What Is Push Email (IMAP IDLE)?

When a new email appears on your phone the moment someone sends it, that's push email at work. Here's what push email is, how it differs from the old "check every few minutes" approach, and why it matters.

Push vs polling

There are two ways your device can get new mail:

• Polling - your device asks the server "anything new?" on a timer, say every 15 minutes. Simple, but mail can sit unseen between checks, and constant checking drains battery.
• Push - the server tells your device the instant mail arrives, so it shows up immediately with no wasted checking.

How push works over IMAP

The common mechanism is IMAP IDLE: your device opens a connection to the mailbox and keeps it open, and the server pushes a notification the moment a new message lands. It's efficient and near-instant. (For a refresher on the protocols, see IMAP vs POP: which should you use.)

On many phones, Exchange ActiveSync provides the same instant delivery for mail, contacts and calendars together. See what is ActiveSync.

Why it matters for business

• Faster responses - you see client and order mail the moment it arrives
• Nothing missed between scheduled checks
• Shared mailboxes stay current so the whole team sees new enquiries instantly - see shared mailboxes and team collaboration
• Better battery life than frequent polling

Setting it up

Push is usually enabled by choosing the "Push" or "Automatic" fetch setting in your mail app, with the account set up over IMAP or ActiveSync. See how to set up email on iPhone and Android.

Instant mail, everywhere

DigiCloudMail supports push over IMAP and ActiveSync, so your mail, contacts and calendars stay in sync and arrive the moment they're sent - on every device.

Want instant email on every device? Contact us.