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GoogleApps@UIC: Frequently Asked Questions

Google Apps and Accessibility

GoogleApps@UIC: Using Gmail

Using Email Programs and Devices

Moving to GoogleApps@UIC: Email Transfer Guide

GoogleApps@UIC: Groups

Google's Google Apps Learning Center (includes mobile)

Using GoogleApps@UIC Gmail with Other Email Programs and Devices

Before you can do anything on this page, you will have to change your ACCC Common password, just once. Unless your password is nearing expiration, you will be allowed to reuse your current password. (Again, just this once.)

Note added May 6: Syncing the password change with Google is taking more time as more people are using GoogleApps@UIC; it might take as much as three hours. So don't worry if this doesn't work immediately because of your password. Try again later.

Table of Contents

Can I read my GoogleApps@UIC Email using other Email Programs?

Yes, you can to set up other email programs to do GoogleApps@UIC email in exactly the same manner as you would any other Google Email account.

But first, you will have to change your ACCC Common password, just once. Unless your password is nearing expiration, you will be allowed to reuse your current password. (Again, just this once.) Note that your password change may take as long as two hours or more to reach Google, so don't worry if this doesn't work right away.

IMAP Access

Your netid@uic.edu is your GoogleApps@UIC account name at Google for Gmail. Note that both Google and the ACCC recommend using IMAP to access your email remotely.

GoogleApps@UIC email accounts are now automatically set up to accept IMAP access.

  1. Change your ACCC Password. Unless your password is nearing expiration, you will be allowed to reuse your current password. (Just this once.) Note added May 6: Syncing the password change with Google is taking more time as more people are using GoogleApps@UIC; it might take as much as three hours. So don't worry if this doesn't work immediately because of your password. Try again later.

  2. Follow Google's IMAP instructions, for many email clients. You will need the information in the Notes below. GoogleApps@UIC email accounts are now automatically set up to accept IMAP access, so you can skip that step.

Notes on setting GoogleApps@UIC Gmail with IMAP:

The Google Help link also has troubleshooting information.

For example, here are illustrations of the account settings in Thunderbird 3 of abyron1's GoogleApps's email for IMAP. Note that the User Name: is abyron1@uic.edu in both the incoming email setup and the outgoing/SMTP setup. Also note: do not check Use Secure authentication.
IMAP

SMTP

POP Access

Your netid@uic.edu is the name of your GoogleApps@UIC account name at Google. GoogleApps@UIC email accounts are already set up to accept POP; you can skip that step.

Note that IMAP is a much better way to go than POP. IMAP provides two-way communication between your email client and Gmail, which means that if you do something to your Gmail inbox on your computer or on your mobile device, those changes will appear in Gmail the next time you log in. Even Google recommends using IMAP rather than POP.

Please consider using IMAP rather than POP. See IMAP Access above.

  1. Change your ACCC Password. Unless your password is nearing expiration, you will be allowed to reuse your current password. (Just this once.) Note added May 6: Syncing the password change with Google is taking more time as more people are using GoogleApps@UIC; it might take as much as three hours. So don't worry if this doesn't work immediately because of your password. Try again later.

  2. Follow Google's POP instructions, for many email clients. You will need the information in the Notes below.

Notes on setting GoogleApps@UIC Gmail with POP:

The Google Help link also has troubleshooting information, though if you follow the instructions -- and remember to turn on SSL for both and passwords for the outgoing email -- you shouldn't have any problems.

What about my iPhone? Android? Palm? Windows Mobile? Other smartphone?

Yes, you can probably read your GoogleApps@UIC email on your smartphone also, using your smartphone's built-in email program. Google has has a list of supported smartphones at Supported IMAP client list, with links to instructions for each type of phone.

Google's Google Mobile page and its Google Mobile page formated for mobile devices has much more information.

Google's Supported IMAP client list has links to detailed instructions for many types of devices.

For my iPhone, it was a simple matter of using its "add a Gmail account" tool and using my netid@uic.edu as the email address and my changed ACCC common password as the password. And my Google Calender has a nice two-way sync with iCal on my iPhone now too. Sweet!

But as with using other email programs:

What about my BlackBerry?

We haven't heard much about people having trouble setting up their smartphones' built-in email apps to read GoogleApps@UIC email, but we have with BlackBerries.

If you have an older BlackBerry, that does not have Version 5 of the BlackBerry operating system, follow Google's instructions on how to set up IMAP on BlackBerry. (RIM does not support POP for Gmail on BlackBerries.) Google goes on to say that doing Gmail with Messages on BlackBerries is not officially supported. Note that your login ID is your netid@uic.edu; the @uic.edu part is required. We hope it will work for you.

However, if you have a newer BlackBerry, one that has Version 5 of the operating system, regardless of what carrier you use, your BlackBerry's built-in IMAP email client will not let you enter your netid@uic.edu as your login ID. It  will not accept an "@" symbol. No login ID, no account. Thus, you can not use these BlackBerries with GoogleApps.

But don't worry, even if you can't use your BlackBerry's Messages app to read your GoogleApps@UIC email, Google has its own mobile app that works on BlackBerries: Google's BlackBerry Mobile Setup Guide.

The Google Mobile app works just fine; it even downloads you mail automatically. It behaves a bit differently than the built-in BlackBerry mail, but the only real down side is that it is a separate application. You will have two mail icons on your home page. One, an envelope with the red M outline for Gmail, and the one that  comes with the BlackBerry.

Help! I can't get my phones built-in email client to read my GoogleApps@UIC email!

Don't despair, Google has an app for that: Gmail for Mobile. It's available for Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Nokia S60, Windows phones, and others. Google thinks it's better than built-in, in some cases, because it looks and works like the Google Web pages.

To get Gmail for Mobile, visit this URL in your phone's browser: m.google.com.

I've been using pine on icarus/tigger. What about me?

There are versions of pine for Windows, Macs, and Linux and you can use them to manage your GoogleApps@UIC email. (Al)pine for Your PC and GoogleApps@UIC has instructions how how to download, install, and configure PC Alpine -- pine for Windows -- to read your GoogleApps@UIC email. The download link on that page works for Macs and Linux also; configuration is similar for those operating systems.

Help! I read my GoogleApps@UIC email with Thunderbird, Outlook, my phone, etc., and it keeps complaining that my userid or password is wrong!

If your email program complains that your userid or password is not correct -- and you know that you typed it correctly and if you have already changed your ACCC password once and have waited three hours for the change to sync with Google -- then go to:

The Google Captcha page

and unlock your account. It worked for me! Note that this is the Google Captcha page; now you have to use your netid@uic.edu -- with the @uic.edu on the page.

We are sorry about this page having a captcha; it's Google's page, not ours. If you have any problems clearing the captcha on this page, please come to the CSO or see any ACCC lab monitor. They will help you.

Here are some things that might trigger this lock:

  1. Too frequent logins. (Google documentation says not to connect more often than once every ten minutes.)
  2. Repeated password failures.
  3. Frequently changing IP addresses (especially from geographically diverse locations).

Need Additional Help?

Consider our Troubleshooting Guide. If you need additional assistance, please call the Client Services Office at (312) 413-0003. You can file a problem report or email us at consult@uic.edu.