How to use Gmail from Apple Mail
I’ve discovered, with my incessant fiddling around, that you can access a Gmail account directly from within Apple Mail. I find it handy because it means I can use Gmail, along with accounts from my Internet service provider, all within the same interface.
There are a number of reasons why you might want Gmail. I like it because it uses the IMAP protocol, which means you can get at your mail from the server. If you read, delete or answer mail in your Gmail account from one computer, all those actions will be reflected when you use another computer. Such is not the case with an account using the POP protocol, which is more typical of what you’ll get from a service provider.
The first step, of course, is to create an account with Gmail if you don’t already have one. Next, go into Apple Mail’s preferences and click on the Accounts tab. At the bottom left is a plus-sign you click on to add a new account.
Fill in your name, Gmail address and password — then click on Create. Apple Mail will do the rest, and you’ll find a new account in the sidebar called Gmail. If you would like something more distinctive, you can click in the Description field and change “Gmail” to something more personalized. When you try to close the Preferences, you’ll be prompted to save the change.
You should now see a new inbox for Gmail in the Apple Mail sidebar. Also, at the bottom will be whatever folders you created for mail categories. Gmail provides four in the default setup. Plus, you can click on a separate Gmail folder in the same area and get subfolders for Drafts, Sent Mail, Spam, Starred and Trash.
If you want to send mail using your Gmail account, just make sure you’ve first clicked on the Gmail inbox.
Posted Friday, June 11, 2010 in How-to
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Caroline
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