How to: Easily Sync Gmail and Google Services in iOS

If you own an iOS device and use Google’s web services, you’re probably be aware of how much of a pain it can be to set up Google’s Gmail, Contacts and Calendar on your device. Here’s an easy way to set everything up in just one step.

To sync your Google account the “easy way,” you’ll need to set up your gmail account through Microsoft Exchange, which lets you access contacts & calendars, and syncs everything up for you between your device and Google.

When setting up your Gmail account on your iOS device, choose Microsoft exchange instead of email. Type in your Gmail address under the Email field, and enter your Google password. Then, just press next. If you get an “unable to verify certificate” message, click cancel. Now, type m.google.com in the Server field that just appeared, and click next.

That’s all there is to it – if you followed all these steps, you’re device should be syncing with Google Services and sending/receiving updates in realtime.

As a side benefit, setting your Google account this way also enables you to use Push with your gmail account, which you otherwise wouldn’t be able to do.

J. Glenn Künzler

Glenn is Managing Editor at MacTrast, and has been using a Mac since he bought his first MacBook Pro in 2006. He lives in a small town in Utah, enjoys bacon more than you can possibly imagine, and is severely addicted to pie.