I’m not mentioning this just to vent, even if that’s part of it, but so I can share a few ways to fix this problem and many others. No matter what email app or service you’re using, the system won’t be perfect, so it’s important to recognize and address these problems before they can cause any damage. Read through the list below and see if you’ve had any of these problems before. If you see any you recognize, I’ll have all the solutions I know of down at the bottom so you can fix the problem.
1. “I only get notifications when it’s too late.”
A bugged notification system is a great way to make sure you miss important dates, fail to follow through on schedules, and generally stay out of the loop on anything you and the people around you are working on. A notification about a meeting change doesn’t help much after the meeting time has already passed. There are a few things you can do about this frustrating problem, and most of the time it’s down to what Android app you’re using. If notifications are working as intended for every app besides your email one, it’s time for a replacement. If you can’t replace the app or system because of something outside your control, check below for other solutions.
2. “I have to refresh my Inbox manually.”
I’ve had plenty of email syncing issues in the past, and they’ll still crop up now if I don’t keep a close eye on my email app. Sometimes my inbox won’t show new emails at all until I’ve opened it, and other times it will skip over emails it doesn’t deem important enough. Since I don’t think my app is smart enough to make the distinction for itself, this is a problem I have to take into my own hands. At its heart, this is a syncing issue, which thankfully means it isn’t difficult to fix. In fact, in most email apps if you take a look at your settings you’ll have different sync options used to conserve data and battery. If you’ve been having syncing issues, try setting your sync settings as high as possible. Otherwise, check below for additional solutions.
3. “Emails that used to go to my Inbox are being marked as spam.”
It’s still a mystery how one out of three emails in a chain can somehow end up in my spam folder, but you don’t have to solve the mystery to at least temporarily fix the problem. This problem isn’t very frustrating if you catch it early, but has the potential to make important files and messages fade into the email ether. Check to see if your email app has special settings for how it deals with spam, that’s the first place to start flipping switches when you encounter this problem.
4. “Flagged and pinned emails are randomly losing their flagged and pinned status.”
There are a few emails I keep at the top of my inbox either because I need to check them on a regular basis, or I’ll forget they exist if I don’t keep them at the top. Since I rely on this feature so much and expect it to work without fault, when it doesn’t I usually don’t notice the problem until it’s too late. Thankfully, this doesn’t mean these emails vanish, but it does make them harder to find if they’re already organized. If you’ve ever had this problem before, I know a few ways to fix it below. If this is your first time thinking about using flags and pins, now’s a great time to give it a shot and see how it changes your inbox.
5. “I can’t reply to multiple recipients at once.”
You’re sent an email that has multiple recipients, and if you send a reply it, of course, needs to go to every address mentioned in the email. However, if you’ve had this problem as I have, that doesn’t always work as planned. There’s no way to tell if I’ll have the issue until it’s too late, but I’ll end up sending a reply to only one recipient. This thankfully isn’t a world-ending issue, depending on the email, but what about when you’re the one trying to start an email with multiple recipients? If you’re trying to talk with multiple clients or colleagues at once, this makes almost any effective communication impossible. To fix it as soon as possible, look at the solutions below.
6. “I can’t stay signed into my email for more than a day, or even less time.”
This problem comes in a few different flavors. There are cases where you’ll still receive email notifications, but when you go to check them, you need to sign back in. On the other hand, there are cases where you’ll receive no notifications, and then still have to sign back into your account on a regular basis. This sounds counter-intuitive, but try signing out of your email manually and then logging back in to see if the issue resolves. If it doesn’t, there are still more troubleshooting steps to try below.
7. “Emails I forward never reach their intended recipient(s).”
Here’s a problem that’s very similar to another problem I mentioned earlier. Forwarding works almost like replying as far as this issue is concerned, so the solution is almost exactly the same. This is either down to the app that you’re using, or the connection that you’re using the app on. As a quick test, trying forwarding or sending emails to yourself over different Wi-Fi connections, or with only mobile data turned on. There are other options to try, but they’re in the solution list at the end.
8. “Files I attach are always corrupted or won’t open.”
There are an alarming amount of things that can go wrong here to corrupt an attached file. Since it’s hard to narrow down what is causing the corruption, it’s easier to just try every trick in the book until one of them works. Something to keep in mind is your recipient’s email app and service. It’s possible they handle attachments differently and are the ones causing the error, meaning your app or Android isn’t responsible. While that sounds like a relief, on the one hand, you now have a problem on your other hand that’s tough to fix since you aren’t in control of it. It’s easy to test to see if the problem is on your end by sending a test email to yourself. If you get the attachment and the email perfectly intact, then you’ve at least ruled out one possibility.
How to Fix Most Work Email Problems
We’ve identified some common work email problems on Android, but we haven’t gone over all the ways to fix them yet. Most of these issues have the same troubleshooting steps, so if you have any of the problems above or any that aren’t mentioned here, give each of these a try, and your work email will finally be running smoothly.
