I recently traded in my old iPhone and tablet for the new iPhone 13 Pro. As an experienced app reviewer, installing apps afresh that I had previously on my Android tablet and old iPhone on the 13 Pro was not challenging. There was a tiny hitch when setting up Gmail, which I realize could be challenging for users that are not familiar with iOS. Hence, the need for this article.
The easiest method is installing the Gmail App, but you can also use IMAP, POP3, and iOS Mail App to access all of your emails from your iOS device at any time. The good news is that once set up correctly, Google's various methods of syncing with iOS work pretty well together.
So, read on for your step-by-step guide on how to set up Gmail in 4 easy steps, plus a bonus tip on how to import your Gmail contacts.
Contents
How Do You Add a Gmail Account to Your iPhone?
Method 1: Download and Install Gmail App from App Store
You can simply access Gmail on your iPhone by downloading the Gmail iOS App. Here are the steps to download and install the Gmail App on your iPhone.
- Open the App Store on your iPhone.
- Type in "Gmail" in the search bar located at the bottom of the screen. If you are using older versions of iOS, please type "Gmail" in the search bar located at the top right corner.
- Click on the Gmail App. If you cannot find it, click on the 'Updates' tab and search again
- Click on the Install button located at the right of the app name. You will be redirected to the confirmation page if there is no update.
- Once the Gmail App is installed, you will be asked to log in with your Google Account. Enter your username and app password, and now you can access your Gmail account.
If you don't have a Gmail account, create one on the app or here: https://accounts.google.com/signup. After logging in, you can also add any other email address to the app by clicking on the Gmail Settings option.
Method 2: Setting Up a Gmail Account in the iOS Mail App.
Here is how to set up a Gmail Account in the iOS Mail App:
- Go to Settings> Mail and click on Accounts.
- Press Add Account from the list of options.
- Tap add Email Account.
- Enter your email address, password, and description of your account, then tap Next. If you're setting up a Gmail business account, you can type in the full custom domain. For example, if your email address is "myname@domain.com," then you would type in "myname@domain.com.”
- The Mail app will test your account; if it is successful, you'll see a checkmark next to the option. After this is complete, tap Done.
- You can now access Gmail from the Inbox view by default or choose to view each folder by swiping left to right across the screen.
Method 3: How do I enable IMAP for Gmail on my iPhone?
Setting up Gmail using IMAP on your iPhone is an easy process. It involves going into your email settings on your device, then turning on Gmail's incoming and outgoing mail servers as well as Gmail IMAP server settings. The following steps will guide you on how to enable IMAP and your email account on your iPhone using Gmail.
- Open Settings > Click on >Mail.
- Tap "Add Mail Account."
- Choose IMAP as the option for the account type that you are trying to add.
- Enter information in the incoming mail server section and the Outgoing Mail Server section (SMTP) field, for example, username@gmail.com. If you don't have the information, you can check it here.
- Check both boxes under Use TLS/SSL. This will encrypt your incoming/outgoing mail data while in transit.
- Now tap on "Save" in the top right corner to finish up.
Method 4: Accessing Gmail using POP in iPhone
Suppose you're looking to access your Gmail account on your iPhone without signing into the web version of Gmail using POP. Here is how to enable POP access to Gmail on iPhone:
- Go to "Settings" and click on "Accounts & Passwords."
- Click on "Add Account" and select the option for "Other."
- Select "POP" as the option for the account type you are trying to add.
- Enter your full Gmail address into the space provided, then enter your password into the next available box in the Gmail POP server settings. Once both have been filled out, click on "Next."
- Your iPhone will prompt you to allow your Gmail account to be connected with the Google Mail app. Click on "OK" to finalize the process of adding your account.
- Finally, you will need to go back into the settings menu and ensure that "Fetch New Data" is turned on. Otherwise, you will not receive new mail notifications.
Import Your Gmail Contacts
Now that you've got your Gmail account set up on your iPhone, you probably want to sync your contact information list with your Gmail Contacts. It's pretty straightforward to do so.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap " Contacts." This will allow you to add accounts to sync with. Tap "Add Account" at the bottom of this page. If your iPhone has synced Google accounts, tap> Accounts.
- Tap > Add Account> Google
- The rest of the steps will be familiar if you've synced an email account before, but not too tricky if this is your first time. Enter your name, Gmail address, Gmail password, and optionally select which numbers you want to sync. If you’re going to import all numbers, select "All Contacts."
- Once you've set up your Gmail account, navigate to the "Contacts" app on your phone. Your Gmail contact list will be there for you. If you need to delete or hide numbers you imported into your "All Contacts" list, just swipe left across the contact and tap the red button. This will allow you to delete or hide the contact.
- If you want to keep your contact list more organized on your iPhone, hit "Edit" in the top right corner of the Contacts app, and then tap each contact's name (or toggle multiple phone numbers at once by tapping their names) and choose which group you want them to be in. You can toggle between "All Contacts," "My Contacts," and "Other Contacts."
- To create a new group, tap the "+" button in the top right corner of your contact list. Tap on a name to rename a group if you have more than one that needs a title change. Tap on a contact to add or remove them from that group.
- If you want the contact list to stop popping up every time you click on it, navigate back to Settings > Mail >Contacts >Calendars > Gmail account > Uncheck "Show" in the Contacts section.
Related Reading
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Setting up Gmail manually on your iPhone
iPhone users get to choose between IMAP and POP3 email protocols. Both give users access to their mailbox, but there are significant differences in operation. POP (Post Office Protocol) pulls down all your mail into a local inbox delivery folder on your PC, letting you read the email whenever you want without an internet connection. Pop emails are deleted from the server when they are downloaded or opened by the recipient. This has advantages, especially for users with limited bandwidth.
IMAP accesses stored messages from the server by connecting to it, downloads those messages and leaves those now-read messages on the server. In IMAP, data remains on the server until expiration, deletion by administrator command, or removal by client software (e.g., Gmail, Outlook). It also allows connections from multiple locations and mobile devices so users can read their emails and manage their folders no matter where they are and what device they use to access the internet. This means that your messages always remain online and you can read them whenever you like even if you're away from home base.
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Start Using Gmail Today
If you want more than what iPhone mail offers, then Gmail is the best alternative email provider. You can use a Gmail account by following the steps outlined above. You will be able to sync all your Gmail phone numbers with the Contacts app on your iPhone, send and receive your emails on the go, chat and access your calendar events.
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