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kat.hayes

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Oct 10, 2011
1,447
52
i just realized that there is no push option for gmail in settings. The best option seems to be to fetch every 15 minutes. Is there a way to enable push?

Thanks.
 

Armen

macrumors 604
Apr 30, 2013
7,408
2,274
Los Angeles
i just realized that there is no push option for gmail in settings. The best option seems to be to fetch every 15 minutes. Is there a way to enable push?

Thanks.

Google decided not to allow Push anymore a few years ago. I'm surprised you didn't know about it until now.
 

gordon1234

macrumors 6502a
Jun 23, 2010
581
193
There is no standardized push protocol suitable for mobile devices. Several years ago, Google used to support Exchange ActiveSync, which is a proprietary Microsoft protocol that requires paying for a license. They have since discontinued this support unless you have a paid Google Apps account. iCloud Mail uses a proprietary Apple protocol, and can get around this. Gmail on Android takes a similar approach (and the Gmail app on iOS just uses push notifications.)
 
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liteshow

macrumors regular
Sep 20, 2012
239
21
gordon1234 explained it exactly correct! Also, you may not have noticed the push support being dropped years ago if you were still using a device that was setup with gmail push support before the dropped date. Gmail was nice enough to continue the support on older devices. However, once you got a new device, then the gmail push support was no longer supported, unless you got a paid gmail account.

There are other great mail apps out there that support push for gmail. I am using the gmail app and it works great. It is one of the few apps that support a true conversation view (includes emails from sender in conversation.


i just realized that there is no push option for gmail in settings. The best option seems to be to fetch every 15 minutes. Is there a way to enable push?

Thanks.

There is no standardized push protocol suitable for mobile devices. Several years ago, Google used to support Exchange ActiveSync, which is a proprietary Microsoft protocol that requires paying for a license. They have since discontinued this support unless you have a paid Google Apps account. iCloud Mail uses a proprietary Apple protocol, and can get around this. Gmail on Android takes a similar approach (and the Gmail app on iOS just uses push notifications.)
 

campyguy

macrumors 68040
Mar 21, 2014
3,413
957
There's so much FUD out there about "push" and Gmail. Short version, if you want push notifications you'll need to pony up some coin for a paid account. For the same $$$ as Google Apps I went with Office 365 - I'd rather use ActiveSync over "Google Sync" any day.

Google never, ever "used" ActiveSync - they licensed then adapted parts of it to their own business model. ActiveSync and Google Sync do not push content - they push notifications, similarly to Apple's implementation of XMPP-based notifications system. I was a Google Apps (the paid version) user for 7 years - Office 365 can be found for less coin or other discounts than Google's offerings, so I switched platforms.

Read up: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997252(v=exchg.150).aspx
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998357(v=exchg.150).aspx

I run a small company, and I need to keep up on this stuff.
 

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,392
19,461
There's so much FUD out there about "push" and Gmail. Short version, if you want push notifications you'll need to pony up some coin for a paid account. For the same $$$ as Google Apps I went with Office 365 - I'd rather use ActiveSync over "Google Sync" any day.

Google never, ever "used" ActiveSync - they licensed then adapted parts of it to their own business model. ActiveSync and Google Sync do not push content - they push notifications, similarly to Apple's implementation of XMPP-based notifications system. I was a Google Apps (the paid version) user for 7 years - Office 365 can be found for less coin or other discounts than Google's offerings, so I switched platforms.

Read up: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997252(v=exchg.150).aspx
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998357(v=exchg.150).aspx

I run a small company, and I need to keep up on this stuff.
The other alternative is to use some mail app (like Outlook or CloudMagic) that can do the monitoring and provide push notifications through their servers.
 

scotty588

macrumors 6502
Jan 2, 2007
470
61
Los Angeles, CA
I've used www.nuevasync.com since this happened for push. There are times when mail doesn't come through right away but it's pretty rare. Not bad for $30 a year.
Nuevasync user here also. It sometimes has it's hiccups. I've had weird bugs where it re-downloads my whole inbox. Like you said notifications aren't always instant, but usually within a few minutes. I just paid for another year since the majority of the time it works fine.

