Enhanced Gmail Plug-in for BlackBerry now in beta testing
By Nilay Patel 
posted July 6th 2009 2:42PM
posted July 6th 2009 2:42PM
[Via BerryReview]
posted July 6th 2009 2:42PM
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Works great using POP. You just have to set up a filter to prevent sent messages being sent back to you.
Then you get near enough push e-mail, and you can sync your contacts/calendars using Google Sync (which is automatic).
I don't see how it is a 'painful' experience or maybe I'm using it wrong.
Agreed. I do the same and its easy and fast.
pop3? so i have to go opening the same email in multiple locations?
even with RIM's imap and gmail.. i end up not having email properly synced like imap should be doing
IMAP lets you keep your read/unread counts and folders in sync across multiple devices, even when used simultaneously.
If I recall correctly, POP downloads new copies of each message and you lose this synchronization entirely. i.e. If you read a message on your phone, you'll end up reading it again when you use your home computer. IMAP doesn't have this issue.
I chose a BlackBerry over the iPhone *because* of its push-Gmail support, not in spite of it, and I couldn't be happier. My email situation has never been better.
"sack it up"?
hehe.. whuh?
Never had a problem with gmail on my BB.
RIM fixed the Gmail IMAP issue several months ago.
I've got a brand-new Curve 8900 right here and ain't nothing about the IMAP support "fixed." What do you mean specifically?
I exclusively use IMAP with my BlackBerry Bold. I really have no clue what Engadget is talking about; it works really well! I have push email that never takes more than a few seconds to get to me, I can delete items in my mailbox and can even mark items as read.
This was something RIM worked on months ago but even then it worked really well before; it just didn't sync read statuses.
Nilay, what problem(s) are you having? I have 5 gmail accounts setup with my Bold (4 Google App Gmail and 1 Gmail) and they work incredibly well (I'll never go back to my iPhone I love it so much).
The two bigs are that read states don't sync down from desktop to handheld and there's no folder / label support so my filters are useless and everything gets dumped into the inbox. Combined this means it's useless -- it might be workable if you get less email than I do, but it's certainly not ideal.
Um, Nilay, Engadget reported several months ago that the read status was fixed. Do you read your own blog? Delete and re-add your account to BIS.
As for the labels... well, you can adjust your filters pretty easily in BIS but if you want them separated then you'll have to wait.
While I have about 40 folders at work for my exchange account; I'd rather my mobile email dumped into one easy to use view.
I don't see where we reported on this being fixed, because dude, it's not -- I just checked again and it doesn't work. IMAP and BlackBerry OS don't play nice. It's a problem.
Nilay, why are you regurgitating the same thing over and over again?
I told you it works fine for me so I asked what problem(s) you're having. My read indicators sync just fine after RIM's recent update (which you reported on; just dig a little). I receive email from all my folders (I wish I had folders / labels but it's kind of nice having everything dumped together as well).
So, what problems remain with RIM's IMAP implementation?
Kris, if you're so sure we reported on it then drop a link and I'll stand corrected -- I sure couldn%u2019t find anything. While you're doing that, try marking a message read on your desktop and then checking to see if the read indicator updates on your BlackBerry. Here's a hint: it won't.
"While you're doing that, try marking a message read on your desktop and then checking to see if the read indicator updates on your BlackBerry. Here's a hint: it won't."
I can confirm this. It's very annoying to me.
Try marking a new message as read in your browser and good luck waiting for the read status to sync with your handheld. Translation: Nilay is right, and Kris and everybody else who says sync has been fixed is wrong.
In many ways, it's worse even than that, because the lack of labels combined with the fact if you delete on the handheld, the mail is archived on Gmail means that I need to leave heaps of crap sitting in my Blackberry inbox because if I delete, it'll get archived on Gmail without appropriate labels.
Now, my Blackberry works for me primarily because of the form factor - the 8900 is perfect for me because I have to do a lot of writing, and do a lot of one handed messaging. But if I got more email than I currently do, it would quickly become unmanageable. As is, it's a bit of a hunt if I leave something to reply to for a few days, and I'd be in heaven if I could start drafting something on my BB and continue on my desktop or vice versa. (OK, so you can do that with the Gmail app, but why should you have to?)
+1 to everything above, except for sent emails getting doubled up in my BB inbox, gmail is working fine. No stars or labels, but it's not exactly a disaster.
@Jarek - that problem is fixed as well. Although I believe you need to delete your GMAIL account on BIS and set it up again.
GMail works great on my Storm, typically see the mail on my BB before I see it in my browser. Even works on my GMail client I use for my GoDaddy domain as well.
DO NOT WANT
I use the gmail app on my bold because my gmail address is for personal use and use the messaging for work/business. The gmail app is fine, as it allows for searching, tags, and stars, but the thing that kills me is that I can't copy/paste from messages within this app! C/P works everywhere else on my BBerry, so why doesn't it work for this app? Maybe this plug-in will finally allow this feature.
