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October 28, 2008

Gmail Modes


If you can't access Gmail, try some of these URLs:

Safe mode - http://mail.google.com/mail/?labs=0. It disables the experimental features from Gmail Labs, just in case some of them are buggy. You can remove some of the features from Gmail's settings page.

Secure mode - https://mail.google.com/. It encrypts the traffic between your computer and Gmail's servers. Use it from public computers, Wi-Fi networks or to bypass some proxies and web accelerators. There's a Gmail setting that redirects the standard version to the secure mode ("Always use https").

Older version - http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=1. This version has been replaced in October 2007 by a rearchitectured Gmail, but the old version is a little bit faster.

Basic mode - http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=html. It's the version that doesn't use JavaScript, so it loads faster and it works well with older browsers. Unfortunately, many Gmail features are missing (contacts autocomplete, chat, spell checker, rich formatting) and each click loads a new page. If you like this version, click on "Set basic HTML as default view" at the top of the page.

Mobile mode - http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=mobile or http://m.gmail.com. This is a simplified Gmail interface for mobile phones that has even less feature than the basic mode. Use it if no other Gmail mode works for you.

iPhone mode - http://mail.google.com/mail/x/gdlakb-/gp/. A more user-friendly mobile version for iPhone and other mobile phones that use WebKit-based browsers.

iGoogle gadget - http://www.google.com/ig/gmailmax. This is the canvas view for the updated Gmail gadget which can be found in the new iGoogle. Some people found that this interface bypasses most corporate filters that prevent them from accessing Gmail at work.

"No browser checking" mode - http://mail.google.com/mail?nocheckbrowser. If you use a cutting-edge new browser and Gmail serves you the basic HTML mode, try this URL to bypass browser detection.

37 comments:

  1. Labs turned on mail.google.com/mail/?labs=1
    Labs turned off mail.google.com/mail/?labs=0
    New standard mail.google.com/mail?ui=2
    Old standard mail.google.com/mail?ui=1
    Basic HTML mail.google.com/mail/?ui=html
    Mobile XHTML m.gmail.com
    http://blogoscoped.com/forum/133251.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. GREATTTTTTT!

    I can finaly access my account at my work PC :D

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  3. Is there a URL to the new standard with chat automatically disabled (or set to invisible)?

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  4. Thank you SOOOOOO much. I was always looking for a way to force the iPhone layout but couldn't find it. This looks much better on my (non-i) phone

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  5. You should remain cautious with the "https://mail.google.com" version, or the so called "Secure Mode". Just typing in that URL will still send some traffic over normal HTTP, and cookie/session-hijacking is still possible. If you want to make sure, go to options in GMail and enable the "Always use HTTPs" option. This will guarantee a HTTPs connection, no matter what.

    You'll be safer that way than by just typing in the https-URL, which only makes you *think* you're browsing safe.

    And if you find your GMail Notifier suddenly broken, when enabling that "Always use HTTPs"-option, you can find a fix for that here; http://www.mattiasgeniar.be/privacy/is-your-gmail-notifier-broken/

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  6. This is a good list, but it omits one handy alternative that I am aware of - the Google Groups approach, which is a little bit similar to the canvas view for the updated Gmail gadget which can be found in the new iGoogle.

    The Google Groups approach can currently bypass any draconian security restrictions (that I have come across) when accessing Gmail from corporate networks, and is great when you have to - for example - be able to have free access to view and respond to any new mail coming into your Gmail account.

    Method:
    1. Set up a Google Group with just yourself as a member (add other people as members if you usually want to share your Gmail mailbox with them). Find out from the Groups settings what the peculiar email address is for that group. Give the group a nondescriptive name - e.g., "Philosophy" - because that is what will display in the top LHS of your screen when you peruse the group posts.

    2. The group posts will actually be copies of incoming emails to your Gmail account. This is done by setting up (say) a "forward all incoming mail" rule (or other rule as suits your needs) in your Gmail account, using your Group's peculiar email address as the forwarding destination. You can reply to these email posts, via the Group screen, but remember to CC your Gmail address if you want to keep a record in your Gmail account of the replies you make. (This reply and CCing operation is a bit kludgy, but it works. You might now be able to automate the CCing in the Group settings, but I'm not sure.)

    I read about this approach a year or so ago, somewhere in one of the many Google blogs, and after setting it up I found it worked a treat.

