Apps
What’s the Best Way to Use Gmail on the iPad?
I love checking my email on the iPad, but I’m looking for a better way to check Gmail on the iPad.
Here’s why I love reading and responding to email on the iPad.
The portability means I can answer e-mails in bed, on the couch or even in the car.
The larger screen size means I can batch process spam and other items much faster.
The virtual keyboard keeps my responses short and sweet.
But, I’m still left wanting.
If you use Priority Inbox in Gmail, which I highly recommend, the default Mail app is out. Not only is it clunky if you have a lot of email, but it doesn’t handle the Priority Inbox settings.
Because my personal email is one that half the population enters into every email box they see, and apparently one that every third kid tells their mom they have, I get tons of Spam that isn’t caught by filters.
What I Use for Gmail on the iPad
There is an official Gmail app for the iPad, but it fails again if you need to use multiple email accounts. My personal and my work email accounts are both powered by Google.
I’ve defaulted to using the Gmail web interface because I can switch between accounts, but it’s still not my ideal way to check Gmail on the iPad.
I have a 9.7 inch display, I shouldn’t have to scroll to find the reply button, then scroll again to view send.
Where's send? Why did I just scroll to find reply?
What I want for Gmail on the iPad
I really want Sparrow for the iPhone to add an “Important and Unread” inbox and come to the iPad. Something that uses the screen space wisely and incorporates great gestures for dealing with email that needs filed or marked unread.
How do you check Gmail on your iPad? Am I missing out on a great app? Let me know in the comments, and help out everyone.
Clkman52
03/28/2012 at 12:09 pm
Have you tried just using gmail mobile from the Safari browser?
Has everything I need.
https://mail.google.com/mail/mu
Pull down to refresh…
Priority Inbox
Important and unread
Starred
Everything
Labels
Inbox
Important
Sent Mail
Drafts
All Mail
Trash
Personal
Travel
More
Starred
Chats
Spam
Receipts
Work
[email protected]
No sent messages!
Nathaniel
05/29/2012 at 5:28 am
As they say in the classics “Your mileage may vary” but to handle spam in my two Gmail accounts I have these filters set up.
====================
Matches: filename:*.eml
Do this: Skip Inbox, Delete it
Matches: is:spam -{nathaniel | bytesfromthebackseat}
Do this: Skip Inbox, Delete it
Matches: subject:([SPAM])
Do this: Skip Inbox, Delete it
=====================
The second one fires on the user names of the two email addresses and works because I pipe one into the other. I don’t have a problem with spam and I don’t have a problem with missing emails as I’ve used these filters for the best part of 6 years now and I haven’t had any nasty phone calls from people saying I missed their oh so important email.
Regarding your dual account issue I can only suggest using two different mail clients. Perhaps the Gmail app for personal mail and the web interface for your work stuff. A pain I know but it keeps them separate.