When users started noticing that Gmail Go was available for download on the Google Play Store for all devices, those who wanted a lite version of the email app on their devices rejoiced. That’s because the app was previously only downloadable in territories where Android Go was available. Unfortunately, the app became unavailable again just 24 hours later. Google now confirms that it was just a glitch and that Gmail Go was only available for low-end devices where Android Go is available.
If the idea of Gmail Go is unfamiliar to you, it’s part of Google’s suite of lite apps that are targeted for those with devices that may not have enough space or memory to run several apps in their full (bloated) version. It’s part of their Android Go lightweight suite of apps which include Google Go, Maps Go, Assistant Go, YouTube Go, Files Go, etc. They have the basic and essential functions but with the “trimmings” removed.
Gmail Go in particular was particularly useful if all you needed was an app to read your email and to reply to important ones. It had an almost similar experience to the main Gmail app (except for the Meet tab) and it was lighter and made use of less RAM so it would have been perfect even if you didn’t have a low-end smartphone. So making it available for everyone else was a boon for some users.
Unfortunately, as many suspected, it was only a glitch on the part of Google. According to Android Police, Google has said they have once again “restricted” the Gmail Go app only to budget devices that are running on Android Go. This seems to indicate they have no plans of making Gmail Go and probably other Go apps available to all users who want lightweight apps on device, regardless of budget/flagship status.
The APK Mirror for Gmail Go is available somewhere out there so if you’re curious, you can still download and give it a…well, go. But as with other APKs, you need to know what you’re doing before installing anything outside of Google Play Store apps.
