Three Ways to Use Gmail on Your Phone

GMail is wonderful, free, and ubiquitous. Thanks to its support for the POP3 and IMAP protocols, you can access your Gmail inbox via Outlook, Thunderbird, or other e-mail programs in addition to using the standard Web method. Alternatively you can read your Gmail messages on your cell phone through your phone's browser by navigating to Gmail's Web site. Some phones (including my Motorola Razr V3 with T-Mobile service) won't display standard Web sites, unfortunately, though they will display sites designed to support the Wireless Applications Protocol (WAP) using the Wireless Markup Language (WML). Google's WAP-compatible Gmail site is http://m.gmail.com (don't leave off the 'http://' part-unlike the browser on your PC, your phone's browser may not add that prefix automatically).

Gmail's mobile site is perfectly functional, but the company offers something even better for Java-compatible phones. The Gmail Java app promises faster performance than the Web interface, and it supports attachments better. To try it, visit http://gmail.com/app and click the big blue Get Started Now button. After you enter your mobile phone number and click the Send Now button, Gmail will send you a text message with instructions on how to download the application. If neither the WAP page nor the Java applet work on your phone, you may be able to see your Gmail on your phone by configuring your cell phone carrier's e-mail system to download messages from Gmail via POP3 or IMAP. Consult tip #6 of "Thirteen Simple Ways to Bring Order to Your Inbox" for instructions on how to do this.