Nov. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc., the world’s biggest Internet-search company, pulled its new Gmail application for Apple Inc.’s iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices after users began receiving error messages.

Google, which introduced the new e-mail app earlier today, said it is fixing the software bug and plans to release a new version “soon.” Users who already have installed the app can continue using it, even with the glitch, the Mountain View, California-based company said. Today’s version is the first Gmail app available for Apple devices.

“Unfortunately, it contained a bug which broke notifications and caused users to see an error message when first opening the app,” the company said in a blog. “We’ve removed the app while we correct the problem.”

Google, seeking to keep users on its services longer, is trying to draw more e-mail customers with the new application as it competes with rivals such as Yahoo! Inc. and Microsoft Corp. Yahoo is the No. 1 U.S. provider of Web-based e-mail, with 93.9 million users, while Google is No. 2, with 62.9 million, according to September data from ComScore Inc. Microsoft is No. 3, with 44.5 million.

Google rose 1.1 percent to $584.82 at the close in New York. The shares have fallen 1.5 percent this year.

--Editors: Stephen West, Donna Alvarado

To contact the reporter on this story: Brian Womack in San Francisco at bwomack1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tom Giles at tgiles5@bloomberg.net