GMail questions

[anon(10621852)]

This is probably nothing new to most of you who have been on Android for a long time, or have used the GMail app for a long time. Well, I'm really new to the GMail app and I'm finding it needlessly-confusing in the way it does things. EMail should be pretty straight forward and simple, but GMail seems to make it needlessly-convoluted and just weird.

1) What's up with these "Promotion" emails? Are these ads? Does this just come with the territory when you use the GMail app?

2) Also, a lot of times, new email that goes into my 'Primary', for some reason also goes into "Important". I didn't set it up to do that, it just did it on it's own. ??

Anyway, I need to get into the Settings and see if I can understand things a bit better, and maybe change some of the Mail behaviors.

Comments, please ... thanks!

 

[B. Diddy]

1) What's up with these "Promotion" emails? Are these ads? Does this just come with the territory when you use the GMail app?

By default, there are certain folders (also called labels) that Gmail will automatically sort your incoming emails to: Primary, Social, Promotions, Updates, and Forums. Gmail's AI will try to sort your incoming mail into these general folders. You will typically get a couple of ads in the Promotions and Social folders -- they should be clearly marked as "Ad" and can be easily swiped away. This just comes with the territory when using the Gmail app. If you don't like ads, then consider a 3rd party email client like Textra (or the stock Email app that came with your phone).

2) Also, a lot of times, new email that goes into my 'Primary', for some reason also goes into "Important". I didn't set it up to do that, it just did it on it's own. ??

If you see a yellow arrowhead associated with your email, it's considered Important. Again, Gmail's AI will try to determine what's Important to you based on the contact and probably other aspects of the email. You can help it by toggling the importance on or off. On the desktop Gmail interface, it's simply a matter of clicking on that arrowhead. In the Gmail app, you can change the importance by opening the email, then tapping the Menu button and then Mark Important/Unimportant.

 

[anon(10621852)]

Good info, thank you!

 

[Johnson21x]

If you just want all your mail in one place without tabs/labels just go to the left hamburger menu scroll down to settings. Select your email go down to inbox category and unselect all labels.

Unselecting all of it should leave you with only primary and also NO ads. Atleast from what I've seen in the emails I've managed.

 

[VidJunky]

I used to be a MailDroid guy. That app was great then they started including ads unless you paid the, $14.99 a year, subscription and had to leave. The Samsung email app is good. This would also be the default email app on the device. You can have multiple accounts from multiple providers and it has an option to show you all of your accounts in order of receipt and color coded by account. Best of all no ads.

 

[anon(10621852)]

If you just want all your mail in one place without tabs/labels just go to the left hamburger menu scroll down to settings. Select your email go down to inbox category and unselect all labels.

Unselecting all of it should leave you with only primary and also NO ads. Atleast from what I've seen in the emails I've managed.

Great, thank you

 

[anon(10621852)]

I used to be a MailDroid guy. That app was great then they started including ads unless you paid the, $14.99 a year, subscription and had to leave. The Samsung email app is good. This would also be the default email app on the device. You can have multiple accounts from multiple providers and it has an option to show you all of your accounts in order of receipt and color coded by account. Best of all no ads.

Yeah, I was thinking about just switching over to the Samsung Mail app. But I wonder if I'd have the same frustration, with all the different labels/mailboxes etc.

 

[VidJunky]

I wouldn't really think so since there's a view that shows all emails at once. You can also nickname the accounts. To me it just sounds like the price of having multiple accounts.

 

[VidJunky]

Here you can see my view of the different accounts all in one chronological view. Each colored circle is a different account.

 

[pags11]

Yeah, I was thinking about just switching over to the Samsung Mail app. But I wonder if I'd have the same frustration, with all the different labels/mailboxes etc.

Samsung email app is way easier on my OCD. I use both on my S21 Ultra but use the Samsung email app for my main Gmail account and the Gmail app for my secondary Gmail account.

 

[felloffthetruck]

I use Aqua Mail and it works perfect for me.

How are the push notifications with the Samsung email app?

 

[Laura Knotek]

I use Aqua Mail and it works perfect for me.

How are the push notifications with the Samsung email app?

I don't know. I have used Aqua Mail Pro since I had Android devices (which weren't Samsung devices) . When I got a Samsung device, I just stuck with Aqua Mail Pro and never set up Samsung email app, Gmail app or any other email app. I have all my accounts in Aqua Mail Pro.

 

[VidJunky]

How are the push notifications with the Samsung email app?

I'm not sure I fully understand what you're asking. For me, and others may configure it differently, I do have it set to give an audible alert when I receive an email. For the Samsung app this has to be turned on, if memory serves. I don't get a pop-up just the icon in the notification shade. That was one thing about Maildroid that was kind of neat, which was you could choose the icon and perhaps the color as well or maybe that was based on the account color... can't remember. With the Samsung app it is real simple, a single envelope for one new email and a double for multiple and that is per account. So if two different accounts get email you'll get the corresponding icon. Each also appears as its own line in the notifications and can be expanded to see the sender and subject for each. Touching an individual notification, in collapsed or expanded view will instantly open that email while touching a collapsed notification will open to the in-box for that account. Switching to the all accounts view is quick once you're in any of the views. Maidroid did opt to allow you to default open the app to the all accounts view and the Samsung app will open to the last view if you just open the app.

That's the most descriptive I could think of, if I didn't answer your question let me know.