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If you are wondering why your status appears offline when using Gmail on your iPhone, even when you are active on the app most of the time, you are not alone.
This is a common problem and has been reported by many iPhone users across the globe. But fortunately, this is nothing to worry about, as it’s normal for Gmail to face glitches and errors like any other app.
Some reasons your Gmail account is showing “offline” status include insufficient storage, using a Guest profile or a different account, using Gmail in an incognito tab, or non-optimized iPhone settings.
We have compiled a detailed guide for you explaining all the common reasons that could make your Gmail status show you offline. We have also tried to provide some solutions that have reportedly worked for numerous users.
So, if the error with your Gmail account has frustrated you enough, follow this guide to get rid of it using some simple steps.
Reasons for Gmail Offline Status on iPhone
Before moving toward the fixes, it’s crucial to trace the reasons for this error. We have picked out some of the leading causes for your Gmail showing you offline on your iPhone.
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Reason #1: Insufficient Storage
The primary reason for this error with your Gmail app on your iPhone is insufficient storage space. If you have been using iPhone for a while now, you must know that almost all the apps on the device start glitching when your iPhone’s storage is insufficient.
The Gmail app is no exception, and one of the main glitches you will face with this app whenever your iPhone is out of storage is the inability to show your online status. Fortunately, this isn’t a significant problem and can quickly be taken care of.
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Reason #2: Using an Incognito Tab
Another reason your Gmail could be showing the offline status even when you are using the app on your iPhone is that you might have opened it in the incognito tab.
Incognito tabs are generally used for privacy concerns when you don’t want to appear active on the app to others but still use it.
If you have ever used your Gmail app in the incognito tab because you didn’t want your friend to find out that you are online and have forgotten to switch to the standard browser, your activity status on the app will keep appearing offline.
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Reason #3: Using a Guest Profile
This is one of the most common reasons for the activity status on Gmail to show you offline. It happens if you are actually offline on your app. Usually, this occurs when someone else has used your iPhone, switched to their Gmail account, and forgotten to log out.
You, out of habit, continued using the already logged-in account without realizing it was not yours. If that’s the case with you, your Gmail app will keep showing you offline until you switch to your personal Gmail account.
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Reason #4: Internet Connectivity Issue
It’s another principal reason your Gmail app appears offline on your iPhone. If your device is not connected to the Internet or the internet connection at your place is not stable, your status will appear offline on the app and will not turn online until the internet connection gets stable again.
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Reason #5: Offline Mode on Gmail
The Gmail app is known to give utmost importance to user privacy, and the offline mode on the app is a feature made about this. If you have taken some off days from work but still want to check your emails without anyone finding out, you can activate the offline mode on your Gmail account.
One of the reasons you are still appearing offline on your Gmail app on your iPhone could be that you still need to disable the offline mode since your vacations.
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Reason #6: Cookies and Cache Files
This is another principal reason for the Gmail offline error on your iPhone. Sometimes cookies and cache files block your app, preventing it from functioning correctly.
So, if you haven’t cleaned your Gmail app on your iPhone for a long time, these cache files and cookies could limit its operation, leading to the Gmail offline error.
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Reason #7: Gmail Blocked on Your Device
If you have recently visited a new location or have just returned home from a trip with your family and are facing this problem, your app might have been blocked on your device.
Gmail is a highly secure app that takes user security quite seriously, which is why it blocks itself on some devices if the location seems unusual.
Fixing the Gmail Offline Error on iPhone
If you are wondering how to fix the Gmail offline error on your iPhone, our 6 simple methods will help you perform this task without much hassle.
Method #1: Re-Enabling the Gmail App on Your iPhone
The first thing you can do to eliminate the error where your Gmail appears offline on your iPhone is to re-enable the app.
Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Go to a Browser on your iPhone (preferably Safari).
- Head to gmail.com.
- Use your account credentials to sign into your Gmail account.
- Ensure to log yourself out of any other Gmail accounts on your device.
- Copy the link we will provide below and paste it into the URL bar on your browser.
https://accounts.google.com/b/0/displayunlockcaptcha
- Select “Continue.”
- A page saying “Account access enabled. Please try signing into your Google account again from your new device or application.” will appear.
- Go back to your Gmail app to check for the error.
Method #2: Checking the Internet Connection
As mentioned above, poor internet connection could be one of the reasons for the Gmail offline error appearing on your iPhone. So, to eliminate the error in this case, ensure that your device is connected to a stable Wi-Fi connection.
You can also switch to Mobile Data if the Wi-Fi connection at your place isn’t stable. To check your internet speed here is what you need to do:
- Open the Safari browser on your iPhone.
- Go to the website to check the Internet Speed.
- While on the website, wait until the site checks the Internet speed.
- After a while, your Internet’s current speed will appear before you.
- If it’s below 5 or 6Mbps, consider switching to Mobile Data.
Here is how you can do this:
- Open “Settings” on your iPhone.
