Google releases Gmail app for iPhone, iPad

Google today released its first Gmail app for Apple's iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

The move came a day after the search giant revamped the design of Gmail for desktop- and notebook-based browsers.

Gmail for iOS is a free download, requires version 4.0 or later of Apple's mobile operating system and is available now on the App Store.

Product manager Matthew Izatt hit the highlights of Gmail for iOS in a blog post today, touting the app's speed, navigational efficiency and touch-based interface.

A drop-down menu in Gmail for iOS lets uses quickly reply to or print selected messages.

The new app offers auto-complete for email addresses in Gmail's own contact list or the device's native address book, alerts users of new mail via notifications, and supports Gmail's Priority Inbox, the feature Google debuted in August 2010 that automatically arranges messages to put the most important at the top of the queue.

On the iPad, the app shows the Gmail interface in a split view, with message headers on one side and their contents on the other.

When the iOS device is offline, users can compose new messages or open recently-read messages, said Google on the app's Help website.

The same site told Google Apps users with accounts created before November 2010 that they must migrate to the new accounts infrastructure to use the Gmail app. "Contact your Google Apps administrator if this app doesn't work with your Google Apps account," said Google.

As of 1:30 p.m. ET, the Gmail app could not be found by searching the App Store; to download it, steer to this URL, then click the button marked "View in iTunes."

Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer, on Google+ or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed . His e-mail address is gkeizer@computerworld.com.

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