Mail programs for mac os. The ideal email client for the desktop - is there such a thing? Use VIP status for important emails

By default, you definitely need to familiarize yourself with some features, thanks to which new letters will arrive faster, spam will be automatically deleted, letters will be sent at a specified time, and much more. Let's make life with Mail easier and more productive!

How to receive new emails faster?

By default, the Mail application checks your mailbox on the server every 5 minutes. The settings will help correct the situation, so in the menu bar open Mail → Settings…(or press the keyboard shortcut Command (⌘) + comma).

Go to the tab Basic and in the field " Check mail availability» set time interval - every minute. Letters will arrive faster.

How can I view more messages?

Thanks to the classic view, you can see many more emails on one page without scrolling. This feature will be very useful when actively working with a client.

In the default view, enlarged lines of the mail list are displayed in the left column, and previews are displayed in the right column.

To accommodate more letters, go to the menu Mail → Settings… and in the tab View check the box next to “ Use classic view».

Now lines with letters will be displayed at the top of the display, and previews at the bottom. The number of displayed emails will increase significantly.

Automatic removal of junk and spam

By default, all spam and junk are stored in the mail client forever. But why keep all this rubbish? In Mail settings, go to the " Accounts", then select the account you are using and on the right side of the window go to the " Mailboxes" In paragraphs " Spam" And " Basket» set an acceptable time interval after which unnecessary correspondence will be deleted.

Use VIP status for important emails

The VIP mark allows you to highlight important letters from the entire flow of correspondence. To add to favorites, open any important email and move the cursor to the left of the sender's name. An asterisk will appear there.

After you assign VIP status to at least one interlocutor, a new item will appear in the left side menu of the Mail application, where all your favorite messages will be displayed.

By the way, if you go to Settings → General and in the field " New message notification» select the item « VIP", then Mac will only bother you with incoming emails from important contacts and you will no longer be bothered by some mailing.

Preview websites using Quick View

Don’t know what kind of link this or that subscriber sent and don’t want to open your browser again? We suggest using the “ Quick view" It allows you to view the contents of a link in a special window without launching your default browser.

To view a URL using Quick View, hover over the link and click the check mark that appears to the right of it. A preview of the page will be displayed below.

In general, the function " Quick view"has a huge number of useful features that we talked about in.

Send emails with attachments directly from the Dock

The panel on macOS is quite interactive. Another confirmation of this is the ability to quickly send attachments. Just drag the image, document, video or any other file you are interested in onto the mail icon in the dock, and a new letter will be created immediately.

Speeding up your email client

If you receive an email with a huge number of multimedia attachments, most of your Mac's resources will be devoted to opening their thumbnails. This kind of correspondence sometimes really slows down the system. Disabling thumbnails will greatly help in this matter, especially relevant on older Macs.

To disable thumbnails run Terminal and enter the following command:

defaults write com.apple.mail DisableInlineAttachmentViewing -bool true

After you press Enter, to apply all changes, restart the Mail application.

How to send a Mac to sleep remotely using a letter?

Thanks to simple manipulations, you can prepare your Mac to remotely switch to . For example, if you forget to turn off your Mac, it will be enough to send a letter with the text “ Sleeping mode».

1 . Launch the application AppleScript Editor(conductor Finder → Programs → Utilities).

2 . Create a new container by clicking the " new document».

3 . Paste text:

tell application "System Events" to sleep

4 . On the menu bar, click File → Save As... and enter " sleepmac.scpt" Save it to the folder " Documentation».

5 . Open the application " Mail» (Mail) and go to Settings → Filters. Click the button Add».

6 . Set the following options:

• Description: Sleep mode via email.
• If: All of the following conditions are met.
• Conditions: Sender - contains - the name of the contact in the address book from which the shutdown command will come.
• Click on the plus sign and enter the second condition: Topic - contains - Sleep mode.
• Follow these steps: Run AppleScript - open in Finder. Next, drag the container “ sleepmac.scpt", which we saved in documents. After that it will appear in the list of scripts.

7 . Click the button OK».

After you send an email to your Mac with the subject " Sleeping mode", the Mac will immediately go to sleep.

Standard Apple applications are enough for most. This applies not only to the email client, but also to notes, reminders, calendar and music player. However, standard Mail is only as good as it is when compared to third-party apps. The site's editors took a look at several major alternatives to the macOS email client.

Airmail

The developers position Airmail as “the fastest email client for Mac” and at least they don’t disappoint. The app is fast, smooth and looks good - just like other alternatives. But Airmail is also a feature client, which has features not found in the standard client.

Airmail allows you to write letters in Markdown and HTML, there is support for third-party applications (OmniFocus, Things, Wunderlist and others) and support for AppleScript scripts. Incoming emails can be sorted into the To Do (current tasks), Done (completed) and Memo (notes) folders.

The application was recently released in an iOS version. One of the client's disadvantages is the price. The version for macOS costs $9.99, for iOS - $4.99.

Pros:

1. Support for third party applications.
2. Speed ​​of work.
3. Supports standard Gmail hotkeys.

Minuses:

1. Price.
2. Problems with IMAP folders.
3. Lack of some features available in other email clients.

Postbox

Postbox has been around almost since the launch of the Mac App Store. Externally, the client is similar to standard Mail and Mozilla Thunderbird. However, in a recent update, the appearance of Postbox has noticeably changed.

