The latest version of the Gmail app for iOS cuts down on inbox refresh delays and simplifies the log-in process for users with multiple Google mobile apps, the company said Wednesday.
The Gmail app now takes full advantage of the iOS "background refresh" capability, so messages will be pre-fetched and synched even when it isn't open.
"They're right there when you open the app -- no more annoying pauses while you wait for your inbox to refresh," wrote Google software engineer Melissa Dominguez in a blog post Wednesday.
For this new capability to work, users need to activate background app refresh and notifications, and their iPads and iPhones must be running iOS 7.
This new version of the app also incorporates single sign-on and sign-out across other Google iOS apps, including Maps, Drive, YouTube and Chrome.
"So you won't have to type in that 27-character password or retrieve your 2-step verification code every time you navigate to another Google app," she wrote.
The Gmail app for iOS, first launched in late 2011, has been reviewed almost 78,000 times on the App Store and has an average rating of 4 out of 5 possible stars.
Juan Carlos Perez covers enterprise communication/collaboration suites, operating systems, browsers and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Juan on Twitter at @JuanCPerezIDG.