The Gmail experience for iPhone owners has been steadily improving over the past few months, and the two companies have collaborated to make the email service more accessible than ever on iOS. Apple and Google are, of course, fierce competitors across several different landscapes in the tech world. But even the biggest of rivals sometimes work together for the benefit of the consumer.

Gmail predates the modern iPhone, but surprisingly not by much. Gmail began with a limited beta release in 2004 and had completed its testing phase by 2009. The first-generation iPhone, by comparison, was announced in January 2007. It goes without saying then, that there's plenty of overlap between the service and the product.

Related: How To Restore Older Gmail & Google Icons Using A Chrome Extension

A new version of the Gmail app for iOS and iPadOS lets iPhone and iPad owners add the Gmail widget to their home screen for quick access to their emails. The update, which carries the version no. 6.0.201101, was released on November 18th and is immediately available for iOS and iPadOS users. All that has to be done to update the Gmail app is to install it via the Apple App Store. Once that's done, users can see and access their emails more efficiently from the home screen on iPhones and iPads, although sadly the widget is read-only and does not allow actions to be carried out from the home screen. Nonetheless, it's a step forward.

More Recent Updates To Gmail For iOS

Gmail's 2013 logo and its 2020 logo

As is the case with many prominent apps, the Gmail app for iOS has been diligently receiving new versions on a consistent basis. Some are simple bug fixes or ways to update the app's icon. Others, however, offer more substantial improvements to the user experience.

Back in October, a new version of the app allowed iOS 14 users to set Gmail as their default email app. Users would simply have to follow the in-app prompt to access the Gmail tab in their settings in order to make Gmail their default. It honestly sounds like an innovation that should have happened ages ago. Regardless, it was an important update for folks who enjoy the Gmail platform but are loyal iPhone and iPad owners.

Will competing companies always work together to make their products and services interact in a friendly way? The short and accurate answer is, no. Especially when there is a vested interest for both companies to outdo the other, it shouldn't be expected that Apple and Google will play nicely with each other. But it is times like these when two powerhouses in tech come together - even for something as seemingly small as a widget on a home screen - that show how greatly consumers can benefit from companies that put their user experience above capitalism.

Next: Gmail Users Don't Like The New Logo, Here's Why

Source: Apple