Hey all,

Have a question....

I have been using BIS for years. I just changed my hotmail over to a Gmail account (huge heart palpitations in doing so as I have had my hotmail since email has been around, however, I am tired of the uselessness of not being able to get it where I want/need it)..

So, in getting the Gmail account, I set it up in my BIS account. I also have decided to download the Gmail mobile client as I like the look/feel of it and the promise of IMAP and quicker cleaner delivery of my mail. However, I can not get it to work as advertised. My mail does not show up automatically, it does not have any adio or visual notifications (that I can get working anyway) and messages are showing up at different intervals. I have gone into settings on the app and set them accordingly, as well as, set up notifications in my profiles settings on the phone.... still nothing.

Just wondering if anyone else has this application working or not and if it is worth it? Any direction is appreciated! BTW, the BIS setting is working fine...

Go and help a fellow BBF user out, as well as, a great charity
Help out the Dawg!

I have both BIS and Gmail app on my phone...I don't even bother with the Gmail app doesn't offer anymore functionality in my opinion just looks colorful.

The GMail app isn't so-much a Blackberry app. It's pretty much the same regardless of which (compatible) phone you use. Which means, for example, that it doesn't work with the BB's notification (profiles) system.

I have both BIS and the GMail app on my BB. I use the app only when I want to ensure that I have the latest e-mail (BIS delivers messages 5, 10, 15, or more minutes "late") or (he he) to test my data connection.

If you want to get your messages sent to you in the BB way, stick with using the POP or IMAP (I'm using the IMAP) via BIS approach.

Some people like the app because it keeps gmail messages separate from work messages. It also lets you mark message as spam and few other gmail specific features.

This said, if you want to get it working, run the app, press the menu key, pick "More..." and then "Settings." Ensure that the first 2 checkboxes are checked. Use the third one if you want smaller fonts.

Damn, I was hoping that it would give message notification the way the Facebook App does. I do have the setting set as you suggested.

When you say that you only use the app when you want to know that you have the latest email on the phone, are you just going to the app and manually refreshing the messages?

I only run the app when I need it. When it first opens, it downloads the latest messages.

Maybe it is a device specific feature, but I get Gmail alerts and Gmail shows up under profiles. I have the Gmail app installed and yes as you said, it's to keep work and play emails separate. Under settings in the Gmail app ensure the top (always keep me signed in) and bottom (Notify me when there is new mail in my Inbox) check boxes are checked. I also have the second box (preload messages and check mail in the background) checked.

I am curious now if this is a device specific feature, although I doubt it.

Yeah, I have had these boxes checked since install. I am still not getting any notification to the app itself. It does show up in my profiles and have set the profile to notify me as well. It very well may be a device or carrier thing... I will continue to use it as well as the BIS function to see what happens. Thanks all....

Squeff, this is because you are using Imap that messages are 5-15 minutes behind real time. Gmail is intergrated strong with BIS and it is pushed to your blackberry in real-time. If i am in my gmail inbox on the web, emails arrive to my blackberry before I see them in gmail since the refresh rate is slower for the web.

The Gmail app is useless for me for this reason.

Interesting. I used to not use the IMAP approach (i.e. I just put my gmail address and password into my provider's BIS portal) and found that it was much worse. I'd get copies of all of my outgoing messages (yes, I know I can filter this, but that's not the point), it took longer to get messages, and it was inconsistent with updating my gmail account with changes on the BB side (i.e., if I delete a message on my BB, only 50% of the time would it get deleted from the "server").

I switched to IMAP and instantly got better response, no copies of outgoing messages, and it updates the server with BB changes 99% of the time.

I got the exact opposite..... Weird

I wonder if it has anything to do with our wireless providers? I'm using Sprint and maybe they didn't have the version of BIS that did this (at least when I first setup).

For what it's worth, I just tried killing my IMAP setup and creating a "regular" setup to gmail.

As I experienced before, it doesn't work very well. I get copies of all my outgoing messages. It takes LONGER for me to get e-mail on the BB (I'm still waiting for a few messages). Delete and read sync don't work very well.

Apparently, Sprint doesn't well support the "native" gmail.

I went back to IMAP and it works much better.

Is there a way to tell which version of BIS I have? I am starting to think it is a carrier thing as well. I am getting poor results with my IMAP set up in BIS with Verizon. I have thought about doing the kill on my current gmail account in BIS and redoing the way tdawg00 has stated.

Man, I tell you, with the simple and intuitive use of the iPhone and MobileMe, it makes it a difficult choice to not go check out the possibility of the big switch! I love BB....

I have it set up as standard bis and mine are instant as well so it must be a sprint thing. I get instant mail with gmail and the in box stays current. I have almost quit using my isp account altogether

This tells me to at least try the new set up in BIS. I will kill my current account and just inout my email address and password and let it sync up on it's own. I am hoping I get the same result as you Dawg, since we are both on VZW...

BTW, how is the curve. I am up for new every 2 right now, and have been holding off....

Ok, it looks as if it is working in real time now. I have one draw back that I am hoping someone can help me with. When I reply from my BB, the reply goes to the address that sent the email and my gmail account. On top of that, I am getting double delivery notifications. I need to find out how to turn the delivery notification off first, then find out why "reply" sends the email back to my gmail account as well. Any thoughts?

set up a filter on the BIS site

I can see where to go for the filters but have never done it before. How does this work, and what would I set the filter to do?

Also, it seems to be Auto CC or BCC'ing back to my gmail account. I have looked at all the settings and can not find where this would be turned on or off...

set it up to not forward email from you

I set it up to not forward messages to my device that contain my gmail address... I am guessing this is it! Thanks for your help.

anytime

Is there anyone using both of the options who can comment on the data consumption in one versus the other? If the gmail app is refreshing like a bandit, and re-fetching data, etc., I won't bother with it.

THanks.

Stu

I use them both -- the BIS-push option is good for getting all your regular Inbox email and replying to that, so no need to start the GMail app. Where the app is good is when you need access to your gmail contacts (which may not be on your BB device) and when you need to access your labels. I have classes of email that's automatically filtered to labels and skips my Inbox, so it never pushes to my BB over the BIS connection; I have to fire up the app and open those labels specifically (which is what I want to do).

The things I filter out from my Inbox are topic replies to the bajillion forums I visit, shipping notifies from UPS/FedEx, etc. -- nonpersonal junk that doesn't really need my attention right away on my device. When I have a free moment I'll fire up the GMail app and go look at those sometimes, or they can wait until I get to a desktop PC.