How to Set Up Your Cell Phone to Use Gmail

If you are a Gmail fan as I am, I know you agree Gmail is the most marvelous, complimentary and ubiquitous web based email clients on the planet. Its POP3 and IMAP protocols allow you to access your inbox through almost every desktop email client available in addition to its normal access via the standard web based method. If you are constantly mobile, you can also access and read your Gmail messages on your cell phone through your phones browser by navigating to Gmail's web site.

Unfortunately all cell phones do not allow you to display standard Web pages. Those with this particular incapacity will display web pages designed to support the Wireless Applications Protocol (WAP) using the Wireless Markup Language (WML). You can access Gmail's WAP compatible web site by going to http://m.gmail.com. Most cell phone browsers do not automatically add on the http:// prefix so be sure you include it when you input the Gmail WAP address.

If you have a Java compatible cell phone, Gmail's mobile site offers some added benefits. The mobile site will be perfectly functional if your cell is not Java compatible, but Java compatible cell phones perform as fast if not faster then the standard web interface and support email attachments a lot better. You will need to install the Gmail Java app on your cellphone. Go to http://gmail.com/app and click the Get Started Now button, next enter your mobile phone number and click the Send Now button. You will receive a text message with instructions on how to download the Gmail Java application.

If neither the WAP enabled Gmail page nor the Java applet will work on your cell phone to enable Gmail access do not give up hope. There is another method which may work for you. It is possible you will be able to access your Gmail account on your cell by configuring your cell phone carrier's email system to download message from Gmail via their POP3 or IMAP protocol. You may need a copy of Gmail Client Configuration tool. You can download a copy at http://dl.google.com. After configuration of your cell phone carrier's email system you will need to access your Gmail account and select Settings, Forwarding, and then Configuration Instructions. Follow the instructions listed to set up Gmail to forward your messages to your cell phone carrier's email system.

No one should be without access to their Gmail account, even if they are mobile. These three methods should enable practically any cell phone capable of retrieving email or surfing the Internet to access a Gmail account. Now you need not ever be without access to your Gmail account.

Resource: Gmail On Your Mobile Phone - www.google.com/mobile/mail/index.html

Tags: gmail, mobile phones, google mobile, gmail by cellphone, gmail apps