Gmail sync frequency

October 21, 2015 5:48 AM

I have an Android phone using lollipop. I would ideally like gmail to sync at multiple frequencies -- more often on wifi, less often on data, never overnight. But this isn't an option with the gmail app, which is push (my poor battery) or manual (I forget, then it acts up). What are the best options to have my phone do what it wants? I'm ok paying for an app, changing my mail app, etc.
posted by jeather to Technology (7 answers total)

Timeriffic lets you turn "auto-sync" on and off (as well as other handy things like silent on/off, volume, wifi on/off, etc) on a schedule, however it doesn't let you change the sync frequency.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 7:04 AM on October 21, 2015

What is the problem that you seek to solve with these changes? Is it the battery being drained? Too much data usage?
posted by AugustWest at 7:18 AM on October 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

Gmail is the least likely app to cause battery problems - have you checked the battery usage stats under the Battery section of Settings? It shows an estimate of each app's battery consumption.

You can also go to Settings > Data Usage and then go to the top-right menu and activate "Restrict Background Data" which will turn off all background sync on mobile networks but sync normally on wifi. It will definitely lower data usage, I'm not sure if it make any huge differences to battery life. It will affect other apps as well - hangouts may not get messages until you launch it, etc.
posted by GuyZero at 7:39 AM on October 21, 2015

You could accomplish this, I think, with the IF app and define a condition of wifi connection/disconnection to alter settings on the phone.

Tasker is another option, but it's not free ($2.99).
posted by camcgee at 9:31 AM on October 21, 2015

IF the battery is an issue, I would check on Google Play Services as the culprit, not GMail.
posted by AugustWest at 10:41 AM on October 21, 2015

I just synch when I open gmail, then turn it off when I have finished. I keep data off when I am not using it. I don't synch anything. I don't set my location. I turn off the background data on anything I don't use often. For instance, if I want something off of google play, I tuen on background data then. Then turn it back off.
posted by Oyéah at 2:10 PM on October 21, 2015

If you can find an email app that syncs automatically on opening it, and only then when it is running, you can use tasker to automatically open and close the app at the times you want to have it syncing. I have done this with other things I wanted to run complicated notification patterns with like Twitter. But I have to admit I never quite got it working the way I wanted. Theoretically it's possible, though, and there are tutorials around.
posted by lollusc at 3:54 PM on October 21, 2015