Gmail push notification on iPhone and iPad

Google enabled push notification in Gmail for iPhones and iPads ages ago, but I've noticed not many people know about this and aren't sure how to set it up using the native mail client in iOS (yes, you don't need the Google Mail application)

The process is as follows (screenshots were taken on an iPhone but would be similar for an iPad);

• Add a new mail account but choose 'Microsoft Exchange' (not Gmail)
• Add your details as follows;
• Email: youraddress@gmail.com
• Domain: <leave blank>
• Username: youraddress@gmail.com
• Password: <yourpassword>
• When you click Next, you might receive the following verification notice:

• Click Continue, an additional field will become visible requiring a server name, use: m.google.com and click Done to verify and complete the setup.

And that's it - confirm that Push is enabled for this account in Settings --> Mail, Contacts, Calendars --> Fetch New Data --> Advanced

Two things to note:

• If you get any messages complaining about not being able to verify a certificate, click Accept to continue anyway
• Push mail has more of an impact on battery life, if this is a problem you could always revert back to Fetching without needing to re-setup your mail account.

Gmail formatting in Internet Explorer 9

Experiencing the following Gmail formatting issue in Internet Explorer 9?

The problem is caused by IE9's compatibility mode feature, turning this off resolves the issue. You might not find the IE9 compatibility mode icon in the address bar though for some reason (in my case anyway) - here's a quick fix;

• In IE9, while logged into your Gmail maibox, hit F12
• Choose Browser Mode: IE9 on the bottom toolbar
• Choose Internet Explorer 9

Voila - you should now be seeing your mailbox with the formatting corrected;