How do I empty trash in gmail via the ipad

The iPad's mail program is not the same as Mail. It does not have extensive "management" features. It's meant to let you read, send, and delete messages when away from the main machine. If you have the inbox list of messages and touch the Edit button you can then individually check messages to either delete or move, but unfortunately that's sort of the limit.

You don't empty any trash on the iPad. If you delete a message or a file then it's deleted.

That is incorrect. If I delete mail on my iPad it goes straight into the thrash folder. It doesn't get deleted completely so to speak. In order to completely delete it I have to access the thrash folder and select edit and clear all.

That's what I was referring to. Maybe I'm confusing things but you said that...

"You don't empty any trash on the iPad. If you delete a message or a file then it's deleted."

From that I understood you were saying there was no thrash folder on the iPad but that when you deleted an email it's immediately gone for good.

Mail on the iPad is the same as that on any Mac computer in that when you delete a message it's not actually gone and essentially gets transferred to the thrash folder. From there you can delete it for good.

I think we were saying the same thing just differently. Technically there is no trash folder on the iPad, but since it's pushed from the desktop mail program the iPad will simply get the message re-pushed or permanently deleted depending upon what the user does on the main mail program.

I really don't understand what you mean. With a Gmail account on the iPad, if you delete an email, it goes to the Bin or Trash folder (depending on how you have set it up). From there, if you really want to completely purge it, then you just have to go to that folder and delete it from there.
Simple really. Works the same way, in that respect, as any other mail client.

If you don't want to use the mail app on the iPad. Log into your gmail account using Safari. After logging in, at the bottom of the page click on the 'basic html' link. This will make gmail look just like it does on your desktop computer. And you have the same functions.

You can even make folders that will also show up in the iPad mail app. Something that the iPad mail app can't do. You can even format your email text.

I use Safari for emails when I want to do something in mail that the iPad can't do... Once you have logged in make a bookmark. I use the email app on the ipad just to read emails.

Gmail in landscape ~ select spam box and the quickest way to delete it seems to be to swipe right to left on each message in the sidebar and hit the red delete button.
There doesn't seem to be a way to select all.
Empty the 'bin' in mail the same way after the spam folder has been emptied as spam seems to be put into the bin.

Anything deleted is removed from the iPad when you sync with your computer..
S.

I just don't understand what this thread is about! I mean if your Gmail is set up as IMAP then it behaves exactly the same on the iPad mail app as it does on the web.
You don't need to sync to your computer to delete mails. It depends on how you have the folder behaviour setup in settings on the iPad, but basically on an IMAP account, whatever you use to view your mails will show the same thing. In essence, if you delete an email, it will go to the Trash folder in your iPad mail app. Then, if you want to permanently delete it, go to that folder and delete it again. Otherwise, it will get deleted from the Trash according to the rules you set in Mail settings. Whatever you do, it'll be automatically synced with the Gmail server.
And you don't have to swipe each one and press the red button, you can tap edit and just select each one you want and then delete.

Are you referring to the one on your computer? I'm not aware of a trash folder on the iPad unless you are referring to where you select messages for deletion.