Query regarding gmail accounts on android.

[jo69]

When i bought my asus tablet it gave me 2 options for adding my email account.
The one i chose was the gmail app one.
What would have happened if i chose the other ( click account and choose from yahoo gmail etc) and which is the best?
Thanks.

 

[RazzMaTazz]

There are many, many options for other types of email accounts, like Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, Live.com, Outlook.com, AOL mail, your ISP's email service, your company's email service, your domain registrar's email service, etc.

All Android devices need to have a Gmail account in order to use the Google Play store, etc. But you don't actually have to use it for email, etc. As far as the actual email service(s) that you use, that's totally up to you. They each have pros and cons. I use both Gmail and Hotmail on my devices for mail, but I don't use Gmail for my contacts because of Google's privacy policy.

Gmail (and all IMAP-protocol-based mail services) allow you to sync mail across multiple devices. POP-protocol-based mail services do not synchronize across multiple devices, so I would stay away from such (antiquated) POP services. With Gmail (and some other IMAP mail services) you can also sync your calendar and contacts. The Microsoft-based email services (Hotmail, Live.com, Outlook.com, MSN.com, Exchange Servers) use a MAPI-protocol which also enables you to sync mail, calendar, and contacts across all devices, and it integrates with the popular (email/calendar/contacts) PIM program for PCs & Macs known as Outlook.

FYI: Google has said that it uses your contact information and the information contained in your emails to target you and your contacts with ads. Microsoft has said that they won't do that.

 

[zuben el genub]

With IMAP, check the settings in the email app you do choose. I use Thunderbird on the PC, and it has the option to delete mail from server when deleted from Thunderbird. Set it up your way whichever mail app you use.

 

[jo69]

Thanks. Couldnt reply before as couldnt get into site.
So i can use either email options then for gmail? The gmail app and the email accounts one?

 

[tommo47]

Thanks. Couldnt reply before as couldnt get into site.
So i can use either email options then for gmail? The gmail app and the email accounts one?

You can, in fact I have my gmail accounts set up in both. Primarily because of the difference in the way they handle composing new mail. I have a number of groups set up in my contacts and unless I've missed something, gmail doesn't allow me to select a group as recipient whereas my stock mail app does.

 

[jo69]

Doesn't that get confusing though?
I was thinking of doing that on My Asus Memo

 

[tommo47]

No, I find it easy to manage. The gmail app will receive mail pushed to the device and I deal with it by either deleting or archiving (I like to keep my inbox empty). The HTC stock mail app has a range of sync settings from manual to autosync from every 5 minutes to every 4 hours so it can be set to not pick up mail at all if necessary. I have it set to 30 minutes and even if it syncs before I've responded to the gmail app it's only a few seconds to deal with it.

As I said in my previous post it gives me extra send options and works very well.

 

[jo69]

Thanks Always handy to know Had thought I only had the option of using one.