Select “Mobile Data.”
- Tap the toggle to turn on Mobile Data on your iPhone and check for the issue.
Method #3: Leaving the Incognito Tab
If you are using your Gmail account in an incognito tab, this could make your status appear as offline. To resolve the problem in this case, close the Incognito tab but ensure to log yourself out of your Gmail account.
Once you have left the incognito tab, open the Gmail app, use your account credentials to sign into your Gmail account, and wait until your status starts appearing as Online.
Method #4: Disabling Gmail Offline Feature
As we have mentioned before, if you have enabled the Gmail offline feature on your iPhone, your activity status for the app will show you offline.
To get yourself out of this trouble, you need to disable the Gmail offline feature by following these steps:
- Open the Safari browser on your iPhone.
- Go to gmail.com and sign in to your account.
- Tap the “Settings” icon in the upper-right corner.
- Select the “See all Settings” option.
- From the new page opening on the screen, go to the “Offline” tab at the top.
- Find the “Enable offline mail” checkbox.
- Uncheck the box for the above option.
- Hit “Save Changes” to save the changes you have made.
Open the Gmail app again on your iPhone and see if your activity status appears online.
Method #5: Updating the Gmail App
If you last updated your Gmail app a while ago, it might cause the app to glitch leading to the Gmail offline error on your iPhone.
In this case, using these steps, the best way to fix the issue is to update your Gmail app on your iPhone.
- Open “Settings” on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap the “App Store” option.
- Go to the “AUTOMATIC DOWNLOADS” section.
- Tap the toggle next to “App Updates” to allow the apps to update on their own.
- Once your app is successfully updated, launch it on your iPhone and check for the issue.
Method #6: Checking Device Activity
Checking your device activity for any unusual sign-in is another thing you can do to fix the Gmail offline error on your iPhone.
Here is how you can do this:
- Open the Gmail app on your iPhone.
- Tap your “Profile pic” at the upper-right corner of the screen.
- Select the “Manage your Google Account” option.
- Switch to the “Security” tab.
- Go to the “Recent security activity” to check if your Gmail account has been signed in on another app.
- If you see a device, tap to remove it and close the app.
- Now open the Gmail app again on your iPhone and see if the activity status has changed to Online.
Method #7: Enabling IMAP
If the IMAP isn’t enabled on your iPhone, this could give rise to various Gmail issues, including the Gmail offline error. Generally, IMAP keeps your iPhone safe from any troubleshooting issues, but if it gets disabled, it can stop the Gmail app from operating on your iPhone.
To fix the issue, you need to switch on IMAP on your device by following these steps:
- Open a browser on your laptop, i.e., Chrome browser.
- Head to gmail.com and sign in to your Gmail account.
- Select the “Settings” icon in the upper-right corner and choose “Settings.”
- Go to the “Forwarding and POP/IMAP” tab.
- Scroll down and find the “IMAP Access” section.
- Click the “Enable IMAP” option if it’s not already on.
- The IMAP for Gmail will be enabled on your iPhone.
You can also complete the above process on your iPhone. To do this,
- Open the Safari browser on your iPhone.
- Head to gmail.com and sign in to your Gmail account.
- Select the “Go to the mobile Gmail site” option from the bottom.
- Choose “More” in the upper-left corner of the screen.
- Scroll down and locate the “View Gmail in” option.
- Select “Desktop,” go to “Settings,” and head to the “Forwarding and POP/IMPA” tab.
- Scroll down to find the “IMAP Access” submenu.
- Tap “Enable IMAP” if it isn’t enabled already.
Your Gmail status will start showing online now.
Method #8: Removing & Restoring Account
If none of the above methods have worked for you in resolving the Gmail offline error on your iPhone, you can remove your Gmail account and restore it.
For this, follow the steps below.
- Open “Settings” on your iPhone.
- Tap the “Accounts” option.
- Select your Gmail account.
4. Tap “Delete Account.”
After removing your Gmail account, you need to set it up again on your iPhone by following these steps.
- Select the “Accounts” option again.
- Choose “Add Account” and select “Google.”
- Put in your Gmail address and select “NEXT.”
- Enter your Gmail account’s password and select “NEXT” again.
- If two-step authentication is enabled on your device, you need to allow this.
- Ensure to check that Mail is enabled on your iPhone.
- Tap “Save” to save the changes.
The Gmail Offline error will be resolved on your iPhone.
Conclusion – Why Is Your Gmail Offline on iPhone & How to Fix It?
In this guide, we have covered all the reasons that could be behind the Gmail Offline error on your iPhone. We have also provided you with some of the fixes that have worked for multiple users around the globe.
Even if you are not a tech enthusiast and have little to no knowledge of various apps and their functioning, you will be able to perform these fixes quite easily.
Hopefully, one of these fixes will work in getting you out of this issue, and if it does, we would love to know more about your experience. Don’t forget to let us know in the comments section below about the fix that has worked for you.
Looking forward to your response!
