Google Sync uses Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync to let your users synchronize their work mail, contacts, and calendars to platform-specific and third-party apps on their mobile devices. For example, iPhone and iPad users can sign in with Microsoft Exchange to get their work Gmail messages in the Apple Mail app and Google calendar events in Apple Calendar.
Security risks with Google Sync
Google Sync doesn’t support OAuth authentication, 2-factor authentication, or security keys, which leaves your organization’s data less secure. With more secure alternatives available, we recommend that you transition off Google Sync as soon as possible, ahead of the less secure app access shutdown.
What you can do
You can switch to Google apps (such as Gmail) for work. If you want to continue using third-party apps, many support user sign-in with a Google Account instead of Microsoft Exchange. To allow users to sign in with their work account, you can configure your app management settings to allow data syncing for specific apps or use Google endpoint management to push account information to specific platforms.
These instructions focus on how to set up Google Workspace so your users can access their work mail, calendar events, and contacts in Apple iOS apps. We recommend that Android users switch to the Gmail app. To use a third-party app that supports Google OAuth, you can trust the app. If the third-party app doesn’t support Google OAuth, contact the app developer.
Before you begin
Test the transition on a small number of users first. To do this, create a test organizational unit and apply the settings only to that organizational unit.
Step 1: Turn on IMAP
Do this if you want users to sync mail to the Apple Mail app.
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Sign in to your Google Admin console.
Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).
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In the Admin console, go to Menu
Apps
Google Workspace
Gmail
End User Access.
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To apply the setting to everyone, leave the top organizational unit selected. Otherwise, select a child organizational unit.
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Click POP and IMAP access.
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Check the Enable IMAP access for all users box.
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(Optional) To allow users to sync only with Apple iOS Mail, select Restrict which mail clients users can use and enter the client ID: 450232826690-0rm6bs9d2fps9tifvk2oodh3tasd7vl7.apps.googleusercontent.com
Important: With this option, users can sync mail only with Apple iOS Mail. For more information, see Turn POP & IMAP on or off for users. -
Click Save. If you configured a child organizational unit, you might be able to Inherit or Override a parent organizational unit's settings.
Step 2: Sync mail, calendar, and contacts in Apple iOS apps
Do this if your organization uses advanced mobile management through Google endpoint management. Otherwise, continue to Step 3.
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Sign in to your Google Admin console.
Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).
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In the Admin console, go to Menu
Devices
Mobile & endpoints
Settings
iOS.
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Click Account Configurations
Google Account.
- To apply the setting to everyone, leave the top organizational unit selected. Otherwise, select a child organizational unit.
- Select Auto push configuration.
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Click Save. If you configured a child organizational unit, you might be able to Inherit or Override a parent organizational unit's settings.
To sync their mail, contacts, and calendar events, users must download the Google Device Policy app and the Google mobile device management configuration profile. Learn more
Step 3: Have users remove and re-add their work account
Devices under basic mobile management
Users can remove their work account from their device and re-add it with Google instead of Microsoft Exchange. For details, see Set up Google Workspace on an iOS device.
Devices under advanced mobile management
Ask users of iOS devices to complete these steps:
- Open the Google Device Policy app
.
- If the app isn’t already on the device, install it. For details, see Use the iOS Google Device Policy app.
- Tap Menu
and make sure the user’s Google Workspace account is set up.
- In iOS Settings, delete the Exchange account. Depending on the iOS version, open the iOS Settings app and do one of the following:
- Tap Mail
Accounts
Exchange
Delete Account.
- Tap Passwords & Accounts
Exchange
Delete Account.
- Tap Mail
- Open the iOS Mail app and check that the work account is added and mail is syncing to the app.
Step 4: Turn off Google Sync
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Sign in to your Google Admin console.
Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).
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In the Admin console, go to Menu
Devices
Mobile & endpoints
Settings
Universal.
- Click Data Access
Google Sync.
- To apply the setting to everyone, leave the top organizational unit selected. Otherwise, select a child organizational unit.
- Uncheck Allow work data to sync via ActiveSync.
- Click Save.
Other options
Sync calendar and contacts in Apple iOS apps, use Gmail app for mailFirst, disable IMAP so that users can only get their mail in the Gmail app:
-
Sign in to your Google Admin console.
Sign in using your administrator account (does not end in @gmail.com).
-
In the Admin console, go to Menu
Apps
Google Workspace
Gmail
End User Access.
-
To apply the setting to everyone, leave the top organizational unit selected. Otherwise, select a child organizational unit.
- Click POP and IMAP access.
- Uncheck the Enable IMAP access for all users box.
-
Click Save. If you configured a child organizational unit, you might be able to Inherit or Override a parent organizational unit's settings.
Now, allow calendar and contacts data to sync:
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In the Admin console, go to Menu
Security
Access and data control
API controls.
- Click Manage third-party app access.
- Click Add app and choose OAuth app name or client ID for how you want to search for the mail client.
- Enter 450232826690-0rm6bs9d2fps9tifvk2oodh3tasd7vl7.apps.googleusercontent.com
- Click Search, select iOS, and click Select.
- Leave the access level set to trusted.
- To let users get messages on their iOS device in the Gmail app when IMAP is off:
- If you use a third-party mobile device management (MDM) service, set it to push the Google Account payload profile. If you use Google endpoint management, turn on Push Google Account configuration (see instructions in the next section).
- Users must use the iOS Gmail app and sign in with their managed Google Account. They should leave Apple Calendar and Apple Contacts turned on, but turn off Apple Mail. If they try to sign in to Apple Mail with their work account, the sign-in fails silently.
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