Agreed!
''m a psychic and i'll prove it!
question to Paul: Hmm and what is a real phone...?
Paul response: "The iphone"
I'm^
Sorry Paul, I just need my cell to make phone calls and do e-mail. I'll keep the International Edition BB, you keep the fart apps.
Paul -
Having no life and posting ignorant comments really ruins any credibility you could have had.
I just hope the new app will show html e-mails!
Unless I'm stupid, gmail on my 8830 simply won't display html e-mails...
Update to the newest OS and re-send service books.
@NORM
What version of the OS is your 8830 running? HTML email support was introduced in OS V 4.5 and should be available for the 8830. It's not perfect but it's loads better than the hyperlinks of previous versions. Try looking on RIM's Blackberry site - http://na.blackberry.com/eng/services/devices/
I have the latest Sprint 4.5 on my Sprint 8830, and I constantly wipe & reload with javaloader/apploader to test new apps and settings. Maybe I need to delete/recreate my BES account?
How about a decent client for WINDOWS MOBILE?!
This plugin is made by RIM.
Do you really think RIM should be making a client for google's webmail system for microsoft smartphones?
I don't think that is a fair criticism.
@Cliff
Clearly that was a general "I want a good GMail support for WM" statement and not a "Why doesn't RIM make a GMail app for WM".
Obvious? I think so.
The main question for me:
Will it synchronize read status?? That's the biggest pain for me, although search would be nice.
Gmail and BIS already does this. Delete and re-add your accounts in BIS; they added that months ago.
Is the improvement two way read status sync or only one way?
Kris is half correct...it's only a 1 way sync, from device to web. Any updates you make on the gmail site will NOT reflect on your handheld.
I have a Storm and I use Gmail with BIS. When I get mail and read it on my computer it is still "new" on my phone. If I delete it on my computer it doesn't delete on my phone. My computer catches up to all the actions my phone does but not the other way around. This is annoying.
I would love to be able to archive too!
You can do all that with the Gmail app for BB, which I've been using for months now. The main reason I like it is that it keeps gmail and my Domino inbox separate, which the BB itself for some reason refuses to do. One is work, one is personal, why on Earth would I not even want the option to keep them separate?
But what the current gmail app doesn't do is display HTML (very annoying), allow the adding of labels, or integrate well with the BB alerts (no new mail alert along with BES mail and SMS messages). But you can add/remove stars, archive and delete mail, and it keeps read/unread and deleted messages sync'd automagically.
I've been looking forward to an update for this thing ever since I installed it. Still waiting now. Waiting, waiting, waiting....
+1 Escher
The Gmail app is quite good. I have the same complaints and I wish it were real time, but I really, really, really have no desire to go the RIM route and mix all my emails together. I'll stick with Gmail app which isn't painful at all.
Just because something works ok...doesnt mean it can't be better.
Screw the app, this sounds like the gmail functions will be built in... can't ask for anything more than that.
Am I missing something? A painful experience? My gmail account is synced to my blackberry via BIS and works fine. Emails appear on my blackberry within seconds of hitting the server. Calendar works great too with Google Sync. Engadget, we know you really hate blackberry and everything non-iPhone, but this sort of reporting needs to stop. You are more than welcome to have your biases known but to use your forum to MISINFORM the masses to simply to push a product is really pathetic. Where is your integrity?
Dude, glad to know that you know you're a freak (at least it is part of your handle). First, the product is from RIM itself, so how is this pushing a product? Second, you obviously don't use all of the potential of Gmail on your BB and this is fine. But for those who want to tag/archive, star, mark read/unread, delete, etc. their Gmail (in other words MANAGE their email) from their BB, the current pop-based solution is BROKEN. This is FAR FROM misinformation. Note, capitalization added for emphasis and to show how silly your use of capitalization was.
whilst I welcome any improvement. GMail on my BlackBerry at the moment is just fine.
Syncs perfectly. Read emails as read. Sent in my sent box.
Yeah, I'm not sure i agree with the painful experience bit. Gmail has always worked fine on my blackberry.
But I can't wait to star my favorite emails! that way they will know they are my favorite, and they will be soooooo happy!
IMAP works fine on both my Gmail accounts and my Google Hosted accounts. I run several of each on my BB 8330 with no issues.
What exactly doesn't work in IMAP for you guys?
GAH! IMAP on Blackberry sucks!
It doesn't support folders: I can only get messages from my inbox.
And it doesn't mark the mail as read when it's read on the Blackberry.
Can't wait to switch to Android.
Ahhh, folders. Gotcha.
However, marking emails as read works fine for me using BIS. Works superbly and instantly actually.
Maybe it's a BES thing?