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  7. Also for read only access, viewing "gmail"s in Google Reader could be worth a try! :)

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  8. It won't take sys admins long to work out a way to blog the canvas view of the iGoogle gadget.

    It only took a week and a half before the sys admins realised the game had changed and blocked it at my workplace.

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  9. Gee whiz, wonder where Google Tutor got the idea for their article: http://www.googletutor.com/2008/10/28/cant-access-gmail-try-these-urls/

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  10. I think The iGoogle gadget really rocks as I can access Gmail without issue at workplace. http://goosh.org/ is good but still gets blocked by the firewall.

    Praveen
    http://spraveenitpro.blogspot.com/

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  11. How about if none of these solution works?

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  12. @energio:
    In that case, go to Gmail's help center. The problem could be "a conflict with software on your computer, browser cache that needs to be cleared, or a temporary problem on the Gmail server".

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  13. so many modes, but why ???
    there must be a single standard mode so one don't have to remember all of them ...

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  14. @Social Media Marketing Blog

    Yea.. its http://gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I usually type https://gmail.google.com (and it works), since someone told me that's the right way to go permanently encrypted. Is it true?

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  16. Clearing your browser cache is usually all you need to do if you find you can no longer access Gmail.

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  17. @Nino

    You have to mark the option "Use always HTTPs" inside GMail options.

    ReplyDelete
  18. @trek 1 s

    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  19. The Basic Mode's correct URL is:
    http://mail.google.com/mail/h

    The iPhone Mode and iGoogle Gadget's URLs won't work (the Gmail's iPhone interface only works if you actually modify your user agent string to spoof as an iPhone).

    Please check them and correct them.

    Thanks in advance.

    Great and useful article.

    ReplyDelete
  20. The google iphone url worked fine for me and i'm on mozilla (fennec), been looking for that option forever without having to spoof webkit useragent.

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  21. Hello,

    Maybe someone can help me with a problem.
    I enabled both the Calendar and the Drag&Drop Labs' apps in my Gmail account, since then I can only access my account in HTML mode. I tried all the other options listed in the post (safe, secure, older and basic modes), but nothing's working, the page cannot load.
    Any idea how fix that and disable the Labs applications?

    Thank you

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  22. Leader in providing content to mobile phone users WORLDWIDE. ROKE is set to take off. See for yourself at www.icoft.com/roke.html

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  23. None of 'em work for me.

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  24. mobile wala version was good. Really fast!!

    Thanks

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  25. Is this legitimate?
    http://mail.google.com/mail/h/1vnsok1ba422u/?
    Because my gmail won't load from here.
    Thx.
    G

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  26. My firefox btowser doesnt display Standard mode of Gmail account?
    My firefox browser does not display standard mode of gmail account and it always comes as a basic HTML mode. It complained of an obsolete version of my firefox, however this continued even after download the latest version of it. Please help.

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  27. Thank you very much. I couldn't access my gmail for a few days, and this has worked as a work around.

    Thanks!

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  28. NONE OF THESE ARE WORKING TODAY AND I AM GOING CRAZY!!!!

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  29. Igoogle mode worked for me

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  30. Thank you! My school blocks Gmail and now I can get it. :D

    So happy. The iGoogle one works great.

    ReplyDelete
  31. This link came in handy for me, as someone who uses Windows Mobile but wants to use Webkit-enhanced GMail (on either Dorothy or Iris browsers)

    https://mail.google.com/mail/x/kwtmb5lws5wt/r/

    It will take you do the older iPhone version. The new one does not run on these browsers.

    Works on apps versions too:

    https://mail.google.com/a/SITE.COM/x/kwtmb5lws5wt/r/

    ReplyDelete
  32. Can you access Gmail business apps using basic or mobile mode?

    ReplyDelete
  33. i really love google. nobody can beat them. ^^

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  34. This may be off topic, but does anyone know why some gmail accounts keep needing the captcha verification? I have a couple clients that run their email service thru gmail, and a couple of the users have to put in the captcha every once in a while to gain access. The double verification isn't on, it's just a mystery. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

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  35. I have given up on Gmail. It stopped working with Firefox a few days ago and using the html version is the only solution. However, this is incredibly inefficient and HIGHLY ANNOYING. Why did they screw up gmail?

    NO LONGER A FAN OF GOOGLE!

    ReplyDelete

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