Google activates IMAP for Gmail and here is How to Configure it Google has recently activated IMAP support for its popular Gmail E-Mail service. This means that you can download your E-Mails to your PC or Mac, using Outlook or whatever you are using, and in addition you can access the same inbox from your mobile device. Google is also offering a mail client for mobile devices, but for the moment it only supports J2ME-enabled devices and since not all Windows Mobile devices includes J2ME but Outlook Mobile, this is the better option anyway.

E-Mail clients using IMAP generally leave messages on the server until the user explicitly deletes them. This and other options of IMAP operation allow multiple clients to access the same mailbox. While IMAP offers access to the mail store on the server, the client may store local copies of the messages, these are considered to be a temporary cache and the server's store is authoritative.

And if this sounds good to you below is how to configure Gmail on your Windows Mobile device:

1. Enable IMAP in your Gmail account settings (details).
2. Open the Start menu and select 'Programs' > 'Messaging' > 'New E-mail Account.'
3. Enter your Gmail username (including '@gmail.com') in the E-mail Address field.
4. Uncheck the box to get settings automatically from the Internet and select 'Next.'
5. Select 'Internet e-mail' as your email provider in the drop-down menu.
6. Enter your name as you want it to appear in sent emails.
7. Enter a descriptive name for the email account and select 'Next.'
8. Enter 'imap.gmail.com' in the Incoming Mail Server field.
9. Select 'IMAP4' as the Account type from the drop-down menu and select 'Next.'
10. Enter your Gmail username (including '@gmail.com') and password.
11. Select 'Next.'
12. Enter 'smtp.gmail.com' in the Outgoing (SMTP) Mail Server field.
13. Make sure that the 'Outgoing server requires authentication' box is checked.
14. Select the 'Advanced Server Settings' link.
15. Make sure that the 'Require SSL' box is checked for both incoming and outgoing emails.
16. Select 'The Internet' as the network connection from the drop-down menu.
17. Select 'Done' and then 'Next.'
18. Select how often you want your phone to send/receive emails from the drop-down menu.
19. For more download options, select the 'Review all download settings' link.
20. Select 'Finish.'

Now you can enjoy Gmail on your mobile phone !