If you’re anything like me, for the past few days you’ve been checking the settings page of your Gmail/Google Apps Gmail account hoping to see an IMAP settings page. Google is slowly rolling out free IMAP access to all Gmail accounts. This is huge. IMAP support has generally been ignored by free email providers for the extra server resources and bandwidth required by IMAP access. The IMAP protocol stores everything on the server so regardless of which device or computer you check your email from, any changes are global.
Ever since I got a Gmail account on June 29th, 2004 (and subsequently my Google Apps Premier account) I have been using the web interface. I am an adamant labels user and with POP3 access, it was not possible to view labels as folders. With IMAP, your labels show up as folders in your mail client of choice. The only drawback of using a mail client instead of the Gmail web interface is you lose the message conversation view (that is, email threads are grouped as one “conversation”).
This is such big news for me that I might even buy an iPhone this weekend to take advantage of it. The Gmail mobile app on the BlackBerry is only so good.
Is IMAP enabled on your Gmail account yet? If you do have IMAP enabled and are having trouble setting it up on your iPhone or Mail.app, Derek Punsalan has a great tutorial.
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I’m getting increaingly narked at the lack of IMAP appearing in my GMail accounts! ha! Shocking really.
In regard to your comment about lack of “conversations”, does the threading option in Mail.app not achieve this? I think it does, at least in my interpretation of the GMail conversations.
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I was all set for the new ‘Berry Curve on T-Mobile to replace my aging (4 years!) Samsung cell phone but now this has added fuel to the iPhone fire.
Looking forward to your thoughts/experiences when (or if) you pick up God’s favorite telephone.
Also, don’t you think Apps Premier users should’ve gotten IMAP first? I’m a paying customer just like you and the GOOG is being prude.
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Paul,
Checking my settings like crazy, nothing here yet. Of course my wife’s account, who couldn’t care less about IMAP, already got it.
Anyway, that’s what was missing for me to go to mail.app. Web will be only my second-option.
best
Leo
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I got it fairly quickly, and I love it over POP. I wish there was an easier way to copy emails on the iPhone, though.
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I’m still waiting for it over here. Can’t wait though as I’ve been really annoyed with Gmail on my iPod Touch. I keep receiving messages I send out and the fact that read messages aren’t marked so on the server means that I have to sift through my email twice.
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I got it! I already have set up my Apple Mail. . . it automatically set up my folders for me. As for your comment about not being able to see conversations. . . simply set up a smart mailbox (mine is called Gmail) and have it contain files containing “gmail.” Then, in the VIEW menu, select “Organize by Thread.” Conversations just like G-mail!
I’ve been checking my settings since Tuesday morning when I first heard the rumor. I’m excited about it so that I can use Thunderbird again. I use the Gmail Java app on my phone, which works extremely well considering my phone is a piece of crap.
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I also have been checking my settings since earlier this week when I first caught wind of this.
I remember signing a petition a long time ago for Gmail to add IMAP support. I guess it finally paid off.
I have never fully utilized my Gmail (just used it as POP3) b/c of the lack of IMAP support. This comes @ a great time b/c my GT IMAP account will close when I graduate this December. Thanks Google!!!
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hey paul,
i do have IMAP enabled in my gmail account. just checked now. i suppose it’s just because i’ve been using gmail(pop3) + outlook since day one. or then again…maybe not…
anyway, i’m looking forward to use it.
and that’s another good reason to get the iPhone as well…
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IMAP was enabled on my account when the announcement came out. Excellent stuff. Pushed it thru Thunderbird, and I can read my mail, most enjoyably now.
Losing conversations? No big deal, thats what the “threaded” view in your email client is meant to do
I kinda like the gmail series 60 client (on my nokia e61i), so haven’t actually used imap on that device
Its not like the entire IMAP thing has no problems associated. You have to ensure you use [gmail]/spam instead of Junk (on thunderbird), and I can’t figure out how to change trash to [gmail/trash], so there’s a new [imap/trash] label on gmail now ;)
Minor quirks, but its good stuff.
http://www.bytebot.net/blog/archives/2007/10/24/google-does-imap-meme
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I managed to get GMail IMAP working flawlessly on my iphone (delete on iphone -> archive folder) in only a few seconds. Perfect.
