I’ve successfully created my Gmail address, thank you. What do I need to do in order to get notified on my computer screen of any new mail(s) arriving in my Gmail inbox?
Steve
The free email account from Google, Gmail, is loaded with features and integrates very well with other Google products and services. If you are a prolific user, you would surely like to receive Gmail email notifications for new incoming messages, right? On this page, I shall detail two ways to get this done on your computer – which one you choose depends entirely on you.
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GTalk – Gmail email notifications from the chat program
Download and install GTalk, the Google chat program. Once you have it up and running on your computer, login at your account and make sure you stay signed in. Also ensure that GTalk starts automatically each time you switch on your computer.
Configure Gmail in the default email program and get set up notifications
Unlike Hotmail and Yahoo!Mail, all free Gmail email accounts are POP3 enabled. This means you can configure the Gmail account in your favourite email client which then downloads and stores the messages on your computer. FYI, POP is a popular email protocol (consider it a ‘technology’) that lets email programs connect to the server. Below are links to different articles that have step by step instructions on how to set up a Gmail email account.
- Gmail on Outlook Express
- Set up Gmail account on Windows Mail Vista
- Windows Live Mail configuration: Gmail email
Once the account has been configured in the client you need to set up the new email notification, typically, using a sound alert. You can actually have your favourite song play when new email arrives at your Gmail account. Cool!
Gmail on your cellphone
But both the methods described above require you to be in front of the computer and to have the program running to be notified of the arrival of new email messages in your Gmail account. The coolest way is to use Gmail email from your cellphone. I, for instance, have set up the Gmail account on my iPhone. This way you would have access to the messages everywhere and can know immediately when something urgent turns up – assuming, obviously, that you carry the mobile device on your person.