Posted On 11 Mar 2021

Question: How can I fix my Gmail not syncing across devices?

Answer:
Gmail is one of the world’s most popular email providers, and generally users are happy with the system, but occasionally it can throw up problems in terms of syncing with the mobile app, leaving you unable to send or receive any emails on your phone. This can happen when data transfer problems create invisible errors that leave the app hanging. However, fortunately this is not a difficult problem to fix: it can be sorted in a few simple steps.

With an Android device, the first option is to undertake a manual sync: simply open the Gmail app and swipe down from top to bottom of the screen. An alternative is to go to settings and enable automatic syncing. If this doesn’t work, check that you have a mobile connection, that you have entered the correct password, and that you are using the latest version of the app. Finally, you can go to Settings > Apps and Notifications > Gmail > Storage & Cache > Clear Storage will remove app data and cached files that may be clogging up your system. If none of these works, try the tried and tested method of turning your device off and on again, which in many cases can be all that’s needed to get your app working properly.

Many of the above steps also apply to iPhones, but there are a few additional steps that can be taken with iOS. Check that IMAP is enabled; it should be by default, but if it’s not, turn it back on. You can also check on your push settings: if you are set to manual syncing, the app will only connect emails when you turn it on: go to Settings > Passwords & Accounts > Fetch New Data > Gmail > Fetch.

Other possible ways of remedying matters with an iPhone are to delete the Gmail app and reinstall it, or delete your account from your phone and set it up again. Doing this won’t affect your data apart from removing it from your device and it will be re-loaded when you reinstall the app or account.