Slow, glitchy, and this redesign :(
by wordo2.0
I didn’t update gmail in a while, and when I finally did, I thought things would run smoother, but then I get this weird redesign.
The redesign makes it difficult to know which email account you’re using and makes it more convoluted to switch accounts. They also made the font in the app smaller so it’s harder to read. Overall, I think it’s just messy. Maybe I’m just not used to it yet, but I think this redesign makes the app harder to use. And with the redesign, the app reset my original settings on swiping to archive or delete which was just annoying.
Plus, as I try to write emails, I keep getting the notification “some changes may not have saved” or something like that, and it would pop up every few seconds, making my email infuriating to write.
My inbox takes longer to load now too with the redesign, and sometimes my notifications don’t go through, but that might be because of my phone, not the app.
I don’t know, it just feels like gmail’s getting worse. I wish they would stop trying to put in all these new features like Google Pay in emails, and just aim to make the app comfortable to use... Trying to attach multiple files in an email on mobile is so tedious.
Severely limited functionality
by bigshot_bob
I use my iPad for work, as I need to take high resolution videos and have quick access to apps. The Gmail app has such terribly limited usability in key areas. First, it is crazy that I cannot create bulleted or numbered lists. This seems like a key component to writing succinct emails and I am not sure why this is not included. Second, I cannot copy and paste tables from other Google apps and keep the formatting! We send programs to clients that we create in Google sheets, but we do not need to send the entire sheet at one time, only a part. You simply cannot do this without creating an entirely new sheet, and then sharing it with them, which is simply not functional. I would rather be able to copy and paste the section of the sheet that is necessary to use. Lastly, the emails I send from my iPad do not have the same formatting as the desktop site. Again, I am at a loss as to why this is the case. We have a specific signature that we need to use in order to send protected information, and I have to set this signature up again instead of it carrying over from my desktop accessibility.
The only good thing about this app is that I can access my email from it. However, it severely limits my ability to send useful emails and this kills my productivity during work hours with my iPad.
Why does gmail have a web browser?
by p m 8 8
Why does this app have a built in web browser? If you click on a link in an email a little window comes up that asks if you want to open it in chrome or safari. I don't have chrome installed because I feel that google harvests enough information about me as it is. So i select open in safari. However when I do this it does not open safari. It opens this miniature web browser that is baked into
gmail, there is a button on the bottom of the screen that forwards you to safari. But its too late. The link has been opened in a google made web browser. This is annoying and deceitful. If its a link that can only be used once, then opening it in this mini browser has just ruined the link so that I would have do whenever it is in this built in browser. I would say its okay if I could just delete all cookies and such from this mini bowser but there is no option. And even even if i could delete the information its too late because google already saw what I was doing in that session. I can only assume that google now has any and all information that has been put into the mini browser. I would use a different email app however google has made it so that I cant use any other email app with a gmail account... so I guess I’m just screwed.
DON’T get this app.
by Muahahailaugh
1. You can’t mass delete emails in this app. You have to select every email, one by one. That’s usually multiple clicks (or a swipe and click) per email.
2. Your inbox is automatically separated into different inboxes, including social and “promotions.” Emails are seemingly put into other categories AT RANDOM. Multiple times now, emails from addresses which previously went into my inbox went into these other two categories, and one of the times, it was a work email. That email was also labeled as important, another category that has NO notifications by default, and it could not be seen when I went into the “All mail” tab.
I’ve tried to make sense of why emails from certain addresses (of the same topic every time) would randomly go into different folders, but I have no idea still. All in all, this is unnecessarily complicated, unhelpful, and you have to fix it all yourself because those are the default settings. I can’t believe we get advertisements in the same area and with the same look as other, unread emails as well.
If you can, don’t get this app. Use gmail on your browser, or maybe don’t use gmail unless you have to. Maybe this is less terrible on a different device (my device is an iPad Pro), but I somehow doubt that.
No Connection errors
by cpoagsc
Revision: I’m an idiot and this app is great. The reason I had trouble with the app when not on WiFi was because data was turned off for the app in my phone’s settings. Changed my low rating to a 5-star.
This app is completely useless for me on iPhone. It never connects and reports "no connection" at the bottom of the screen while every other app on the phone has no trouble connecting. It is only this app that has problems connecting. I've followed all help and forum posts I've found and they're pretty useless. I've logged out and back in (sometimes it won't even let me log back in, giving me the "no connection" error). I've deleted and reinstalled the app many times with no success. And yes, Google, I'm sure I'm using the correct password.
