How to setup Gmail IMAP access in your smartphone

Earlier I explained how to setup gmail in your smartphone using POP3 access? The problem with POP3 access is that when you access mail using your client, either through mail client or the phone inbuilt client, the read mails are still shown as unread mails. You have the option of setting gmail to archive or delete the mails accessed from POP3 but it doesn’t give the freedom to work like we always accessed via browser. This problem is solved with Gmail supporting IMAP.

IMAP stands for Internet Message Access Protocol. Unlike POP, IMAP offers two-way communication between your web Gmail and your email client(s). This means that if you log on to web Gmail and then perform an action on your mail client then it will be reflected in the web Gmail instantly. IMAP provides a better method to access your mail from multiple devices. If you check your email at work, on your mobile phone, and again at home, IMAP ensures that new mail is accessible from any device at any given time. IMAP offers a more stable experience overall. Whereas POP is prone to losing messages or downloading the same messages multiple times, IMAP avoids this through its two-way syncing capabilities between your mail clients and your web Gmail.

How to Setup Gmail IMAP access in your smartphone?

Incoming Mail (IMAP)

imap.gmail.com

Server Requires SSL

Use SSL – Yes

Port – 993

Outgoing Mail (SMTP)

smtp.gmail.com

Server requires TLS

Use Authentication – Yes

STARTTLS : YES

Ports 465 or 587

Here I am going to explain the process for setting it on a Symbian phone. Mine is Nokia 3230. Here it is :

• Go to Messages.
• Select Options and then Settings.
• Select E-mail & create new mailbox.
• Give a name to it in “Mailbox Name“.
• Set your access point for internet.
• Set your email address – e.g. ashishsainiashfame@gmail.com
• Set smtp.gmail.com as your Outgoing Mail Server.
• Set username & password.
• Set imap.gmail.com as your Incoming Mail Server.
• Set Mailbox type as IMAP4.
• Use Security as SSL.
• All Other settings are upto the choice of user. (Explore them a bit and you will come to know of them)

You also need to enable IMAP access in your gmail account.
To enable IMAP in your Gmail account:

1. Log in to your Gmail account.
2. Click Settings at the top of any Gmail page.
3. Click Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
4. Select Enable IMAP.
5. Click Save Changes.

Now you can retrieve and send emails directly from your phone. Now you will be asked to continue every time due to Untrusted Certificate. If you are using Series60 Phone then you can install this certificate : Thawte Roots Certificate and Series60v2 Phone users can install this certificate : Ocasta. If you need any further assistance, leave a response here and I will look into it.

This entry was posted under How To / Tutorials