iCloud vs Gmail for primary email service

[jiden77]

Hi,
I haven't seen this particular question asked in the iMore forums in a while, so I thought I would pose the question once again. I've been invested in Apple products since the iPhone 3GS (my first iPhone), with brief stints with Android once or twice.

I'm 100% confident I'm sticking with Apple products for the long term, having invested in a MacBook Air, Apple TV, iPad, Apple Watch and of course iPhones (My 7 Plus is on order as of today!).

I've always used Gmail as my primary email, but slowly my wife and I have moved our contacts to iCloud, we use the Family Calendar function heavily as well as manage our family photo albums in iCloud with shared albums. The only Google services I still use are Gmail as my primary email and YouTube these days, as well as Chrome as my work PC browser. Even that I keep synced with the iCloud control panel so my favorites are always the same when I go to my Apple devices.

I'm wondering if I should take the final dive and convert to using iCloud email. I love the idea of true push email, simplifying my services into iCloud email and the benefits of how it's natively built into the OS's. Anyone take the plunge and care to give your thoughts? Thanks!

 

[TwitchyPuppy]

Well, since the Gmail app shows me ads and the native Mail app does the job for my Gmail address, that's the one I'm using (and have been for years) and the one I'm recommending you to use.

 

[kurpaige]

I wanted to but not 100% iCloud can hold it's own against gmail. I get a lot more junk mail in icloud and the web version takes way too long to update. I'll get a notification on my watch and wait for ever for it to so on the web and never does without manually hitting the refresh button. One or two emails hear and there and icloud works but 100 an hour from facebook/twitter and various forum updates and i really don't hold on the web version and that's what I need to check while at work.

 

[Rob Phillips]

I've been an Apple loyalist for years and I'm in the same situation. I have everything in iCloud except my primary email address is through Gmail. I use a third party mail app that supports Gmail push notifications as well as my iCloud email, so the lack of push using the stock Mail app is a non-issue. Furthermore, it sounds like a whole lot of work to change everything over to a new address, and I'm never comfortable using an email address that relies on me subscribing to a particular service or owning a particular device. Long story short, I'm sticking with Gmail.

 

[robertk328]

I've been an Apple loyalist for years and I'm in the same situation. I have everything in iCloud except my primary email address is through Gmail. I use a third party mail app that supports Gmail push notifications as well as my iCloud email, so the lack of push using the stock Mail app is a non-issue. Furthermore, it sounds like a whole lot of work to change everything over to a new address, and I'm never comfortable using an email address that relies on me subscribing to a particular service or owning a particular device. Long story short, I'm sticking with Gmail.

This is kind of where I'm at. I've changed emails before, and while it can be done, it does take some time. I may try it for a bit and see, but not sure I'm ready to move everything over just yet. If you do switch, use Google's inactive account manager to make sure your account isn't deleted or locked, particularly if you have important emails there.

 

[Rob Phillips]

This is kind of where I'm at. I've changed emails before, and while it can be done, it does take some time. I may try it for a bit and see, but not sure I'm ready to move everything over just yet. If you do switch, use Google's inactive account manager to make sure your account isn't deleted or locked, particularly if you have important emails there.

Sound advice (for once)!

 

[robertk328]

Sound advice (for once)!

Haha Rob

 

[jiden77]

This is kind of where I'm at. I've changed emails before, and while it can be done, it does take some time. I may try it for a bit and see, but not sure I'm ready to move everything over just yet. If you do switch, use Google's inactive account manager to make sure your account isn't deleted or locked, particularly if you have important emails there.

Yes, it's a lot of legwork to get all of my online accounts, plus advise all of my contacts of the new email address. I also don't know that I'd like to lock it all in with iCloud, should one day my eye wander to the other side again. 1st world problems, eh?

 

[Just_Me_D]

I am one of the people who've made the switch from Gmail to iCloud as my "primary" email account, and the switch for me easy. At the time, I simply deactivated my Google account. In recent months, I've created a new one for Mobile Nations purposes only. I also have other email accounts, Outlook.com, Yahoo, and even my old AOL that I use for various purposes. Still, iCloud is and will remain my primary account for the foreseeable future.

