Gmail Audible Notification - you only get the first one?

[erisuser1]

I fooled with the Gmail app a bit yesterday, and came to the conclusion that I only get a single audible notification for multiple e-mails, even when they are spread out over many minutes. Going in to the Gmail app and viewing new e-mails seems to be the only thing which resets things so that a new audible alert occurs. (BTW, the testing was performed by sending e-mail from a PC using a non-Gmail account.)

Anyone else notice this? Clearing notifications in the notification panel doesn't seem to affect things - I was only able to trigger a new audible alert if I went into the app and opened one of the e-mails.

Note that I could observe the same behavior even if the phone wasn't sleeping (e.g. powered by the USB, "never sleep" policy, and with the ddms monitor running).

Seems like this should be reported as a bug - if I am purposefully ignoring my phone for whatever reason, there's no way I can tell the difference between one arriving e-mail ... or twenty.


Separately, I tried to answer the question, "does Gmail push?", but couldn't come to a definitive conclusion - the behavior doesn't seem to be "simple". With only WiFi turned on (even with a "never sleep" WiFi policy), I could observe rather long delays (> 20 min) between sending of e-mail and receipt of email on the handset. (I could do this without touching the handset by passively sniffing WiFi packets "off the air").

The handset does initiate a long-lived TCP connections to Google's servers, and if new mail comes in within five or ten minutes, it is apparent that it is the Google side of thing that starts talking on the idle (virtual) circuit. So, that's a kind of "push"; OTOH, it also looks like the Google servers will time out that virtual circuit (sends TCP reset) after 15-20 minutes.

I don't have a way to trace things with WiFi turned off and Mobile Network on - the first thing event that seems to show up (with each new e-mail) in the ddms monitor is activity tagged with "GTalkService". This seems to happen more repeatedly - I only saw delays of 90 seconds or so when using the Mobile Network exclusively.


eu1

 

[erisuser1]

Sort of lame, answering my own post...

But it does seem that I'm certainly not the first one to notice this. (Android Developer Bug Tracker)

eu1

 

[whitenack]

I have this issue too, but mine is not solely for GMail. Looks like once I get the first notification, I do not get a new notification for anything (mail, text, etc.)

Is there a solution?

 

[mistaj33]

I agree that this is a bug.

Solution for Gmail: download "Gmail Notifer" from the market. It's very configurable and by default gives new notifications for ALL new gmail messages. It also allows for repeating alerts. I've used this app for months and it just works. It's a set-it-and-forget-it type of app which doesn't run in the background either:

Gmail Notifier v1.4 Application for Android | Communication

Whitenack, if you want repeating alerts for missed calls and SMS/MMS, check out an app called "Missed Call":

Missed Call for Android 2.x v0.9.1 Application for Android | Tools

And, although I've never used it, I believe "K-9 Mail" supports repeating alerts for e-mail. Personally, I just link my POP accounts to my gmail and don't even use the stock mail app anymore:

K-9 Mail v2.803 Application for Android | Communication

Repeating alerts are very important to me. It's amazing to me that almost no smart phones have them built into the stock OS (iPhone included).

 

[bronc]

that's funny. I always thought this was a feature. I always hated that my old wm phone made the noise for every email I got. It was like I GET IT, i got email and haven't checked it yet. Chill out....... But this phone just tells me once, and I don't have to worry about being bothered by the email notification again until i check it. So much less frustrating when my phone's ringer is turned all the way up at night.

To each his own I suppose.

 

[Haxcid]

I have the same issue and it does it with sms messages for me as well. I get one notice and thats it. If it were not for the fancy flashing ball I would miss most of my messages and emails.

 

[mistaj33]

I have the same issue and it does it with sms messages for me as well. I get one notice and thats it. If it were not for the fancy flashing ball I would miss most of my messages and emails.

If you use the app "Handcent" for SMS/MMS, you can set up repeating alerts. It's a very customizable app. Just be sure to disable notifications in the stock messaging app so you don't get double alerts.

Handcent SMS v3.1 Application for Android | Communication

 

[mistaj33]

that's funny. I always thought this was a feature. I always hated that my old wm phone made the noise for every email I got. It was like I GET IT, i got email and haven't checked it yet. Chill out....... But this phone just tells me once, and I don't have to worry about being bothered by the email notification again until i check it. So much less frustrating when my phone's ringer is turned all the way up at night.

To each his own I suppose.

Yea, if you read through the link eu1 referred to months back, you'll see differing opinions on the whole issue. Some say it's a feature by design, whereas others think it's a design flaw. I personally just think it should be a simple option that we could turn on/off. At least now we have some good 3rd party apps that can accomplish that for us though.

 

[jumperwire]

If you use the app "Handcent" for SMS/MMS, you can set up repeating alerts. It's a very customizable app. Just be sure to disable notifications in the stock messaging app so you don't get double alerts.

Handcent SMS v3.1 Application for Android | Communication

So that is the cure. Duh? I got rid of Handcent, because I was tired of the double notifications. I guess I will have to get it again.

 

[mistaj33]

So that is the cure. Duh? I got rid of Handcent, because I was tired of the double notifications. I guess I will have to get it again.

Yea, just go into the stock messaging app and go to "menu" ---> "settings" and uncheck "Received Notification".

 

[whitenack]

Guys, the OP (and myself) weren't asking about repeating notifications (ie multiple notifications for a single emal), we were talking about new notifications for new emails after a notification has been made but not yet cleared. In other words, you get an email at 1:00, and get a notification alert for it. However, you leave the device alone and don't clear the notification. Then, at 1:15, you get a new email, but you don't get new notification.

