Google Apps Account Setup Instructions for Macs and iOS

Google Apps Account Setup Instructions for Macs and iOS

We are often asked about setting up Google Apps accounts in Mac Mail, on iPads and iPhones.

Here are the basics, assuming you’re running a current version of Mac OS and that your iOS device is updated.

Mac Mail:

  1. On your Mac, launch Mail.app
  2. Go to the Mail menu and select Preferences
  3. Select the Accounts tab from the toolbar and click on the “+” icon in the bottom-left corner of the window
  4. Enter your Name, Google Apps email address (ie: phil@mydomain.com) and your password, click Continue.
  5. At this point, you MAY be presented with an Account Summary page, indicating an account type of Gmail IMAP.  If not, follow the instructions on steps 5(a) through 5(g).  Otherwise, your Mac has autodiscovered the appropriate server settings.  You may allow it to set up your Google Apps account in Notes, Calendars & Reminders and Messages as well, if you would like.  Click Create.  Skip to step 7.
  6. If your account did not set up automatically, follow these steps:
    • Make sure the Account Type is set to IMAP
    • Set the Incoming Mail Server to imap.gmail.com
    • Set the User Name to your full email address (ie: phil@mydomain.com)
    • Enter your password and click Continue
    • Set the Outgoing Mail Server to smtp.gmail.com
    • Select Use Authentication
    • Set the User Name to your full email address (ie: phil@mydomain.com)
    • Enter your password and click Continue
    • You should see an Account Summary page.  click Create
  7. Select the account that your Mac just created and choose the Mailbox Behaviors tab.
  8. Under normal circumstances, only the Move deleted messages to the Trash Mailbox item should stay checked.  Uncheck everything else.  Choose a retention policy for your deleted messages – one month is typical.
  9. Close the Mail Preferences window

iOS Setup:

  1. On your iOS devices, go to Settings
  2. Select Mail, Contacts, Calendars
  3. Select Add Account…
  4. Select Microsoft Exchange (Other choices will work but this is the preferred option unless you’re using a free Google Apps account, in which case you would select Google instead)
  5. Set the Email to your full email address
  6. Enter your Password and a description
  7. Select Next from the upper-right corner of the screen
  8. Set the Server to m.google.com
  9. Leave the Domain blank
  10. Set the Username to your full email address
  11. Enter your Password and a description
  12. Unless you plan to sync your contacts and calendars from Google turn those sliders OFF.  Leave the Mail slider ON.
    1. IF you want to sync your calendar(s) with Google, leave the calendar slider ON.
    2. Once the account is set up, go to https://m.google.com/sync/settings on your iOS device to choose which calendars to sync.
  13. Select Save from the upper-right corner of the screen
  14. Scroll down and make sure that the Default Account in the Mail section is set to your preferred Mail account

If these instructions were helpful to you or if they don’t help you get your Mail set up correctly let us know!


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