Is Gmail really only for Gmail accounts?

[gamul1]

With the new Gmail app available, I thought i would take a look at it as a possible replacement to the stock email app.

In my stock email app - I have 4 Accounts I check mail on:
- @yahoo.com
- Exchange (work)
- @verizon
- @gmail.com

But it seems that when I go to add accounts - I can only add other Gmail accounts. Whats the point or usefulness of this app then? If I only had Gmail accounts I suppose I would be happy - but how many people only have Gmail accounts?

-G

 

[sitlet]

Umm, the Gmail app is just for Gmail, hence the name: Gmail. For other email accounts you use the Mail app.

but how many people only have Gmail accounts?

i only have a Gmail.

 

[Member252407]

GMAIL is for GMAIL heh. I wouldn't write an app for competitors either.

 

[gamul1]

I understand the naming. and I can understand from Googles perspective why keep it only for Gmail. What I don't get is why most people would use it as most people I know either have other outside accounts, or don't even have gmail accounts. I guess I dumbly thought it may actually be useful for other accounts.

Whatever - just makes no sense ot me. Hence - won't bother with it.

 

[snowsurfer]

Remember that you can use a gmail account with your own domain name.....just in case that might be useful for you.

 

[gallandof]

usa gmail app to sync your gmail account for contacts apps calender etc... use the mail app for other email adresses email. im not getting the issue here? android is a Google based OS and as such is going to have high priority to its google based apps, Gmail maps etc... I personally only use gmail. work email and personal

 

[najaboy]

Just forward your other mail to your gmail account... problem solved.

 

[YMark]

Whatever - just makes no sense ot me. Hence - won't bother with it.

I agree with you. Gmail (Google) has a ton of potential, but their arrogance gets in the way of good decision making. Gmail can sit on the porch until it wants to run with the big dogs.

 

[Prim8]

You can also create a gmail account and forward your other emails to it. They have great spam blocking.

 

[Dragoro]

I agree with you. Gmail (Google) has a ton of potential, but their arrogance gets in the way of good decision making. Gmail can sit on the porch until it wants to run with the big dogs.

Gmail blows most other email services away. Gmail is the Big Dog.

 

[dalesponyrider]

I struggled with this too but then got my other accounts to forward my mail to my googlemail account. I find it works well.

 

[slugpace]

In your gmail account go to settings, click the tab "accounts and import"

from there, at the top is "Import mail and contacts" where you can "Import from Yahoo!, Hotmail, AOL or other webmail or POP3 accounts"

this takes a bit of setting up but once you have done it all your email will appear in your gmail inbox. You can give each account its own label too.

 

[gamul1]

I struggled with this too but then got my other accounts to forward my mail to my googlemail account. I find it works well.

I know this can be done - but I have no desire to do this, or use a app that forces integrated inbox.

I have 4 email accounts for very specific purposes. Mixes those emails together in a single inbox would wreck havoc and confusion in my mind. I never understood why people like and want intergrated inboxes, but respect everyones ability to read their email whatever way pleases them.

This is why I like the iPhones stock email App. All the accounts I want - and the email home page is a clean view of all my accounts with the number of any unread emails shown.

 

[Steve_S_T]

I'm with you there gamul1, I'm not a lover of the integrated inbox either. However, I'm tolerating it at the moment because GMail enables me to receive the headers only of large messages from my work POP3 account, an option not yet available in my preferred (non GMail) e-mail client K-9, and saves me a lot of unnecessary data downloading.

Steve.

 

[Jethro10]

I know this can be done - but I have no desire to do this, or use a app that forces integrated inbox.

I have 4 email accounts for very specific purposes. Mixes those emails together in a single inbox would wreck havoc and confusion in my mind. I never understood why people like and want intergrated inboxes, but respect everyones ability to read their email whatever way pleases them.

This is why I like the iPhones stock email App. All the accounts I want - and the email home page is a clean view of all my accounts with the number of any unread emails shown.

so why buy a phone that's inextricably linked to Google? Guess a bit of pre-purchase research would have been in order :-(
anyhow, there are several other pop/imap/exchange email clients available if you wish, touchdown, K9, MailDroid, Seven, the built in mail, not gmail, but mail account can also be used if you wish. Use one for each account!

don't get why you would want 4 mail accounts, it's like 4 house addresses, or 4 phone numbers!! I get confused enough as it is.....
To me, mail is mail. It comes into my phone when I want, I reply when I want. end of really......

Jeff

 

[syrne]

Don't know how you would get confused as anything being forwarded from your yahoo account could be labeled as yahoo, from Verizon labeled as Verizon etc.

 

[mrmojoz]

I know this can be done - but I have no desire to do this, or use a app that forces integrated inbox.

So you can easily solve the issue, yet you refuse. Then you praise the iPhone. Sounds about right.

 

[gamul1]

so why buy a phone that's inextricably linked to Google?
Jeff

I Love Google the company. I love Google Email. I just don't love Google's email app.