 

[Rob Phillips]

Yes, it's a lot of legwork to get all of my online accounts, plus advise all of my contacts of the new email address. I also don't know that I'd like to lock it all in with iCloud, should one day my eye wander to the other side again. 1st world problems, eh?

Definite first world problems! Still, I doubt I'll be switching to Android but I sure wouldn't want something like an email address stopping me.

 

[katesbb]

I'm wondering if I should take the final dive and convert to using iCloud email. I love the idea of true push email...

Just a note: my iCloud email no longer reliably pushes to my iOS devices. It's not just me either: https://discussions.apple.com/message/30853833?start=0&tstart=0

Oddly, it works fine on the Mac - just not with the iPhone or iPad. It's been this way ever since one of the later Public Betas and has continued with today's official 10.1 release.

I've considered switching to my iCloud address too, but so far settled on a compromise: I have my Gmail forwarding to my iCloud account. That way, I (used to) get my Gmail almost instantly.

 

[robertk328]

Yes, it's a lot of legwork to get all of my online accounts, plus advise all of my contacts of the new email address. I also don't know that I'd like to lock it all in with iCloud, should one day my eye wander to the other side again. 1st world problems, eh?

that and I can't really see any reason to make a move. I guess you could if you wanted to stop sharing data with google, but I haven't reached that point

 

[iGore313]

If you only use the iClod account, can yo still log into the account f other computers or only your iPhone or Mac? Maybe this is a stupid question, but a gmail account seems more convenient to me.

 

[anon(153966)]

My personal opinion is always have and use email and cloud services that can be fully used on ANY smartphone. Thus the likes of Android, iOS, Windows, etc.

Locking one's self into something, can cause problems later, IF you decide to switch devices, etc.
For emial, I use two domains, Outlook.com and my personal domain. Same applies for my cloud data and such.

Now, one thing I have been thinking about is to stop using iMessage. Why, I can't use it on other devices if I ever decide to switch again.

Awww, decisions, decisions...

 

[robertk328]

If you only use the iClod account, can yo still log into the account f other computers or only your iPhone or Mac? Maybe this is a stupid question, but a gmail account seems more convenient to me.

iCloud.com

 

[iGore313]

I should have guess! Thanks for the information @robertk328

 

[jiden77]

My personal opinion is always have and use email and cloud services that can be fully used on ANY smartphone. Thus the likes of Android, iOS, Windows, etc.

Locking one's self into something, can cause problems later, IF you decide to switch devices, etc.
For emial, I use two domains, Outlook.com and my personal domain. Same applies for my cloud data and such.

Now, one thing I have been thinking about is to stop using iMessage. Why, I can't use it on other devices if I ever decide to switch again.

Awww, decisions, decisions...

Yes, this exactly. As much as I love iMessage for it's features and convenience with the 95% of people I communicate with (who have i-Devices), I can see this being the only real problem when/if I ever switched platforms. Now that WhatsApp has video calling, it might be a solution...although rumblings of an Android version of iMessage are still around Apple may still bring iMessage to Android, eventually

 

[ernestswhite]

I've been debating this myself for a while. I primarily use Apples built in products (contacts, calendar, etc) due to the iCloud integration. My email I spread between iCloud, Gmail & Outlook. Thinking about removing outlook from the equation but really wish Gmail still had push integration with the mail app.

 

[robertk328]

I've been debating this myself for a while. I primarily use Apples built in products (contacts, calendar, etc) due to the iCloud integration. My email I spread between iCloud, Gmail & Outlook. Thinking about removing outlook from the equation but really wish Gmail still had push integration with the mail app.

I started using Email, and like it a good bit.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/email-mail-for-gmail-yahoo/id922793622?mt=8&at=10l3Vy

Still considering the switch to all iCloud for email, but for the moment I'm really liking that app.

 

[anon(153966)]

Years ago, Apple's iCloud email was awful; mainly with delivery of emails. Also, I don't believe they allowed avatars for Contacts.
- do they allow avatars for Contacts now?
- is the delivery of email via iCloud much better?