For me, this got fixed by turning the phone off and on. Haven't had any problems since.

 

[mistaj33]

Guys, the OP (and myself) weren't asking about repeating notifications (ie multiple notifications for a single emal), we were talking about new notifications for new emails after a notification has been made but not yet cleared. In other words, you get an email at 1:00, and get a notification alert for it. However, you leave the device alone and don't clear the notification. Then, at 1:15, you get a new email, but you don't get new notification.

For me, this got fixed by turning the phone off and on. Haven't had any problems since.

This is the exact feature that "Gmail Notifier" addresses. It notifies you of ALL new gmail messages, without clearing notifications. I don't know how a reboot solved your problem. Unless maybe this is something they fixed in 2.1?

I made mention of repeating alerts simply because the program offers it. Plus, I figured some people reading this thread might also want that option.

 

[whitenack]

This is the exact feature that "Gmail Notifier" addresses. It notifies you of ALL new gmail messages, without clearing notifications. I don't know how a reboot solved your problem. Unless maybe this is something they fixed in 2.1?

I'm not sure, but it fixed it. I was having other trouble as well at that time (no bars, etc.) and that was the first day AT&T activated my account, so it all may have been related to what AT&T was doing to activate my account and a reboot got it all fixed.

However, I can confirm, without a doubt, I get new notifications for new emails, even if I haven't cleared the notification bar or checked my email on any of the other devices.

Speaking of which, could that be the reason people aren't receiving the notifications they think they should? Could it be that they are checking their email on other devices (either manually or automatically) before their phone has a chance to initiate the notification?

 

[doogald]

I fooled with the Gmail app a bit yesterday, and came to the conclusion that I only get a single audible notification for multiple e-mails, even when they are spread out over many minutes. Going in to the Gmail app and viewing new e-mails seems to be the only thing which resets things so that a new audible alert occurs. (BTW, the testing was performed by sending e-mail from a PC using a non-Gmail account.)

Anyone else notice this? Clearing notifications in the notification panel doesn't seem to affect things - I was only able to trigger a new audible alert if I went into the app and opened one of the e-mails.

I have noticed that I receive only a single notification for new emails, even if more start coming in. However, simply entering gmail will clear the notification and new emails arriving will restart the notification (as well as sounding the ringtone.)

I actually do this often - some mails can wait until I am at my laptop, so they remain unopened, so I'll often go into gmail and then back home without touching an actual unread message.

I'm fine with this behavior. The last thing that I want when I am at dinner with my family is for the ringtone to go off several times while we are eating. Etc. I just need to know that there is unread mail, not a ringtone with every message received.

 

[mgreen24]

If you are rooted, get yourself a Froyo rom. GMail on Froyo has a checkbox on whether you want to be notified once for email or for every new message.

 

[whitenack]

I'm not sure, but it fixed it. I was having other trouble as well at that time (no bars, etc.) and that was the first day AT&T activated my account, so it all may have been related to what AT&T was doing to activate my account and a reboot got it all fixed.

However, I can confirm, without a doubt, I get new notifications for new emails, even if I haven't cleared the notification bar or checked my email on any of the other devices.

Speaking of which, could that be the reason people aren't receiving the notifications they think they should? Could it be that they are checking their email on other devices (either manually or automatically) before their phone has a chance to initiate the notification?

Actually, I must not correct my position here. As it turns out, I DO NOT get notifications for new emails unless I clear the notification bar each time. This is also true for Google Voice messages.

The stock HTC email app gives you a notification for every new email, regardless of whether you have cleared the not. bar. I like this.

 

[mistaj33]

Actually, I must not correct my position here. As it turns out, I DO NOT get notifications for new emails unless I clear the notification bar each time. This is also true for Google Voice messages.

The stock HTC email app gives you a notification for every new email, regardless of whether you have cleared the not. bar. I like this.

Again, not to beat a dead horse, but "Gmail Notifier" will solve this problem for you. You don't have to use "repeating alerts" at all. They're not "on" by default. The program just notifies you of all new messages regardless of clearing the notification or not.

I have heard that this is addressed in Froyo like mgreen24 said. I'm just waiting for those ROMs to be more stable before using them. Looks like they're getting real close though.

 

[whitenack]

Again, not to beat a dead horse, but "Gmail Notifier" will solve this problem for you. You don't have to use "repeating alerts" at all. They're not "on" by default. The program just notifies you of all new messages regardless of clearing the notification or not.

I have heard that this is addressed in Froyo like mgreen24 said. I'm just waiting for those ROMs to be more stable before using them. Looks like they're getting real close though.

Thanks. I'll have to check this out. So, it isn't an email app replacement, it just takes care of the notifications, right? Does it work for Google Voice notifications too?

 

[mistaj33]

Thanks. I'll have to check this out. So, it isn't an email app replacement, it just takes care of the notifications, right? Does it work for Google Voice notifications too?

Exactly. You only need to run it once to set up the notifications the way you want them. Once that's done, it doesn't even run in the background. So you just continue using the Gmail app the way you're used to. But, now you'll get notifications for all new messages, not just the first one.

Unfortunately, it only works for the Gmail app. It doesn't support google voice. So, you should probably set up your google voice account to email you with all new notifications. That way you can basically get your incoming google voice SMS/MMS and VM pushed to you. I set mine up this way and don't even use the google voice app on the phone.