Other than email and the facebook App - life on my Android phone is superior to life on a iPhone. These are not drop dead functions for me. The Stock app for mail is acceptable. The stock app for facebook is not acceptable but facebook itself is not a drop dead issue for me.

don't get why you would want 4 mail accounts, it's like 4 house addresses, or 4 phone numbers!! I get confused enough as it is.....
To me, mail is mail. It comes into my phone when I want, I reply when I want. end of really......

Jeff

I have my work email. And I don't always want to see my work email. Sometime I want ot ignore it. Which an intergrated inbox would make challenging.

I have my home email. The one I give to close friends and family. I don't get much spam on this because i don't give it to many people.

I have my personal business email account. This is the one I use to give to web companies when placing orders or something where providing a valid email address is really required.

I have my general spam account. This is one I generally give to places that make me give them an address but I generally don't give a hoot about them. I only check this superficially because on the rare occasion, I actually do get something I am interested in. But mainly - about once a week I go in here and do a select all and delete after briefly scanning the senders/subject line.

 

[Dmtalon]

gmail on the web can check multiple accounts.

gmail filters can seperate them into different labels based on where they come from.

If you really want to use the gmail APP, then that would be the way to go, set up your accounts online, and filter the incoming mail accordingly.

You can then go into settings (on the phone) and sync the specific labels you want, but as has been mentioned here already, the gmail is for gmail, much like the facebook app doesn't connect to myspace.

 

[fangorious]

The gmail app isn't an imap/pop app like Email and K9. It The GMail backend isn't your standard email server running sendmail/cyrus/postfix/etc. The reason the gmail app only connects to gmail is it's a different protocol for a different server.

 

[dbpaddler]

yeah, but this is Google based, not some 3rd party app. And to be a true, complete smartphone OS, all emails should get equal, full featured treatment, plain and simple. It gets old after awhile seeing how PalmOS and WinMob were better "smartphone" OS's while android is a phenomenal "feature phone" OS but just mediocre in the smartphone realm. There's no reason Android can't have one full featured email app. You choose what type of account you're creating so if you create a gmail account, it knows to access it differently than other accounts. Full IMAP folder support (moving to saved folders, reporting spam) should be standard. And why does gmail get a light background when the stock email app is dark background only? A little choice by now would be nice. Rant over I'm good for one those old school smartphones were better rants every so often. That should tide me over for a few, at least until froyo hits the epic, and I find something else to complain about.

GMAIL is for GMAIL heh. I wouldn't write an app for competitors either.

 

[sookster54]

Technically yes, but you can go to your gmail account on the google website and setup different accounts through settings > accounts and imports, someone posted a link to a guide somewhere around here.

 

[dbpaddler]

you shouldn't have to forward all your emails and funnel everything through google and gmail to get full functionality. If I want to go through gmail I'll set up a gmail account to actually use for email and not use my old emails. Plus, I don't care for the "everything through google". I don't like to rely on a sole company for anything. Same reason I don't own anything Apple and even ditched my Zune.

 

[Demache]

yeah, but this is Google based, not some 3rd party app. And to be a true, complete smartphone OS, all emails should get equal, full featured treatment, plain and simple. It gets old after awhile seeing how PalmOS and WinMob were better "smartphone" OS's while android is a phenomenal "feature phone" OS but just mediocre in the smartphone realm. There's no reason Android can't have one full featured email app. You choose what type of account you're creating so if you create a gmail account, it knows to access it differently than other accounts. Full IMAP folder support (moving to saved folders, reporting spam) should be standard. And why does gmail get a light background when the stock email app is dark background only? A little choice by now would be nice. Rant over I'm good for one those old school smartphones were better rants every so often. That should tide me over for a few, at least until froyo hits the epic, and I find something else to complain about.

The stock email app for your EVO is developed by HTC, not Google. Which explains cosmetic differences, since its the Sense email app. I haven't heard wonderful things about the stock Google email app though anyway.

I only use Gmail, since its what I've used for nearly 4 years, and has worked perfectly fine for my needs. I don't need anything fancy. Just as long as it reads emails and can send them painlessly.

I don't get the "feature phone" comment. But whatever.

 

[dbpaddler]

Who's using an Evo? Not I. The Epic is essentially stock. I actually like Sense's email app (as well as messaging). It allows saving to folders which lets you move mail to the spam folder as well. Surprised they ditched the combined inbox over stock.

The point of the feature phone comment is Android is supposed to be a smartphone. A smartphone's roots are from it's first iteration, the pda phone. The basis of which are a set of core apps; Contacts, Calendar, Notes and Email. These apps should be full featured and polished, not a work in progress (at this stage of the game) and not having to rely on 3rd parties to give functionality older now defunct OS's have had.

A feature phone is a dumb phone. All the basic phones out there in line with the Instinct, ones that don't require a data plan.

Using gmail should not be a requirement to have full email functionality on a smartphone regardless if the creator of the OS has their own email as well.

The stock email app for your EVO is developed by HTC, not Google. Which explains cosmetic differences, since its the Sense email app. I haven't heard wonderful things about the stock Google email app though anyway.

I only use Gmail, since its what I've used for nearly 4 years, and has worked perfectly fine for my needs. I don't need anything fancy. Just as long as it reads emails and can send them painlessly.

I don't get the "feature phone" comment. But whatever.