Automatic notification FROM SERVER when new email arrives

Question

My Galaxy S6 lets me setup thm Email application to receive notifications from GMail server automatically when the server receives a new message. The setting is:

Set sync schedule: auto (when received)

IMPORTANT: I don't mean that my phone connects every 10 seconds to GMail server to check if there are new messages. Instead, somehow, GMail server contacts my phone directly when it has a new message. This way, my phone only that it saves bandwidth but it also knows that a new message is there INSTANTANEOUSLY.

How is this technology called?

Answer 1

To answer your first question this is called a 'push notification'. Here is one resource I found on how to enable them http://www.solvemix.com/index.php/android-smartphones/516-samsung-galaxy-s6-gmail-push-notifications-are-not-received-solution

As to your phone not connecting first: I do not belive this is possible due to the fact that by definition your phone is mobile which means that it's IP address will change constantly as you cross cell sites or connect to different Wi-Fi hotspots. At a minimum your phone must tell the server where you are when your IP changes. These messages are very small (less than 100 bytes) though and should not affect your bandwidth much ( you would have to send 1,048,576 of these messages to reach even one megabyte ).