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Setting up push gMail on Windows Mobile 6.1

One of the primary uses of a Windows Mobile device is to access e-mail. The conventional way to do this is to use pull e-mail, where the mobile device periodically checks for new mail in a process known as polling. The alternative to this is push e-mail, where e-mail is delivered to the mobile device as soon as it arrives.

Until recently third party software was required to use push e-mail with the Google Mail service on Windows Mobile devices. However, thanks to the new Google Sync service this is no longer the case. Google Sync allows you to access Google Mail, Calender and Contacts with the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync protocol, which is natively supported in Windows Mobile 6.1 and supports push.

Considerations

You can view a list of known Google Sync limitations here. Some functionality available from the web based version of Google Mail may be missing from Google Sync. It is also worth noting that a Windows Mobile 6.1 device can only connect to one Exchange account.

You may incur data charges from your mobile provider for using Google Sync and, depending on your usage patterns, you may experience a change in battery life.

It is strongly recommend that you backup your data, both from your Google account and from your mobile device, before proceeding.

Setting up Google Sync

Once you've backed up all your data you can begin to set up Google Sync. Start by opening the ActiveSync application on your Windows Mobile device. Tap on "Menu" and choose "Add Server Source".

Enter your e-mail address and ensure the "Attempt to detect settings automatically" checkbox is not ticked. Tap "Next".

Enter "m.google.com" as the server address and select the option to use an encrypted connection. Tap "Next".

Enter your full Google username (including the part after the @ symbol) and password. Don't enter a domain (if you have to you can enter "google"). Make sure that "Remember Password" is checked. Tap Next.

Select the checkbox for "E-Mail". The other features are not covered by this guide. Highlight "E-Mail" by tapping it and then press the "Settings" button.

Change the options to suit your preferences - those shown in the screenshot should be suitable for many users. Tap on "OK" and then tap on "Finish".

Your mobile device should now synchronise - this may take it quite some time depending on the amount of folders and e-mails you have. You can view your e-mail under "Outlook Email" in the Windows Mobile messaging application.

Enabling Push

Once synchronisation has finished you can enable push. To do this open ActiveSync, tap the Menu and choose "Schedule".

You can now choose how often your device checks for updates during peak and off peak times. To enable push choose "As Items Arrive" from the drop down lists. You can edit peak times by tapping the link at the bottom of the screen.

Push gMail should now be enabled - when you receive an e-mail your mobile device will synchronise and, depending on your settings, display some sort of notification or play a sound.