Google, the biggest internet search company, released an update for its iOS 7 Gmail app to include features that improve the overall email experience on iPhones. Firstly, the update brings background refresh, putting an end to manually refreshing the app to retrieve the latest emails. The user-experience with Google apps for iOS devices is further improved with single sign-in feature that requires users to log in to any one of the Google apps to get access to the rest of the downloaded apps.

The single sign-in support across eliminates the need to authenticate your identity with every single app or retrieve 2-step verification code, if enabled. The feature also works the same while logging out.

In a blog post on the company's website, Wednesday, Google's software engineer Melissa Dominguez said the introduction of background refresh in Gmail iOS 7 app syncs all the emails and displays them when the app is opened. Courtesy of the iOS platform, the app will not update itself at all times, draining the battery of the iPhones. The device learns usage patterns and decides when an app must be updated in the background, even if the setting for automatic refresh of apps is enabled.

"Gmail now fetches your mail even when it is not open so it will be waiting for you when you open the app," the app description reads, adding that it "requires iOS 7 and at least one type of notification (badge, alert, or banner) to be turned on."

Users of iOS7 devices can enable the feature by accessing phone's Settings > General > Background App Refresh to take advantage of the latest addition to the Gmail app.

The update brings the Gmail iOS 7 app version to 3.0 and is available for free in Apple App Store. Users will be asked to sign-in once after the update.