Tip: Gmail on the Move

Gmail from Google offers several different ways to access your e-mail from a smartphone. The old-school option of setting up a POP3 account works just the same as with any other e-mail provider. (From the Messaging menu, choose New E-mail Account. Enter your Gmail address and allow it to “try to get e-mail settings automatically.”)

The Gmail-specific way to download your e-mail — which downloads all your folders and not just new mail in your inbox — is to use Google’s IMAP sync option. For step-by-step and troubleshooting instructions, log into your Gmail account, then click Settings in the upper right corner. Choose Forwarding and POP/IMAP from the options across the top, and then in the IMAP area, click on “configuration instructions.”

Google also has a specific option for mobile users who want to check their Gmail via the web interface. From Gmail.com, you can click on a “learn more” link for Mobile Access. That takes you to a page that offers to send a link to your phone that you then click on to install a tool intended to make accessing Gmail from a Mobile device faster. (You can also just type www.google.com/app into your device’s browser.)

Once you’re at that site, you’ll be prompted to download the app. Then point your device’s browser to www.gmail.com and log in. Your new mail pops right up, with the menus normally located to the left of the inbox conveniently shifted below it for easier viewing.

This article was first published on PDAStreet.com.