1. Look Through Your App Settings / Permissions
When’s the last time you’ve read through your email settings? I don’t mean a quick glance, but a thorough look at all of your options, and settings that have toggle switches and different boxes to check. If it’s been awhile, or you’ve never taken a dip in your settings, I guarantee you’ll find something you never noticed before. In some cases, your email issue is just because of a box that was left unchecked, or a switch that’s pushed in the wrong direction. This is something that takes second to do and will fix a large number of problems.
2. Turn Off Wi-Fi / Switch Wi-Fi Networks
A bad Wi-Fi connection is a plague that infects everything that its slow and unreliable tendrils touch, so start turning them off to see if any of your connections are causing the problem. This means either switch to a different Wi-Fi network, disabling them entirely, or deleting a saved connection and then adding it again. Sometimes even renaming your connection is enough to make a difference, so give this a shot before you move onto the next step.
3. Disable Mobile Data
This is the exact opposite of the above step, but the basic principle is the same. It’s possible your app isn’t responding well with your mobile data connection, so turn it off and see if that makes a difference.
4. Run Tests With a Different Email Address
This is less of a way to fix the problem, and actually, a way to rule out what’s causing the issue. If you’re still getting the same issue with a different address at this point, it’s possible your app is to blame. This could be because of something in your settings that still isn’t fixed, or the app itself needs to be updated. If using a different address with the same email app fixes the problem then you’re unfortunately in a stickier spot. Changing an email address is easy enough, but updating all of your contacts is a different story. It won’t take very long, but depending on your attachment to the address, this will have a negative impact.
5. Standard Android Troubleshooting
There are some standard steps in the Android troubleshooting process I want to go over before we go any further. These are standards for a reason, and they apply to almost any Android software problem. Take a look at the basics here, and you’ll learn a few vital skills to help troubleshoot any Android problem.
6. Switch Email Apps
I wanted to save this as a last resort since switching apps is always a pain, but if you can’t get anything to work, it’s the only choice you have. I’ve been using Bluemail for a long time now, and it would take a large laundry list of problems for me to switch, even if I’ve occasionally encountered a few of the ones I’ve listed above. I won’t just tell you to switch apps without letting you in on my favorites, so I have some recommendations for you if this is your only option left.
Email Apps I Recommend
My recommendations here probably won’t have any apps you haven’t heard of before, but hopefully, these aren’t all ones you’ve tried before or one you’re already using now with difficulty.
1. Gmail
You don’t have to do a doubletake, yes, I’m recommending Gmail of all things. Even though it’s the default for most Android devices, it’s still a solid email application with a simple amount of options that won’t steer you wrong. Depending on the work you’re doing, Gmail won’t suit your needs, but try it if your current app isn’t working out.
2. K9 Mail
This is a tough recommendation for me, not because I don’t like K9 Mail, but because I can’t make use of its full potential. The program is open source and modifiable to suit almost anyone’s needs, but to do that, you need a certain level of knowledge about Android and programming. I know my way around Android, but programming is still something I’ve only dipped a few toes into. However, even without that knowledge, there are still addons for K9 Mail available. If you think you know your stuff, K9 Mail is a great app that’ll treat you right, as long as you treat it well in return.
3. TouchDown
TouchDown is an email app that means business, which is great for any Android user that has a business or runs an import part of one. TouchDown’s biggest factor that sets it apart from its focus on encryption. If you want to be absolutely sure your emails are secure on your Android, TouchDown does its best to make that happen. TouchDown is an email app that’s built with corporate use in mind so you can trust it with your important work emails. This version of TouchDown is a free trial, so you’ll need to purchase the $19.99 license key to get the most out of the app. Give the free trial a test run first to see if you think the email app will suit your work needs.
4. Inbox by Gmail
It almost seems like cheating to include this after already mentioning Gmail, but I feel like it deserves its own separate recommendation. If you like the way Gmail performs and how it’s setup, but are looking for more options to make it better for business, Inbox suits your needs perfectly. My favorite thing about Inbox is the reminder system. While I use pins too often remind myself about an email, I’ll need for later, enhanced reminders ensure that even someone like me can’t forget something important. If notifications are important to you, they’re just as important to Inbox.
5. BlueMail
It’s impossible for me to mention email without mentioning BlueMail. It’s the email app that I’ve been using for the longest time while I’ve been on the Android platform, and it’s my clear favorite when compared to other apps. BlueMail has a surprising amount of customizability and organization tools that make it the perfect work email app for even scatterbrained people like myself. One of the best features of BlueMail is how easy it is to maintain different accounts from one place. Switching takes just seconds after setup, and lets you browse all of your inboxes quickly.
Conclusion
A good email system is necessary for almost any job or career, and having that great system on your Android is even better. Like with anything, problems crop up from time to time, but if you’ve ever had any of the problems above, you can now use your work email without any problems. If you still have any work email problems or need help finding a different work email app, please leave a comment below.
