alright, so after thinking it over I think I've come to a decision. I'm going to continue using Gmail and iCloud Mail. I'll use iCloud Mail for all my personal emails and Gmail for registrations or mailing lists. I refuse to use the Gmail app because I prefer to have a unified inbox and the stock Mail app does it perfectly for me. Also, I've decided to set my gmail account to hourly fetch since the mail I receive in my gmail (after I update my email settings across my accounts) won't be as important so I won't be as bothered if I can't get push.

Two things though:

1. No one has commented on Aliases in iCloud Mail so I guess I'll look it up on their support page.

2. If I forward my Gmail to my iCloud mail wouldn't I then get push for those emails as well...?
Click to expand...
Yeah, you can forward to an iCloud account and "get" push that way. You can also use Outlook/Hotmail in a similar fashion as that has push support as well.
 
C DM said:
Yeah, you can forward to an iCloud account and "get" push that way. You can also use Outlook/Hotmail in a similar fashion as that has push support as well.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I think I'll do just that!
 
Just had my phone replaced on Friday, so no more push. Hate the Gmail app. Biggest pet peeve is the swipe to archive. I just want to delete not archive. I haven't yet decided what I'm going to do about it.

So forwarding to iCloud is a good alternative?
 
jbachandouris said:
Just had my phone replaced on Friday, so no more push. Hate the Gmail app. Biggest pet peeve is the swipe to archive. I just want to delete not archive. I haven't yet decided what I'm going to do about it.

So forwarding to iCloud is a good alternative?
Click to expand...

Set both me and wife's gmail to forward to iCloud and haven't looked back since January. Works perfectly.
 
iMerik said:
Is fetching Gmail really that annoying? I feel like my experience overall with Google on my iPhone is way better now that mail is IMAP, Contacts are CardDAV, and Calendar is CalDAV. But in addition to that, the Gmail app really is nice, especially if want the Gmail/Labels experience.

If you enjoy using Gmail, I would definitely stick with it and put up with fetch rather than push.
Click to expand...
This. I still have exchange sync working on my iPad.

Mail - Exchange Sync
Contacts/Calendar - Card/calDAV

The only thing nice about actual push sync with the mail app. Is your mail is ready to go immediately. No waiting to load. With IMAP+mail.app or with GMail app, you have to wait when you open the app for mail to sync. This is what I miss on my iPhone. I lost it when I had to warranty my iPhone 5 back in Apr.
 
I have gmail fwd to my iCloud and have gmail account set to only send...so if its from someone that sent mail to my gmail, when I respond I tell it to use gmail.
 
bjsterilite said:
I don't want my phone constantly checking for mail with fetch. I could just set it to manual but I'm not the kind of person to manual check my email since I've gotten so used to push notifications. Honestly, push is so much better IMO compared to fetch. Easier on my phone's battery life and make much more sense to look at my mailbox when there's new mail, not every 15 mins or so.

My contacts, notes and calander are all in iCloud. I don't know what CardDAV and CalDAV is.

----------



So far, the only "Spam" I get from my iCloud mail is from Apple. I rarely give out my iCloud email because I get tons of spam in my Gmail account. Does iCloud have email aliases?
Click to expand...
That is great for you. Use that then. I never give out the .mac address and I get anywhere between 10 and 75 spam messages a month. It goes in serious waves. Putting spam into the junk folder and wasting my time reporting it to Apple has proven to be futile. This very forum will show you I am not alone in this; searching outside of this forum will show you I am definitely not the only one affected. I've been a .mac user since 2004.


Gmail push never worked for me. Even set up as exchange. So evidently I'm the only one. :cool:
 
For what it is worth, you could always try Outlook.com.

They support push email, and allow you to add an alias and you can setup your Gmail to forward there. They also support free email for your domain name as well, with push email if you ever went that route. There spam filtering is good and they give you a generous portion of space for your email.

That's what I ended up doing when Google stopped supporting push for Gmail. And so far I have no regrets. And if you are a PC user, you can download the Outlook Connector for Outlook on your PC and use Outlook, which is basically like an Exchange server, Calendar Items, Contacts, & Email are all in sync on your PC, iDevices, and the Web.
 
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