It's worth noting that if you pay for Google Apps to try to get push support back it only works if you have a custom domain. That means it won't work with your @gmail address.

The other option is to download the Gmail iOS app, enable push notifications for new email, then when you get a notification for new mail just open the mail.app instead of the gmail app. Not as convienient since tapping the notification will open the Gmail app, but that's the trade off.

As others have said, there's some 3rd party mail apps that support Gmail and will send push notifications on new email. I would rather use the native mail.app though since it integrates better.

From what I can see, the cheapest Office 365 plan is $5 / month per user. That's $60 / year. Don't think that's really worth it for me.
 

perkedel

macrumors 6502a
Dec 30, 2014
534
203
California
i just realized that there is no push option for gmail in settings. The best option seems to be to fetch every 15 minutes. Is there a way to enable push?

Thanks.

Google Apps for Work (Edu/Gov/Ent) does allow push by way of Exchange in the built in mail. I know it does, I use it at work.
Does the Gmail app not work for you?
 

haxrnick

macrumors 6502a
Aug 4, 2011
536
2,004
Seattle
why that when theres multiple free email apps & decently cheap ones that have push for all email accounts.?
I just prefer using mail.app as my mail app. I try going to Outlook for unified inbox but keep coming back to mail.app. Just personal preference really. I have 2 gmails and 1 exchange for work and I don't mind shelling out $60 a year for something that works 98% of the time.
 

sziehr

macrumors 6502a
Jun 11, 2009
777
957
where do i pony
There's so much FUD out there about "push" and Gmail. Short version, if you want push notifications you'll need to pony up some coin for a paid account. For the same $$$ as Google Apps I went with Office 365 - I'd rather use ActiveSync over "Google Sync" any day.

Google never, ever "used" ActiveSync - they licensed then adapted parts of it to their own business model. ActiveSync and Google Sync do not push content - they push notifications, similarly to Apple's implementation of XMPP-based notifications system. I was a Google Apps (the paid version) user for 7 years - Office 365 can be found for less coin or other discounts than Google's offerings, so I switched platforms.

Read up: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997252(v=exchg.150).aspx
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998357(v=exchg.150).aspx

I run a small company, and I need to keep up on this stuff.

so where do i pony up. I have for a long time looked for this pony up place. I have no place to give them my 5 bucks a month and keep @gmail.com
 

liteshow

macrumors regular
Sep 20, 2012
239
21
For me I can't seem to find a better app than the gmail app. It has push email, full conversational view (built-in mail app and some others only have partial view), contact's pics in compose and conversation view (not only a pretty feature but less chance to send email to wrong person), and fastest search function compared to other email apps. 3 years ago I was hesitant to touch it. Now it's my goto app for gmail. They have since improved big-time on the app.

I just don't like not being able to change the notification sound and vibration. To solve that, I forward all incoming emails to my icloud account using built-in mail app, while keeping a copy in gmail. Then I turn off gmail app notification sounds, and turn on icloud email sounds. So when new email comes in, icloud email on mail app will give me customized notification sound and vibration, but I open up gmail app to view new messages. :)


I just prefer using mail.app as my mail app. I try going to Outlook for unified inbox but keep coming back to mail.app. Just personal preference really. I have 2 gmails and 1 exchange for work and I don't mind shelling out $60 a year for something that works 98% of the time.
 

gordon1234

macrumors 6502a
Jun 23, 2010
581
193
where do i pony


so where do i pony up. I have for a long time looked for this pony up place. I have no place to give them my 5 bucks a month and keep @gmail.com
You can't keep a gmail.com address if you want Push. You would need to purchase a domain and set up an address at that domain with Google Apps.
 

scotty588

macrumors 6502
Jan 2, 2007
470
61
Los Angeles, CA
I just prefer using mail.app as my mail app. I try going to Outlook for unified inbox but keep coming back to mail.app. Just personal preference really. I have 2 gmails and 1 exchange for work and I don't mind shelling out $60 a year for something that works 98% of the time.
Same here. I always liked mail.app and native apps just seem to fit better with iOS. Sharing pictures etc
 

campyguy

macrumors 68040
Mar 21, 2014
3,413
957
so where do i pony up. I have for a long time looked for this pony up place. I have no place to give them my 5 bucks a month and keep @gmail.com
Google Apps for Work - https://www.google.com/work/apps/business/pricing.html - you can keep your Gmail email address. Two of my friends use it, and love it.

