New Fun Blog – Scott Bilas

I just figured out the right way to set up Gmail on an iPod Touch or iPhone. The right way is not to set up Gmail using the built-in Gmail template. It’s to use the “Other” option – no mail template.

I’ve been wondering why stuff has mysteriously been showing up in my Trash on Gmail. Items in the trash get permanently deleted after 30 days. Maybe you want that, but I don’t. On all my other mail apps I’ve set “delete” up to do the same as Gmail’s “archive” feature. Just move stuff into Gmail/All Mail.

The problem is that on the iPod it ignores you when you try to configure where the Trash goes. When I select All Mail it actually just sets it back to Trash underneath. The text in the advanced config says All Mail, yet if you hit it, it turns out it’s really pointing at Trash.

Weird. Bug, Apple?

Anyway, the solution is just to set up Gmail as a vanilla IMAP server (the “Other” option at the bottom of the list of Exchange, MobileMe, Gmail, and so on), and not using the built-in Gmail template on the phone. Then tell Drafts, Sent Items, and Trash to all go to Drafts, Sent Items, and All Mail. If you do this, then the iPod actually obeys your wishes and does not lose your settings.

Now, I want to move all the stuff the iPod has trashed (at least the last 30 days’ worth that are remaining) back out of the trash. And I don’t know what’s wrong with me but I can’t figure it out. All I can do is empty the trash or delete items in it. Gmail Help says to hit “Move to Inbox” but there’s no such button for me. Am I blind?