iMail continues to see strong user growth, most of which is composed of organic installs. As a result of this growth, more functionality is being developed for iMail, together with periodic bug fixes and performance improvements.
Support for additional email services
This release marks a major milestone, where users will be able to add mail accounts for other email services in addition to Apple iCloud. As a result of this added functionality, the way in which a user logs in will be changing slightly.
In addition to iCloud email accounts, users can now log in to Yahoo and Gmail accounts. Microsoft Outlook accounts are not yet supported, with support being planned for a future release. However, users can still log in to their Microsoft Outlook accounts by manually configuring the IMAP settings during the log in process.
Changes to iCloud login
Users who wish to log in their iCloud email accounts will need to make use of either an iCloud.com email, or a me.com email. The app will automatically detect the server settings for the user.
Login using the normal iCloud username and password is still supported, where an app specific password will be automatically created for iMail after successful login to the user’s Apple iCloud account. To use this feature, the iCloud email address must first be entered in the email box. Once iMail recognises the account type, a button will appear on screen. Pressing on this button will redirect the user to log in using the Apple iCloud normal password.
Rollout of update
Initially, the update will be rolled out for a select number of users. This allows me to identify any potential bugs and issue any needed fixes before the update is rolled out to more users.
If no major issues are encountered, the roll out will be increased to more users through the month of February.