Gmail Synchronization Issues Plague Organizations Using Exchange ActiveSync
A widespread synchronization problem affecting the Gmail app on Android devices is disrupting email, calendar, and contact access for organizations relying on Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) integration with servers like Exchange, Zimbra, and Tobit. The issue, first reported on November 19, 2025, has prompted numerous inquiries from users and is impacting productivity across multiple institutions.
The core of the problem lies in inconsistent synchronization. Users are reporting that while Gmail sometimes correctly syncs emails, contacts, and calendar entries from Exchange servers, it frequently displays empty data when using Exchange ActiveSync. Furthermore, emails marked as read are intermittently reappearing as unread in the inbox, creating confusion and hindering efficient email management.
According to reports filed with Google’s issue tracker, the last stable version of the Gmail app was 2025.09.15.810231445. Subsequent releases – including versions 2025.10.13.822206885, 2025.11.02.828149635, and 2025.11.17.834797744 – are exhibiting the undesirable behavior. As of today, there is no publicly available fix or workaround directly from Google. “The bug tracking system offers no helpful hints,” one user noted in the issue tracker.
When contacted for comment, Google has yet to issue a statement regarding the issue. The scale of the problem appears significant, with reports suggesting that hundreds of users within individual organizations are affected. We will update this story as soon as Google provides an official response.
For individual users, reverting to the older, stable app version from mid-September may offer a temporary solution. However, this is not a viable long-term fix for larger organizations, which would face a substantial undertaking in validating and deploying a new app configuration across potentially hundreds of devices.
Organizations are being advised to explore alternative Android email applications that support Exchange ActiveSync. Mozilla’s Thunderbird for Android, for example, is capable of connecting to Exchange servers. While a temporary relocation to another app may be necessary, organizations should be aware that full functionality, particularly regarding calendar and contact synchronization, may not be identical to the Gmail experience.
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