In the past, setting up a Gmail account on an iPhone with IMAP (instead of POP) required a complicated process. Thankfully, Google has changed this method to allow for a more natural and intuitive use of Gmail on that device. Now in fact, just follow one of the simple methods outlined in this article to install and configure your email on your iPhone.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Using the Gmail App
Step 1. Download and install the free Gmail app
Search for "Gmail" in the App store. Immediately install it on your iPhone or download it to your computer which you will sync with your device for installation.
Step 2. Open the app on the iPhone and log into your existing Gmail account
This will give you instant access to your mail, including all sent, received and saved messages. The app allows you to access your mailbox from any of your devices; you can also start writing an e-mail on your mobile phone and then finish it and send it from your desktop. You are not allowed to access your address book with the app, but you can still type a contact name to send them an email.
Step 3. Log into other inboxes on the app
Tap the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner of your inbox - you'll see a list of your mail folders. At the top left, tap your email address to view all the accounts you are currently having access to. Tap "Add Account". Enter your account email and password when prompted and then tap "Login" to complete the login.
Step 4. Configure notifications in your iPhone settings
Enable push notifications by going to Settings → Notification Center. Tap Gmail in the app list and set badges, sounds, flags and alerts depending on how you want to be notified when an email arrives.
Step 5. Use the Gmail application for all your mailing needs
You'll need to use that rather than the default iPhone Mail service. For example, when you send a photo, you can usually search for your photo under My Photos, tap the button to share it, and hit Mail. However, to send images using Gmail, you will need to open the application itself, compose a new email and attach the photo.
Part 2 of 3: Using a Gmail Account in Mail
Step 1. Open the "Settings" application
On the iPhone, open Settings and choose Mail, Contacts, Calendars from the list. Under "Accounts", tap "Add Account" and then the Google icon.
Step 2. Fill in the required information:
name, e-mail address and password. The description should automatically be configured as "Gmail", but you can change it. When done, tap Next. Your account information will be verified and you will advance to the next screen.
Step 3. Choose which Gmail features you want to be available on your phone
You can choose to have synchronization, contacts, calendars and notes go from your Google account to your mobile.
If you choose to sync your calendars and contacts, you will be asked what you want to do with the ones on your iPhone. Unless you want to delete this information, you choose to keep it
Step 4. Tap "Save" in the upper right corner
This will reach your account, display the message "Account Added" and then return to "Settings". Press the Home button to close the "Settings" application.
Step 5. Tap the Mail app icon on the Home screen to access your Gmail inbox
Look at your folders and other mailboxes by tapping the Back arrow on the top left. You should be able to read, write and send e-mails from the Mail application in a completely normal way.
Step 6. Configure your account settings
Go to Settings → Mail, Contacts, Calendars. Under Accounts, tap Gmail and then your newly set up account. Tap Advanced to access advanced settings. From here, you can configure your mailbox behaviors to suit your needs.
- Tap Drafts Mail to choose where to save your drafts. You can store them on the iPhone or choose Drafts under the heading On the Server.
- Tap Deleted Mail to choose where to keep deleted emails and Mail Archive to choose where to archive them. Again, save them on the iPhone or on the server.
- Decide if you want to delete or archive unwanted messages and configure this setting here.
Step 7. Configure the update settings (Push)
From Mail, Contacts, Calendars, tap Download New Data to set how often to check for new data. Activate Push to do this automatically. If this item is OFF, you can set this value by selecting it. Choosing to check only manually less often won't affect battery life.
Part 3 of 3: Troubleshoot Connection Errors
Step 1. Allow iPhone to access your Gmail account
Google offers a two-step authentication system that requires you to enter a second, randomly generated code to access your account on an unknown device. This is an additional security practice, but it can cause problems if you are using mail configurations on an iPhone. To set up Gmail, you'll need to create a code that only needs to be entered once:
- Open the Google Security settings page. You can quickly access it by entering "www.google.com/settings/security". You will be asked to log in with your account information.
- Click on the "Settings" link next to "App Password".
- Select "Mail" from the drop-down menu on the left. Select "iPhone" from the menu on the right or enter a username.
- Click on the "Generate" button. A new window will open with your application password.
- Open iPhone Settings and tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars. Select your Gmail account.
- Replace the password with the one you just generated: do not include spaces. Your account should now be able to connect. Don't write down your password and don't even bother memorizing it, because you won't need it anymore.
Step 2. Check IMAP settings in Gmail
If Gmail is not properly configured for the IMAP protocol, you may receive bad connection messages trying to upload the messages to your iPhone. To check your IMAP settings, open Gmail on a computer browser and log into your mailbox.
- Click on the Gear menu and select Settings.
- Click on the "Forwarding and POP / IMAP" tab.
- Check the "Status:" entry in the "IMAP Access" section. It should say "IMAP enabled". If not, click on "Activate IMAP".
- Click on Save Changes if you have made any changes.