Google needs to resolve the "no connection" error issue with an update rather than just advising people to check their password or make sure they're connected to the internet (when every other app on the device works fine).
Great functionality with few flaws
by Evil on the Wwweb
In the corporate world I am forced to use Microsoft Outlook as my primary email client. In the private sector, i use Gmail for almost everything else. Gmail has become a standard that other email sites attempt to emulate. The integration of its own suite of office programs has eliminated the need for more costly applications for senior users and youngsters. Google has learned from Apple in placing Gmail and Google Docs on entry level tablets and Chrome Books.
I could continue this thread but I mentioned “flaws” in the title. Some people complain about the steady stream of bug fixes and see it as evidence of how poorly Gmail and other Google products were written. This is a false impression. What it does show is the speed with which the technical teams that Support Gmail and Google are adapting to the ever-changing environment of hackers spammers and other nefarious groups that are attempting to disrupt our lives. Most things that appear as flaws are really undocumented tools.
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Inferior to “Inbox” (updated after a feed days of use)
by N/a duh74
Inbox was my favorite email experience I’ve had since the glory days of BlackBerry, but as others have pointed out, it was a huge disappointment having it taken away. After a few days of use, my opinion has not changed. Organization is painfully lacking compared to Inbox, both in visual style and feature set. I loved how finance and purchase categories were built in to the experience. Gone. Now a lack of visual divide between emails and the inclusion of ads in my inbox has me hating the email experience altogether. I have no interest in using this app for much longer and will be seeking alternatives. I don’t care much about this stuff, but google had a solid program in Inbox, and I would go back without hesitation if I could. Seriously, ads at the top of my mailbox? I actually got a pop up message after deleting one that they would “try not to include ads like that,” but there’s always ads. I would pay not to have ads, but that’s where google makes their money I guess. I’ll go somewhere else. Inbox was wonderful from the moment I first installed it, and the gmail app? It’s like going from freshly made lemonade to Minute Maid. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Warning about adding emails to your gmail
by Cuchabybaby
You will run out of memory faster because the other accounts you can add will add to your memory with ALL google products. I was enticed to add my yahoo account to a gmail address last year. What happened is that I’ve had gmail since 2005 and love it. I lost my free “legacy” added memory because I had to upgrade or I’d lose my emails.I spent hours going through my messages and deleting them because I received warnings if I didn’t upgrade soon, messages would disappear and if I did upgrade I’d lose my free space. I upgraded and I have my memory back on Apple products but for about a month or two on my Windows 10 laptop that I use for business, it was still showing that warning. Eventually it synced. So before you put all your emails in your gmail feed, check out if the “new gmail”will eat your memory and force an upgrade $$$$ before memory runs out and it’s pay to play. I’ve been a huge fan but I didn’t understand the takeaway of legacy memory. It was supposed to be lifetime but if I added on, it was gone and that’s what happened to “do no harm”
Great mail app except for browser preference
by AEOHP
In general I like this mail app a lot. I am happy to have my inbox sorted as it is on the desktop. I wish it was easier to attach documents from “Pages” and “Files” instead of only from the camera, recent attachments and drive. But my biggest complaint is this: When I go to open a link from an email and it asks if I want to use chrome or safari, I choose safari because that is my preference on my iPhone. I switch off the little “ask me every time” button. The very next time I go to open a link from an email, it could be the exact same link one second later, the browser preference window opens again, with the button switched on. It adds an unnecessary step every time I look at things from an email. Also, my saved safari things don’t all translate over to the safari that pops up within the app. I know you want me to use chrome because it is your product, but you offer a choice so it would be nice if that choice worked 😊
New Update Hurts My Eyes
by Mrs. Jxson
I have migraine and vision issues. The new, jarring, super white look makes my eyes hurt, especially when I have a migraine. With no color separation or clear boundary demarcation, it strains my eyes, if I have to spend any real time checking my email. I no longer use a desktop or laptop computer, so I depend on using the app. The new changes make it almost impossible for me to use, though, because it literally hurts my eyes and causes my vision to blur.
Additionally, the placement of the option to change accounts in the previous version made sense. Where it is placed in the new version is not intuitive or user friendly. It now takes extra steps to pull up a separate screen in order to switch between accounts. This means I have to spend additional time on the stark white, visually unappealing app, which literally causes me pain, if I want to check my mail.
This is a HORRIBLE update, that does not give any consideration for those with eye strain or vision problems. I won’t even go into the serious need to add options for color coding, for people who rely on visual cues to stay organized. Or the fact that nearly every other email app had a dark mode, at the very least. Please, please, PLEASE fix this!
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