Google's push Gmail changes surprise new iPhone buyers, Apple store reps

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Despite word from Google months ago that it would be discontinuing Exchange support, many users buying new iOS devices have been surprised to discover that push email no longer works with Gmail accounts in Apple's default Mail application.

Push


Google officially ended its Exchange support on Jan. 30, but the search company has grandfathered in existing users' hardware to continue allowing push email. That means most users will only discover the changes if they get a new iPhone, whether through upgrading, or simply receiving a replacement from Apple.

Still, Google's announcement couldn't have reached everyone, and as a result users have started a number of threads (1, 2, 3) on the Apple Support Communities website wondering why they can no longer receive instant push e-mail notifications from Gmail. Instead, Gmail users who set up a new iOS device must "fetch" their mail, which iOS does automatically in timed intervals set by the user that can be as frequent as once per 15 minutes.

Google's recent changes may not even be very well known among Apple's own retail employees, as two Genius representatives at the company's heavily trafficked Grand Central Terminal Store in New York City recently expressed surprise once they were informed of the issue.

Google's change affects only those who use the native Mail application built in to iOS. Users who still wish to receive push notifications of new emails can use Google's official Gmail application, which is a free download on the App Store.

Google also offers the ability to add Exchange support to a Gmail account by upgrading to the company's paid Google Apps service. Google Apps for Business starts at $5 per user, per month, or $50 per user, per year, and increases a Gmail inbox size to 25 gigabytes, in addition to allowing push email support with third-party mail clients.

Google Apps


Part of the confusion over Google's switch likely stems from the fact that users who activated their devices before the Jan. 30 cut off date, including iPhone 5 owners, have been grandfathered in. Those Gmail users may not become aware of the changes until they upgrade to new iPhone hardware.

Google announced last December that Exchange support, offered with its Google Sync service, would be removed as part of the company's "winter cleaning." Google Sync allowed push email, along with calendar and contact syncing, via Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync protocol.

While push email support for Gmail is no longer available for free with iOS Mail, users can still sync calendars and contacts via CardDAV and CalDav, both of which are supported by both Google and Apple's iOS.

Email support for Gmail through IMAP remains available, allowing users to use Apple's native Mail application for iOS. But they will need to either have iOS fetch mail on 15-, 30- or 60-minute intervals, or manually by launching the app and refreshing.

Users who want to use the native Mail app can also use third-party notification services such as Boxcar, which can separately send push notifications. And beyond the official Gmail app, users can turn to other third-party email options like popular newcomer Mailbox.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 86
    macbook promacbook pro Posts: 1,605member
    The cost of "free" seems higher every day.
  • Reply 2 of 86
    nagrommenagromme Posts: 2,834member
    Isn't Google also killing off CalDAV?
  • Reply 3 of 86
    majjomajjo Posts: 574member
    [Quote]Email support for Gmail through IMAP remains available, allowing users to use Apple's native Maps application for iOS. [/quote]

    Huh? ;)
  • Reply 4 of 86
    carthusiacarthusia Posts: 583member
    More and more it seems like Google is exposing iOS's Achille's heel-very many iOS users rely on Google apps for core services like email. Google, at will, can handicap those services for iOS users, potentially pushing them even further to Android if they want the full breadth of those services' features. Unfortunately, Apple must allow these Google apps into the App Store or potentially face anti-competition charges.

    It remains to be seen if iOS users will give up Google services like GMail and keep Apple hardware. Will they keep using Google's core services and abandon their iPhones because their beloved service is compromised on iOS devices? The more Google can get between iOS users and their hardware, the more the value proposition of iOS and Apple hardware comes into question.

    I'm not a sky-is-falling Apple fan, but I do think Apple could use a strategy to defend against these maneuvers. Also, personally, I do not have email pushed to my iPhone, as it drains battery life. But many others, especially Blackberry converts, live and die by push email.
  • Reply 5 of 86
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member


    Originally Posted by Carthusia View Post

    More and more it seems like Google is exposing iOS's Achille's heel-very many iOS users rely on Google apps for core services like email.


     


    iCloud sure doesn't exist. Nor do any other e-mail providers.






    Unfortunately, Apple must allow these Google apps into the App Store or potentially face anti-competition charges.



     


    Not really.






    It remains to be seen if iOS users will give up Google services like GMail and keep Apple hardware.



     


    Does it? Really?






    The more Google can get between iOS users and their hardware, the more the value proposition of iOS and Apple hardware comes into question.



     


    Not really. Just stop using Google's stuff.






    I'm not a sky-is-falling Apple fan, but I do think Apple could use a strategy to defend against these maneuvers.



     


    It's called iCloud and Apple Maps and all the other services they've created as of late. imageimage

  • Reply 6 of 86
    aegeanaegean Posts: 164member
    I don't use gmail so it's totally irrelevant to me.
  • Reply 7 of 86
    I have a Google Apps account since I use a private (vanity) domain for my email address. I would gladly switch from Google to Yahoo! if Yahoo! had something similar.
  • Reply 8 of 86
    mudman2mudman2 Posts: 54member


    I stopped using Google anything a long time ago, don't trust them don't want them

  • Reply 9 of 86
    shenshen Posts: 434member
    Should have seen this coming, it has been almost 3 days since google did something to poss me off!
  • Reply 10 of 86
    misamisa Posts: 827member
    carthusia wrote: »
    More and more it seems like Google is exposing iOS's Achille's heel-very many iOS users rely on Google apps for core services like email. Google, at will, can handicap those services for iOS users, potentially pushing them even further to Android if they want the full breadth of those services' features.

