Hey I am a iphone newbie so don't laugh at me.

Is it possible to configure the iphone so when you check your email (gmail in my case) it only downloads the text of the email and not the attachments. I get many people sending me attachments and don't want to use my download bandwidth when I can check it at home. However I would like to check my email and reply to the text based ones.

Thanks in advance.

Are you using POP3 or IMAP to retrieve your Gmail?

I'm using IMAP and find I have to click on the attachment before it downloads.

gmail.

so i take that is imap?

It could be either depending on how you've configured it.

If you log into Gmail via the web interface, then click on Settings -> Forwarding and POP/IMAP you'll find the instructions for configuring Apple Mail to use IMAP. If you do that, then synchronise your mail accounts with your iPhone, you should be good to go.

Ok I have been accessing the gmail through the mail app icon on the iphone. I don't access it through the web. I just entered my user name and password and it downloaded all my emails.

Yeah, I realise you're using the Mail app on the iPhone, but it's the protocol it's using to communicate to the Gmail e-mail server that I'm trying to find out about.

On your iPhone, go to Settings -> Mail, Contacts, Calendars -> Your Gmail Account -> Advanced

Does it show an entry called IMAP Path Prefix anywhere on this page?

It states,

'IMAP Path Prefix' then has nothing but a '/'

Is that what you mean?

Yeah, seems ok then... Sounds like you're using IMAP. Are you sure it downloads the attachment, and doesn't just show a link to the attachment download?

The easiest way I can think of to avoid any download issues..

is to generate a new gmail account.
fwd all mail you want send to your iphone to the new gmail account.

then you can check away... attachment free