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Being impatient I decided to try and connect via IMAP, it works despite IMAP not showing in the settings tab. Am I just lucky?
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Well at least Mail.app does have a thread view mode… haven’t been upgraded yet…
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This is great, although on my slow connection down here in Guantanamo Bay it takes forever to load a message when I want to read it. Oh well I love the IMAP support!
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For those that are pointing out Mail.app’s threaded view, anyone else curious is not missing out on too much. The option to thread emails can be found under ‘View’ > ‘Organize by Thread’. The alternative is to add the Threads / No Theads toolbar button (right-click on Mail’s toolbar and select customize).
Advantage of Theads / No Threads – You can enabled or disable the view quickly on entire mailboxes or folders. Disadvantage? It’s not accurate. All that Mail does to create these ‘Threads’ is Subject line matching.
Example: I often receive emails with Subject lines that read "Re:" (because people are too lazy to spend 10 seconds to think of something more descriptive). If you enable Threads, Mail will collect emails based on that subject and throw them all together as one.
You can begin to see why Gmail Conversations are so appealing, and how Mail’s Threads pale in comparison.
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I have not got the IMAP option in my gmail account. But then, My Granpa who registered a email account yesterday, has that option.. Guess google is offering it to new accounts as of now. Gotta wait :(
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Still no IMAP for me. :( It’s the one thing I’ve been waiting for so that I can forward my school email, which has limited storage over to gmail. I’ve tried to use POP before, but it was so inefficient because if I read my emails anywhere else, they’d still be unread in gmail.
Google: HURRY UP!! (please!)
Re: gmail on the Curve. I’ve just been using the web to go to gmail.com and reading my email that way. It’s not too bad in a pinch. I’ll have to try it out on my iPod Touch to see if this will add to the “Pro” side of my iPhone Pro/Con list.
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I think IMAP is a great, but I got a really slow connection, so Gmail IMAP + Mail.app is really sucking for me, really. I had to switch back to Gmail Pop + Mail.app
Jenn, hve you considered using Gmails BlackBerry application?
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@Derek: I’m not sure? I think I may have installed it when I first got my phone, but I try not too have TOO many of my emails go to my phone. The most important account is my school mail. Anything that goes to my gmail can typically be postponed until I can get to a computer. With IMAP though, my opinion might change! I’ll have to test out the app.
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iam in india and i guess they r rolling out IMAP settings in US first and then here .
Iam anxiously waiting though :-)
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This is awsome! I chechekd my account but… anyway I will quit my paying acc on gmx.net. Thanks for info!
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I have a Google Apps Premier Account as well, and IMAP is now enabled, this is really nice! That was probably the only drawback Gmail had compared to other email systems. As for the conversation view, you can enable that in Mail.app as well! (View>Organize by thread). I’m really considering shifting my companies email service fra in-house hosted exchange to Google Apps Premier now!
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Btw. does anybody know if you can get a “mail.app” for the iPhone touch? (Can’t find anything other than Safari on the hp) If not, how good is the “web-interface” for Gmail on the iPod touch??
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Now I really need Apple to put MobileMail.app into the iPod touch (without iJailbreaking it…). Please Steve… PLEASE!!!
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STILL no IMAP in my account. Tried to connect, but the IMAP server barked at me saying that my account wasn’t set up for IMAP yet.
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STILL no IMAP either.
Still not available for me. But I cannot wait. Using POP for GMail absolutely blows.
Here’s hoping I’m in line for it this week.
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It has been released for all accounts now. Rejoice
http://technomatic.wordpress.com/2007/11/01/gmail-goes-imap/
I’ve configured it and its simply great :)
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at last. gmail embraces imap. joy to the consumers.
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Gmail rox compared to Yahoo mail. You have to pay to get POP access. It was a big problem for me because i could not configure it with apple mail. Now i can read my messages EASILY!
So did you begin using a desktop program (i.e. Outlook) to check your email? Or are you still using the web based email?
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@Dustin – I still use the web-based Google Apps Email interface
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