Configuring Gmail as IMAP account inside the Gmail App - pros and cons?

[DLCPhototography]

I am a long-term gmail user/lover. Current phone is Galaxy Note 3, Verizon.

Everything works great, except that I have always hated having "conversation mode" threading my emails in the Gmail App. I have it disabled on my Desktop, and much prefer this. I am aware that Google thus far refuses to give us the option to disable conversation mode in the phone's Gmail App, which is incredibly frustrating.

I read recently that GMail can be set up within the official Gmail App as an IMAP account (much the same as you would set up Yahoo or other email accounts). This would then remove conversation mode by default (with settings giving you the option to add it back in if you prefer).

I don't have a clear understanding of how basic Gmail functionality would differ between how it works now, and if I were to change it to an IMAP account. What, if anything, will work differently? What, if anything, will I have to do differently?

I like having all of my emails received, sent, stored, deleted, etc., instantly synced between all of my devices without any need for me to do anything at all. I would hate to lose that functionality, if it can be avoided.

Any information that would help me sort this out would be appreciated.

 

[B. Diddy]

I'm speculating here, but I would guess that one of the only differences would be that it wouldn't sync immediately--the most frequently you could get it to sync might be every 5 minutes.

 

[Sizzers]

Do you recall where you read about this?

When I have tried setting up Gmail has an IMAP account previously it wont let you proceed as it flags up an error that its a duplicate account.

 

[DLCPhototography]

I'm speculating here, but I would guess that one of the only differences would be that it wouldn't sync immediately--the most frequently you could get it to sync might be every 5 minutes.

Interesting. I wonder if that would have any affect, plus or minus, on battery life.

I may end up just having to try it (perhaps using a new gmail account, to avoid messing with my primary one), but I thought I'd pick the brains here and see what info I could get before doing a trial.

 

[DLCPhototography]

Do you recall where you read about this?

When I have tried setting up Gmail has an IMAP account previously it wont let you proceed as it flags up an error that its a duplicate account.

It was actually in a thread here on Android Central:

http://forums.androidcentral.com/sa...tion-view-gmail-app-note-5-a.html#post4740768

It references this Facebook page (of all places), as the original source of the information:

https://www.facebook.com/DisableConversationView

Further, it links to this Google site for instructions, where it seems to imply that it would work for Gmail.

Perhaps you have to first delete your current account, before re-creating it as IMAP??