    Not going to happen. Exchange, like Blackberry does 'push' and it's benefit has more to do with saving power and getting instant notifications.

    This can also be done with:
    - Skype
    - Jabber
    - SMS text messages
    - Apple's own Messages


    Most people are moving away from email's uselessness when it comes to instant notifications, so this is not exactly a problem. Businesses who need it, either run their own exchange server or they are paying someone else to. That is no change.

    Individual users who need it, probably already use skype for their instant notifications, or SMS.

    There is nothing the 'Android' camp is offers that is any different here. You don't magically get push notifications by buying a an android device when that's in fact a server-sided service you have to subscribe to.
  • Reply 11 of 86
    Doesn't Apple's iOS Mail client support MS Exchange with push notification? What does this have to do with GMail?
  • Reply 12 of 86
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    carthusia wrote: »
    More and more it seems like Google is exposing iOS's Achille's heel-very many iOS users rely on Google apps for core services like email. Google, at will, can handicap those services for iOS users, potentially pushing them even further to Android if they want the full breadth of those services' features. Unfortunately, Apple must allow these Google apps into the App Store or potentially face anti-competition charges.

    Wouldn't google then be facing anticompetitive charges, if anything? I don't use gmail so it doesn't matter to me.
    carthusia wrote: »

    I'm not a sky-is-falling Apple fan, but I do think Apple could use a strategy to defend against these maneuvers. Also, personally, I do not have email pushed to my iPhone, as it drains battery life. But many others, especially Blackberry converts, live and die by push email.
    Gmail isn't the only email in town.
  • Reply 13 of 86
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post



    Doesn't Apple's iOS Mail client support MS Exchange with push notification? What does this have to do with GMail?


    Google was using Microsoft's Active Sync just like Apple and almost everyone else that is offering push email.

  • Reply 14 of 86

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Carthusia View Post



    More and more it seems like Google is exposing iOS's Achille's heel-very many iOS users rely on Google apps for core services like email. Google, at will, can handicap those services for iOS users, potentially pushing them even further to Android if they want the full breadth of those services' features. Unfortunately, Apple must allow these Google apps into the App Store or potentially face anti-competition charges.



    It remains to be seen if iOS users will give up Google services like GMail and keep Apple hardware. Will they keep using Google's core services and abandon their iPhones because their beloved service is compromised on iOS devices? The more Google can get between iOS users and their hardware, the more the value proposition of iOS and Apple hardware comes into question.



    I'm not a sky-is-falling Apple fan, but I do think Apple could use a strategy to defend against these maneuvers. Also, personally, I do not have email pushed to my iPhone, as it drains battery life. But many others, especially Blackberry converts, live and die by push email.


     


    For one thing... Push notification is a nice to have in an iMAP environment.  For most (90%) of iOS users, push vs poll is a 'why do I care?' question.  And for ha've of the remaining 10%, it's 'I do know why to care, and I choose not to'


     


    Yes, that remaining 5% is a big number, when you approach 500Million users, and it equates to the do business by the second sorts who grew up with BES sync or android phones and switched.   Most of the rest... I love the fact that I'm   It could hurt... but the sum of all the other non-google apps will likely outweigh the gmail app (if they didn't why did they pick iOS in the first place?)


     


    As for google handicapping them... I'd worry more about Samsung.


     


    As for strategy... why not have a 'switchers' campaign to drive people to apple icloud mail?


     


     


     


    As for google... 'don't be evil'    .... seems to be so far back in history....

  • Reply 15 of 86
    r98266r98266 Posts: 12member
    I just created a new Outlook account, forwarded my Gmail account to it, and then setup an alias in Outlook to send mail as if it were my gmail account.

    I sign into my new Outlook account on my device and get my Gmail pushed to me, and no one knows I'm not using my Gmail account when I send mail.
  • Reply 16 of 86
    jblongzjblongz Posts: 165member
    Somebody mentioned Yahoo.. ahahaha
  • Reply 17 of 86
    dshandshan Posts: 53member
    The problem here is primarily with Apple not Google (though Google should never have supported push email via the stupid Exchange protocol in the first place). Google mail's IMAP has supported IDLE (IMAP's implementation of push notifications) for years now, the problem is Apple's iOS Mail app doesn't support IDLE and so had to use the Google Exchange hack instead. Now that that's been dropped Apple's users are hurting.

    The solution is for Apple to implement IDLE support in iOS Mail and thus give users access to push email for any IMAP service that supports IDLE, not just Google.
  • Reply 18 of 86
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dshan View Post



    The solution is for Apple to implement IDLE support in iOS Mail and thus give users access to push email for any IMAP service that supports IDLE, not just Google.


    They probably should soon since it has been implemented in Apple Mail for awhile.

  • Reply 19 of 86
    19831983 Posts: 1,225member
    Google are becoming increasingly douchey - my only contact with any of their services, is YouTube and the way they're ruining that with their constant unnecessary fiddling with the channel design is driving me to distraction! If I didn't have so much invested in it, when it comes to music and playlists - I'd run a mile!

    They actually tricked me via YouTube into a Google+ account which I never wanted, just by suggesting I change my user name, which I was foolish enough to do. They're the enemy now, and I used to actually like them once...bloody privacy thief's!
  • Reply 20 of 86
    yensid98yensid98 Posts: 311member


    Why anyone would rely on Gmail as their primary email provider I'll never understand.  There are so many better options out there.  Especially if you're using email for business.

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