Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Will someone please explain to me how push works?

S

someone28624

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 15, 2007
849
11
Buffalo
I just recently got the iPhone 4. It's my first smart phone, so please bear with me.

I was under the impression that push notifications worked like text message notifications. When I get a text message, it beeps and I get the notification on the screen. Same with voice mails. I have push turned on for things like Facebook and Mail too, but no beeping or notifications for this if the phone asleep, even if the app is still on in the background. It doesn't notice that there's new mail or messages until I go into the app and refresh. Is there a way to make it notify me all the time when I get new mail or messages on facebook, or any other app that I have push on for? Or is my understand of what push does totally wrong? All it seems to do right now is give me a number on the app icon once I already go into the app and see the notification, which seems pointless.
 
Post a screenshot of your push settings and screenshots of the settings for the specific apps you don't think are working: it should work as you expect...
 
For mail, push is basically broken if you're using gmail. Even when setup as an Exchange account, push refuses to work. Other than that, I think all my apps use it properly.
 
murdercitydevil said:
For mail, push is basically broken if you're using gmail. Even when setup as an Exchange account, push refuses to work. Other than that, I think all my apps use it properly.
Click to expand...

Ah, yeah, using Gmail. That stinks!

robbieduncan said:
Post a screenshot of your push settings and screenshots of the settings for the specific apps you don't think are working: it should work as you expect...
Click to expand...

Facebook seems to be the only one I notice not working besides Mail. I just had a friend message me on Facebook. The app is running in the multitasking area, phone sleeping- nothing. Isn't the app store also suppose to use push when you have app updates?
 

Attachments

  • photo (1).PNG
    photo (1).PNG
    60.1 KB · Views: 67
  • photo.PNG
    photo.PNG
    111.9 KB · Views: 80
I never use Push for Gmail because it drains my battery quickly and I don't usually get alot anyways. As for Facebook Push, the app itself is still glitchy, so Push only works sometimes. I will post a screenshot later when I get a Push and show you.

EDIT: Here's Facebook when it works.

photo.png
 
someone28624 said:
Can anyone tell me how to get Gmail working with push?
Click to expand...

The best way is to use another app. I suggest 'Boxcar.' (It's free.)

Set G-Mail to manual IMAP that only checks for new mail when you open the mail program. Then get Boxcar and set it up with your G-Mail account.

Then Boxcar will push you a notice when you get new mail. That's your sign to go open Mail. You can just put Boxcar on your last page, you never need to open it again.

This is better because Boxcar has more options. Turn off the "new mail" sound in the phone's settings and let Boxcar make the sound...it has more choices. It also has 'quiet hours' where you can tell it when NOT to message you so you're not getting noises in the middle of the night.

I also find that Boxcar sends pushes far faster than mail-push does on its own.
 
I've found push notifications to be very inconsistent, specifically with facebook (and occasionally beejive)

I'm sure many of people have it all working fine, but I find that, facebook only sends notifications for some of the posts I get, not all, and same with beejive occasionally
 
dccorona said:
I've found push notifications to be very inconsistent, specifically with facebook (and occasionally beejive)

I'm sure many of people have it all working fine, but I find that, facebook only sends notifications for some of the posts I get, not all, and same with beejive occasionally
Click to expand...

Same here for me. Sometimes it works and other times I open FB to post something and see that I have several new notifications. :rolleyes:
 
someone28624 said:
This method is working better. When I wake the phone up the mail icon has the appropriate number of new messages in the corner, however, shouldn't I be able to set it so that I get a notification even if the phone is sleeping?
Click to expand...

Mails do not get a pop-up notification like texts/calls missed.

It only vibrates/sounds.

You may be able to find an app which will use pop-ups if you would like to, or you can jailbreak.

Hope this helps.
 
Hydrocity said:
Mails do not get a pop-up notification like texts/calls missed.

It only vibrates/sounds.

You may be able to find an app which will use pop-ups if you would like to, or you can jailbreak.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Probably better with all the mail I get.
 
someone28624 said:
Can anyone tell me how to get Gmail working with push?
Click to expand...

Sure.

You have to go into Settings, Mail, Add Account,

Instead of choosing gmail, you have to choose Exchange

Username, and Password,

It will say it couldn't verify. Close that. Then it will give you an option to put the Server. Server = m.google.com

Then it will ask you what you want to Sync. Mail, Contacts, Calendar.

I have it just to Mail.

Tell it to show you the first 25 mails or so.

It will then sync with your account and push any new mail to your phone.

You can turn off Fetch.

It pushes as quickly as a Blackberry.

Here are the step by step instructions from Google

http://www.google.com/support/mobile/bin/answer.py?answer=138740&topic=14252

Yahoo natively pushes. So, I will try to just forward my gmail to my Yahoo and try my phone just with Yahoo push to see if I get better battery life.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back