Google Will End Support For BlackBerry Gmail App, Focus On Gmail For Browser

Google has announced that it is ending support for its Gmail app for BlackBerry devices and will pull its native app from the BlackBerry operating system on November 22.

In a short post on the Google App Updates blog, Google announced the "Deprecation of Gmail App for BlackBerry," saying it was removing its BlackBerry app in order to focus on Gmail in the mobile browser.

Those who have already downloaded the Gmail app will still be able to use it, but Google will not be issuing updates or providing any continued support. BlackBerry owners have until November 22 to download the Gmail app before it disappears forever.

In the blog post Google did not give any concrete reason why it was pulling its Gmail app. Here's their explanation:

Over this past year, we've focused efforts on building a great Gmail experience in the mobile browser and will continue investing in this area.

This is the second time in a week that Google has removed an app from a mobile operating system, as the search giant released and subsequently pulled its Gmail app for Apple devices within a series of hours last Wednesday. That app removal was triggered by widespread bug and crash reports, however, that have not plagued the Gmail app on RIM devices.

With Gmail gone from BlackBerry and iOS, and with Windows Phone never having, Google's Android the only significant operating system in the United States with a native Gmail app. Here is a spreadsheet of Gmail availability across mobile operating systems from the Gmail for Mobile website; we've removed a checkmark from the BlackBerry native app box, as the site has not yet been updated to reflect the day's announcement:

Comments

[jsgaetano]

01:09 AM on 11/10/2011

Now there's one less reason to use GMail.

[nishioka]

12:04 AM on 11/10/2011

> Over this past year, we've focused efforts on building a great Gmail experience in the mobile browser and will continue investing in this area.

That doesn't at all explain why they just tried to launch a Gmail app for iOS last week. Or did they get burned so bad by the screwup that they decided to just abandon that fiasco?

[rivercard]

05:52 PM on 11/09/2011

Email is the one thing BB does right.

Search is the one thing Google does right.

Both useless for anything else.

[Sal Guerrero]

05:20 PM on 11/09/2011

It doesn't matter. Most BB owners use the email service for everything that integrates all emails, not some app that refreshes every few minutes. BB is still superior in email than all other devices.

[jsgaetano]

01:09 AM on 11/10/2011

I used to like GMail because it could keep my work mail separate from my personal email. But I've been using BIS for a while, and it's actually pretty good. Not as good as BES, but much better than the GMail app.

[Vic22]

03:47 PM on 11/09/2011

Blackberry is dead. I just moved from BB to an andriod because developers just stopped caring about making their apps for BB. The difference between the Galaxy S II and the blackberry Torch is night and day. With flagship phones like the torch, no apps, and enterprises starting to allow Iphones, and Androids for their employees, its just a matter of time

[groucho42]

02:21 PM on 11/09/2011

They're just removing support from every non-google owned operating system. Nothing at all surprisingly from the latest company in the history of business to try to abuse its near-monopoly position.

[democles]

11:48 AM on 11/09/2011

What's a blackberry?

[fozzi58]

04:23 PM on 11/09/2011

The secure device that all corporations use.

[democles]

05:27 PM on 11/09/2011

Funny... I thought it was the ms dos of smart phones.

[mjredder]

11:37 AM on 11/09/2011

Mobile web will replace apps anyway.

[cookie20]

11:02 AM on 11/09/2011

They're only removing support for an app not the full gmail service from Blackberry. For most users the app is not needed as with the BIS service you can sync email, contacts and calendar OTA. This isn't as big a story as you're making out

[Yam716]

12:23 PM on 11/09/2011

Agreed!

I got more helpful information from your 3 line post then I did the article.

[jsgaetano]

01:13 AM on 11/10/2011

I started out thinking this would be a big deal, but Blackberry no longer keeps all the messages in one mailbox, so it's possible to have both work and personal mailboxes separate. BIS is far superior to the GMail app, and I speak from experience.