Android is built from the ground up to integrate with Google services—search, Google Maps, and Gmail. If you already have a Gmail account, then when you set up your Droid 2, you tie into that account. If you don’t have a Gmail account, you first need to set one up.
When you first bring your Droid 2 home, you may already be set up to use Gmail. Often, Verizon sales staff set up your Gmail account right in the store for you.
When you use the Gmail app on your Droid 2, it synchronizes with your web-based Gmail. So when you delete an email on the Droid 2, for example, it deletes it on the web-based Gmail; when you create and send an email on your Droid 2, it shows up in your Sent folder on the Web; and so on.
Signing up for a Gmail account is free and takes only a few minutes. You can create it on the Web or on the Droid 2. To do it on the Web, head to www.gmail.com. Fill in the usual information, such as first and last name, login name, and password. The login name you choose becomes your email address. If you use the login name petey.bigtoes, then your email address will be petey.bigtoes@gmail.com. So make your login name something pleasant and easy to remember.
When you create a Gmail account, you’re actually setting up an account for all of Google’s services, not just Gmail. You use the same account to access Google Calendar and other services. In other words, if you have a Google Calendar account, then you already have a Gmail account. Use that information when setting up Gmail on your Droid 2.
Now that you have a Gmail account, you’re ready to set up Gmail on your Droid 2. When you set up your Gmail account, you’ll also be setting up your Calendar account and importing your Gmail contacts into your Droid 2. From the Application Tray, tap the Gmail icon. After a brief welcome screen, Gmail asks if you have a Google account. If you haven’t already set one up, tap Create, and fill in the information required.
When creating a Gmail account, make sure to leave the box next to “Automatically configure account” turned on. That way, the Droid 2 will do all the heavy lifting of properly configuring your new account.
If you already have a Gmail account, tap Sign In. Enter your Gmail address and the other basic information. If you have a Google Contact list, the Droid 2 automatically starts downloading it in the background, and also syncs your mail.
What if you have multiple Gmail accounts? You can have the Droid 2 handle more than one. To set up a second account, tap My Accounts from the Application Tray. Then tap “Add account”→Google, and set up your second account. If you prefer, you can also use the Droid 2’s browser to visit Gmail, and access your other accounts that way.