Google Sync discontinued - No more push email?

Morfik · 14 Dec 2012 at 20:31

So from January Google is discontinuing ActiveSync in favour of only IMAP:

Google Blog

Google Sync was designed to allow access to Google Mail, Calendar and Contacts via the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync® protocol. With the recent launch of CardDAV, Google now offers similar access via IMAP, CalDAV and CardDAV, making it possible to build a seamless sync experience using open protocols. Starting January 30, 2013, consumers won't be able to set up new devices using Google Sync; however, existing Google Sync connections will continue to function.

As far as I'm aware Gmail IMAP access doesn't support push email on the iPhone? So we'll be stuck going back to checking email every few minutes or so which will drain the battery. Anyone else disappointed about this? It does say existing devices will continue but as soon as you upgrade phone you'll be screwed.

Deku · 14 Dec 2012 at 21:17

The new gmail app is excellent. Use that for push emails and have the gmail account as a manual account so you can still send emails from apps.

I do wonder how we use to cope before push. I think humanity was better off that's for sure.

Morfik · 14 Dec 2012 at 21:43

Deku said:
The new gmail app is excellent. Use that for push emails and have the gmail account as a manual account so you can still send emails from apps.

I do wonder how we use to cope before push. I think humanity was better off that's for sure.

The Gmail app isn't push. You receive a popup notifcation but the email doesn't download in the background like it did with ActiveSync. So if you happen to check all your emails on the train they won't be there in the app unless you bothered to open it earlier in the day.

It's quite strange really, despite releasing the Maps app for email / calendar Google is almost encouraging you to use iCloud now..

theheyes · 14 Dec 2012 at 22:13

Morfik said:
It's quite strange really, despite releasing the Maps app for email / calendar Google is almost encouraging you to use iCloud now..

Or to become a paying Google apps customer.

shine · 14 Dec 2012 at 23:28

theheyes said:
Or to become a paying Google apps customer.

I've been using my domain for emails for many years this may be the push to start looking into moving away from Google and using my own web client and the native iOS client.

8t10 · 15 Dec 2012 at 00:16

Shine, the existing ones will remain free (if it was already free).

shine · 15 Dec 2012 at 09:01

8t10 said:
Shine, the existing ones will remain free (if it was already free).

I know, I should have been clearer. I can use IMAP to get email from my servers directly and I hardly ever use the GMail web client. So it seems redundant to use them and this could be an excuse to move away.

theheyes · 15 Dec 2012 at 10:07

It seems to be a part of a worrying trend at the moment, similar to the whole Apple maps thing and the way they are now blocking SkyDrive updates on iOS.

Maybe we've been spoilt these last few years where generally everything worked nicely together, and now we're on the verge of reverting back to the bad old days.

Morfik · 16 Dec 2012 at 18:48

Seems it's even worse than I thought, as the Contacts / Calendar syncing protocols Google has now forced you to use CalDAV and CardDAV don't support push either. So there goes push calendar and contacts too.

MikeHunt79 · 16 Dec 2012 at 19:01

Moses said:
I've set my personal Gmail, and my university email (facilitated by Google Apps), to forward emails to my iCloud/.me account... marking them as read in the Gmail inboxes. I've then disabled email on the Gmail/university accounts on my iPhone. Will that result in me getting all my emails (minus spam) and not have any real drawbacks?

That isn't a bad idea actually, if you set the filters up you should be able choose which e-mails you do and don't want formatted.

I'm going to try this as I also need push e-mail.

PR. · 23 Dec 2012 at 03:08

Just wondering if anyone had switched or planned to switch to a different email provider because of this?

I've tried iCloud email in the past and it was nowhere near as good. If I read an email on my iPhone when I went to the iPad it was still shown as unread until I loaded up Mail to force a refresh. Also got a ton of spam forwarded on from my existing accounts that Gmail filtered and iCloud didn't. Also I have a personal domain and you can't really use that with the iCloud setup

I was thinking of some kind of Exchange hosting, seems MS offer a service for only £2.60 a month. However I've read OSX Mail app doesn't play very well with Exchange, and I don't particularly want to switch to Outlook 2011.

I did also think about simply upgrading to Google Apps but you can't do that either as you have to create a new account and manually move existing emails over.

I've had an Outlook.com address for a while and it seems ok, but it also doesn't support External domains like Gmail.

Just annoying as I had it set up perfectly for months with everything pushing without having to fiddle now it's going to be broken the minute I get a new iPhone or iPad or have to restore. :/

allosunshine · 23 Dec 2012 at 09:54

No one seems to have mentioned that if you already have Activesync setup you wont lose it.

PR. said:
Just wondering if anyone had switched or planned to switch to a different email provider because of this?

I've tried iCloud email in the past and it was nowhere near as good. If I read an email on my iPhone when I went to the iPad it was still shown as unread until I loaded up Mail to force a refresh. Also got a ton of spam forwarded on from my existing accounts that Gmail filtered and iCloud didn't. Also I have a personal domain and you can't really use that with the iCloud setup

I was thinking of some kind of Exchange hosting, seems MS offer a service for only £2.60 a month. However I've read OSX Mail app doesn't play very well with Exchange, and I don't particularly want to switch to Outlook 2011.

I did also think about simply upgrading to Google Apps but you can't do that either as you have to create a new account and manually move existing emails over.

I've had an Outlook.com address for a while and it seems ok, but it also doesn't support External domains like Gmail.

Just annoying as I had it set up perfectly for months with everything pushing without having to fiddle now it's going to be broken the minute I get a new iPhone or iPad or have to restore. :/

I've been using Hotmail and Outlook Activesync on my iPhone since it was first available without any problems. You could always forward your Gmail to Outlook like someone else mentioned earlier but to their iCloud account.
I personally use iCloud for contacts and calendar as its seamless with OSX. The only downside to iCloud email which has stopped me using as my main account is that Push is only supported for the Inbox and it doesn't work if you have folders and filters setup on the Server.

Morfik · 23 Dec 2012 at 11:31

allosunshine said:
No one seems to have mentioned that if you already have Activesync setup you wont lose it.

True but you can't add any new devices from 30th January. So if you never upgrade tablet or phone you're fine. Upgrade one and in terms of your Gmail / Calendar / Contacts experience it will be actually be a downgrade as you can't add ActiveSync back to it.

Deleted member 77746 · 23 Dec 2012 at 18:44

Can't go wrong with the Microsoft pricing!

Morfik · 15 Mar 2013 at 12:57

So per the latest round of Spring Cleaning. It seems Google has decided that now they're going to can CalDav as well...

http://googleblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/a-second-spring-of-cleaning.html

So from September there will be no way at all to sync your iPhone with Google Calendar?

Deleted member 77746 · 15 Mar 2013 at 15:59

This will effect a few people!

peige · 17 Mar 2013 at 14:26

Update March 15, 2013: We worked with the developers who provide 98 percent of our current CalDAV traffic to assure access to the CalDAV API, which means many popular products will not be impacted. We remain committed to supporting open protocols like CalDAV.

I wonder if this is good news?

Ol!ver · 19 Mar 2013 at 01:07

I've actually gone so far as to set my own Exchange server up in a virtual machine because of this, which is a shame because Gmail is certainly the better web app!

lmfy2k · 29 Jun 2013 at 11:04

I've just gone back to an iPhone and of course lost the ability to push in the native email app for gmail.

Is everyone just using the gmail app now? Or gmail app for notifications and email app for sending/viewing emails?

Tried the gmail app and I just can't get along with it.

allosunshine · 29 Jun 2013 at 11:17

Gmail app for notifications and sparrow for viewing and sending for me.