Native Gmail App for iOS Reportedly Set to Launch

MG Siegler shares word that Google is preparing to launch a native iOS application for Gmail, offering some expanded capabilities beyond the current mobile-optimized version for Safari. According to Siegler's sources, the app may even have already been submitted to Apple for App Store approval.

Google is on the verge of launching their native Gmail app, multiple sources tell me. In fact, I believe it has already been submitted to Apple for review. If it gets approved, it should be out soon. And I think it’s going to be approved.

This is great news for a couple of reasons. First: native Gmail app! Awesome. Second: those who have seen the app tell me it’s pretty fantastic. Perhaps even surprisingly so.

Among the key features said to make their debut in the app are push notifications, Priority Inbox filtering, and simple one-click starring of specific messages.

Top Rated Comments

(View all)

Mackbook702

44 months ago

apple should have their own mail system, so we wouldn't have to use gmail or msn or yahoo. appledavie@apple.com :cool:

If there was a step below newbie, you'd be it.

Rating: 18 Votes

KakaduDreamer

44 months ago

Uh, what? How does this benefit Apple, exactly? It's definitely to Google's benefit for iOS users to use their native app, then Apple's native app. And yes, it benefits iOS users too, as they now have a choice. But I don't see how the hell this is an act of altruism, as you suggest, or 'treating Apple well'. If anything, Apple would much prefer you use the mail app for gmail.

Well, one possible benefit to Apple that I can think of: with a native Gmail app for iOS it means those people who prefer using major Google products such as Gmail will perhaps be more willing to purchase for the first time/continue to upgrade iPhone/iPad devices rather than choosing/switching to an Android device.

Rating: 8 Votes

rockman0

44 months ago

apple should have their own mail system, so we wouldn't have to use gmail or msn or yahoo. appledavie@apple.com :cool:

iCloud comes with a free @me.com address that you can check easily through the mail app and through icloud.com . You have to go into your icloud setting on your device and enable "mail."

-----------------------------------
What I'd really love for Google to make is a reader app. The Mail app takes care of Gmail for me. I'd just like a reader app. Please make that happen!

Rating: 6 Votes

mobilehaathi

44 months ago

That would go a long way towards getting me to switch to an iPhone...

Rating: 5 Votes

LaCosta

44 months ago

I cannot wait!

Guess another reason not to do Android and all those desserts.

Rating: 5 Votes

idkmybffjon

44 months ago

if by native they mean, a native client that loads a browser and their mobile coded site, like all of their apps... then yeah sure.

Rating: 4 Votes

bpaluzzi

44 months ago

and he'd probably be better off giving up on a board filled with nitwits who have such poor grasp of the topics discussed here that they dont recognize a statement so saturated with sarcasm even if it smacked them in the face.

I think you're seeing sarcasm where none exists.

Rating: 4 Votes

samcraig

44 months ago

Wow. How does this benefit me, exactly? So Google wants me to access my Gmail account via a separate app, vice accessing it via one (Apple Mail).

Ok...but no thanks, Google. What I don't need is more clutter on my iPhone's screen.

There's a solution for that. Don't use it.

There are plenty of people who would and are looking forward to that.

And as "great" as the Apple email app is - it lacks in a few areas and I'm at least curious to see if Google's is better.

Rating: 4 Votes

reltm

44 months ago

1) Set it up with ActiveSync
2) MOVE the message to the trash, do not use the trash icon as it will archive the message.

Actually this depends on which folder you are in. If you have Mail.app set up with ActiveSync to get push notifications, you cannot delete a message from the inbox by any means that I'm aware of.

If you move the message from "Inbox" to "Trash" while viewing it in the inbox, it actually gets labeled "All Mail" and you can still find your message in the "All Mail" folder in Mail.app. If you move the message from "All Mail" to "Trash", *then* the message actually will get deleted. But this is cumbersome because most people like to view their messages from their inbox, but you can only delete messages if you are viewing them from the "All Mail" folder in Mail.app.

Another thing I miss about the native Gmail app from Android is the ability to send messages from a different email address. I.e. In the Android version, if you have your account set up to send and receive accounts other than your primary @gmail account, you can simply select which other account you want to send from (e.g. a different @gmail account, or perhaps a .com or .edu account). You can't do this in Mail.app without actually adding the other account as an entirely separate account. But then you end up with multiple notifications and the difficulty of managing multiple email inboxes.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how a native Gmail app works in iOS. Bring it! :-)

Rating: 4 Votes

bpaluzzi

44 months ago

why is this needed? the mail app is fine

Go into mail.app and set it up so that:
1 - you receive push notifications
2 - when you delete a message, it's really deleted
3 - you can assign multiple labels to a message
4 - you can mark something as spam

You can't do 3 or 4 at all, and you can't do 1 and 2 together.

That's why this is needed (for some people)

Rating: 3 Votes

[ Read All Comments ]