One "thing" that people I've talked with and threads that I've read here is that they're missing the whole meaning of "push" notifications and the resulting "synching" that goes with it. The push notification will let you know about the event, and then you'd open your application to sync via fetch the actual content you're looking for (email, calendaring, etc.) - the part that gets "missed" is that the server will timeout or reject credentials if that sync-via-fetch occurs too often (generally less than 15 minutes) and that paying more for "push notifications" won't change that potential for timeouts or rejected credentials. I'm not an IT guy - I'm a civil engineer who runs a small company, and I found all of this out by reading the TOS. I moved an Exchange Server to a co-located facility so now I don't have to worry about all of my guys hammering on a cloud service that will boot some of them out.

Paying more for "push" won't get your better or priority service regarding push notifications. The use of Outlook or Cloudmagic only masks what's really going on in the background - their servers are polling another server. Given that, if you have another app or iOS device or desktop client polling in addition to the Outlook/Cloudmagic/NuevaSync polling (and subsequent fetching of the messages) - you'll get timeouts and/or rejected credentials because the Gmail account you have is getting polled more often than they request (see that link in my earlier post - the Business accounts have the same restrictions).

FWIW, I switched my own Google Apps to Office 365, and I pay about the same amount per month and the service is IMHO better; I buy discounted iTS cards and pay for my O365 account via an IAP. The Google Apps Business service still uses Google Sync - not Exchange ActiveSync, and I prefer EAS.
 

jayf

macrumors member
Oct 5, 2014
80
12
I don't see the big deal with needing push. Set the device to check every 15 minutes. Worst case is you are 15 minutes away from your next notification. I've been using email since it was invented and I've never had an email so profound that it couldn't wait 15 minutes.
 

gordon1234

macrumors 6502a
Jun 23, 2010
581
193
I don't see the big deal with needing push. Set the device to check every 15 minutes. Worst case is you are 15 minutes away from your next notification. I've been using email since it was invented and I've never had an email so profound that it couldn't wait 15 minutes.
Different strokes. I often get emails where not responding immediately would have consequences. I wish I didn't, but such is life.
 

gordon1234

macrumors 6502a
Jun 23, 2010
581
193
Google Apps for Work - https://www.google.com/work/apps/business/pricing.html - you can keep your Gmail email address. Two of my friends use it, and love it.

They do? I've been a Google Apps for Work user for years and have never heard of this. I see nothing to this effect anywhere in the Google Apps documentation either. Creating a user in the Google Apps console requires assigning a "username@mydomain.com" address. There's no way I've ever heard of to say "make this gmail address a user". Where are you seeing this functionality?
 

campyguy

macrumors 68040
Mar 21, 2014
3,413
957
They do? I've been a Google Apps for Work user for years and have never heard of this. I see nothing to this effect anywhere in the Google Apps documentation either. Creating a user in the Google Apps console requires assigning a "username@mydomain.com" address. There's no way I've ever heard of to say "make this gmail address a user". Where are you seeing this functionality?
All I know is what I wrote - two of my friends use their service and use a gmail domain. As to rooting around in Google's documentation, I have no need for it and I've got a payroll to meet; I'm only here between calls with clients today. I'll ask one of my friends - he's also my business partner - to find out what "box" he checked.
 

gordon1234

macrumors 6502a
Jun 23, 2010
581
193
All I know is what I wrote - two of my friends use their service and use a gmail domain. As to rooting around in Google's documentation, I have no need for it and I've got a payroll to meet; I'm only here between calls with clients today. I'll ask one of my friends - he's also my business partner - to find out what "box" he checked.
Please do. I'm very curious.

I can think of some kind of hacky ways you could make this work. Set up a gmail address to automatically forward all received mail to a Google Apps domain address, then configure the gmail address as a reply-to address for your domain account (actually, I already have my old gmail account from before Google Apps set up to do this). Of course, you could do that exact setup with any secondary email account - not just @gmail.com accounts.
 
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