Gmail for Java and Blackberry No Longer Available From Google - Get It Here
On November 22, 2011, Google discontinued support for mobile Java and BlackBerry versions of its Gmail app and removed the download links for these apps from their sites. The Gmail apps still work and are the best way I've found to access Gmail on non-touchscreen feature phones. I haven't used a BlackBerry in years but when I did I used the Google app because it worked better with Gmail than BlackBerry Mail did.
As these apps still work I'm posting them here for anyone that wants them. These are all official versions that I downloaded from the Google servers over a period of years. They are unmodified other than changing the URLs in the .jad files to point at the .jar or .cod files on my servers.
These apps work best on non-touchscreen phones. I've run the Gmail app on a N0kia N8 touchscreen phone and it works but it's frustratingly difficult to accurately tap the correct items in the tiny hierarchical menus
Mobile Java:
V 1.5 "Mail By Google" version that supports Google Apps domains - 157 KB: JAD JAR
BlackBerry:
V. 2.0.6 for BlackBerry OS 4.1 and later: JAD for OTA , ZIP for installation using Blackberry Desktop Manager
There's also a link to Gmail V. 2.0.7 for touchscreen BlackBerrys posted in this CrackBerry Forum thread.
A word about the various versions. V 2.0.6, which was released in 2009, was the last Gmail mobile Java version. It includes the following new features compared with previous releases
- Support for multiple Gmail accounts including Google Apps accounts.
- Offline capability. You can launch Gmail even when you have no signal to read emails that you previously downloaded and to compose new emails. When you hit "Send", instead of complaining about the lack of connectivity, Gmail will hold the newly composed email and send it when you move back into a area with coverage.
- Polling, Gmail will check for new email periodically, approximately every 5 minutes when it's in the foreground and every 20 minutes when running in the background.
- Alerts, when new mail arrives Gmail will alert you. The Java app vibrates once when a new email arrives, which is easy to miss. With the BlackBerry app the Gmail icon on the home screen changes to indicate you have unread mail. Gmail also hooks into the Blackberry OS's profile based notification system allowing you to configure the phone to do any combination of vibrating, ringing or flashing the message waiting LED continuously to indicate new mail.
Unfortunately, 2.0.6 doesn't work for everyone. There are two main problems:
- Size: Gmail 2.0.6 is a relatively big download, the generic Java version is 257 KB and is too large to run on some older and very low end current phones. Version 1.5 was significantly smaller at 156 KB and 1.0 smaller yet at only 113 KB. (The BlackBerry version of Gmail that is even larger, but even older BlackBerries seem to have sufficient resources to load and run it without problems.)
- Data and battery consumption: The constant polling uses data and battery power and there is no way to disable polling or change the interval. This is an obvious issue for anyone who pays for data by the KB or who needs to make their battery last as long as possible. The only way to stop Gmail from polling is the exit the app which means you have to restart it every time you want to check you mail. Gmail's start up time is quite long compared with the time required to do an on demand poll with 1.5.
For most Java phones the easiest way to install Gmail is to point your phone's browser at the mobile version of this post on wapreview.mobi and click on one of the JAD file links.
JAD (Java Application Descriptor) files are small text files that contain meta data about the actual application which is the JAR file. Loading the JAD file is the recommended way to install Java apps. The phone will read the JAD, which contains a link to the JAR, and then automatically download and install the JAR. Occasionally a phone will have trouble understanding the JAD but will be able to download and install the JAR directly. So if you get an error with the JAD link, try clicking the JAR file link.
Originally posted 1-Feb-2009. Updated 14-Dec-2011 with 2.0.6 versions added and links modified to point to copies of apps on my servers.
Just to reiterate, I have a default browser on my blackberry which I have been using to surf the net over my home wifi. It's been working fine. The blackberry is actually an unlocked device that I bought from a reputable dealer in the UAE called AXIOM.
I read in another forum that the Gmail 1.5 version is fraught with bugs because many users have experienced exactly the same problem as me. Someone also suggested using the Version 1.1.1 and swears that it will work. Any idea where I can download the version 1.1.1?
Many thanks for taking the time to respond to my question. I really appreciate it but I'm also very frustrated. Please help me?
Does this info help at a
I'm not surprised that the 1.5 generic Jave version doesn't work on a BlackBerry, as it's not intended for BlackBerrys. Have you tried the 2.0.6 BlackBerry version?
I was ecstatic finding the GMail application now that I need a reinstall on my trusted Nokia E71. Downloaded the 2.06 one (both JAD and JAR) and installed it without any problem...but running it the first time yields the error " this program requires a working data connection. Please check your signal strength and connection settings."
1.5 installs and runs without issue.
Defining an access point in the E71 Application Manager for the application doesn't do anything. Neither does settng the connectivity to 'always allowed'.
I'm at wits' end.
Any ideas would be VERY welcome, as the GMail application is actually pretty much the one I used to use the most and it's SORELY missed... :-(
I have tried a bit too, to get Gmail 2.06 working. I have a couple of nokia 5500 sports. And one of them have it on, with fullscreen version and all working well. But the other one had a hard reset, and i ended up with the same problem as you.
But it worked well with "first time"-inlogging 2 months ago. So i think it's something with Googles servers itselt to do, and not with the app. (i was stupid enough to make another hard reset just right after). Im a newbie, so i really dont know.
So i ended up using lonely cats ProfiMail. And this one also have notification on new emails (i think, havent got new emails yet). I bought it, but i think it has a trial-period so you can test it if you want.