The advantage of Postbox is its functionality. The client supports working with multiple email accounts simultaneously, searching by attachments, and reply templates. The user can respond to letters by clicking on the button with templates and selecting one of the appropriate options.

Postbox costs $15 and can only be purchased from the developer’s website. You can also download a trial version there and use it for free for 30 days. In addition, there is a two-month money-back guarantee - in fact, the client can be used for free for three months.

Pros:

1. Functionality.
2. Ability to respond with pre-created templates.
3. Trial period.

Minuses:

1. No client for iOS.
2. Overloaded interface.
3. Lack of Exchange support.

Polymail

Polymail only left the testing stage a month ago, but has managed to establish itself as one of the best email clients. The developers managed to combine a simple interface and an abundance of interesting functions. For example, Polymail shows read notifications for sent messages and can schedule sending at the right time.

The advantages of Polymail include regular updates - developers are constantly fixing bugs and introducing new functions. Unlike alternatives, Polymail is free in both macOS and iOS versions. There is no paid functionality.

Pros:

1. Ability to receive notifications when messages are read.
2. You can postpone sending letters “for later”.
3. The application is free.

Minuses:

1. There are still minor bugs.
2. Sometimes the application does not send notifications about new messages.

Mail Pilot

According to the developers, Mail Pilot is a client aimed at maximum productivity. It has a simple interface, despite this, the application combines an email client and a task manager. The client is available in versions for macOS, iOS, and watchOS.

In Mail Pilot, you can combine letters into lists, making it easier to work with large tasks. The price for productivity is high - the macOS version costs $19.99, the mobile version costs $9.99.

Pros:

1. Supports the entire Apple ecosystem.
2. Email client and task manager in one application.
3. Nice interface.

Minuses:

1. The non-standard approach to the email client may not suit some users.
2. High price.

Mail

Complaints about Gmail's mediocre experience and the need to periodically clear the attachment cache aside, Mail is one of the best email clients for macOS. For many - the best, because it is standard.

All the benefits of Mail are tied to the Apple ecosystem. You can search for emails in Spotlight, send replies from the notification center, and sign documents directly from the app.

Pros:

1. Standard Apple application.
2. For free.
3. There is support for macOS, iOS, watchOS.

Minuses:

1. Mediocre experience with Gmail, especially on iOS.
2. Less functionality compared to third-party clients.

The macOS High Sierra operating system has a proprietary email client, but not everyone likes the program and it is a little outdated. A wander around the App Store reveals a huge number of alternatives to the standard program, but one product stands out among all, the Spark client is rightfully the best, and here's why.

Simple and stylish design

There are 3 areas in the window: a menu for selecting the desired mailbox, a list of messages and a place for the letter itself. The white and gray design theme looks great, doesn’t hurt the eyes and harmonizes well with the macOS style. When you open Spark, only a few elements are visible: update status, search, and a button to compose an email. The side menu allows you to open the desired category, for example, “Inbox” or “Sent”.

At the very bottom, two more actions are available: reply and forward.

Smart box

Moreover, unnecessary letters do not even notify themselves in any way. This approach is easy to use and has become a competitive advantage over both the standard client and other third-party clients. But it is not at all necessary to trust the algorithms; everything is also configured in the parameters.

Full customization for yourself

For faster work, Spark provides swipes. With their help, you can quickly perform an action on it without going into the letter itself. And yes, they are customizable to everyone's needs.

In addition, for greater user productivity, the developers have added “hot keys” or “Shortcuts”. They allow you to quickly work with letters without the need for unnecessary actions. To perform any operation you just need to press a certain key combination.

Adding to the convenience of everything else was the option to transfer letters. You can postpone it until later or even next week. A huge number of settings that allow you to select the exact notification time when the user is ready to respond to the letter.

conclusions

But it was not without its shortcomings. The application does not have Russian language support and it is unknown whether it will receive it in the future. However, it is worth noting that even a high school graduate can easily understand most of the inscriptions.

The built-in macOS email client is stuck in its development somewhere in 2008. Same interface, same set of features, and nothing that could make the classic Mail app stand out from its competitors.

Therefore, I set out to look at the products that third-party developers offer and choose the best ones.

I will not put forward any criteria in advance, because it makes no sense now. All email clients are good, and it’s impossible to speak unequivocally about the leadership of any of them, because for the first time in many years they have become truly different. This is not just about different interfaces and design solutions. The problems that developers undertake to solve today are very different.

Some people want to simplify correspondence by mail and turn it into a messenger, while others, on the contrary, insist on classic methods of correspondence. Some people prioritize safety, while others prioritize teamwork.

Spark

Spark client interface with delegation feature

A product of Readdle, which is now the most actively developing in the field of email clients. Spark arrived at a time when the industry was stagnating and many popular email clients (including Mailbox and Google Inbox) were shutting down. Readdle with its multifunctional application managed to become a leader. Spark can:

• Send delayed emails. That is, like this: first we write and format the letter, then we set the sending date, and then Spark sends it itself.
• Delegation of letters. If the company has an employee for whom the information in the letter will be more useful, and he himself will be able to give an answer to the sender, then the letter can be delegated through a special menu so that another person can take control of it.
• Working on a letter in a team. You can compose text as a team, format it, add files, etc. This opens a mini-chat for online communication.

Pros:

• Lots of options for teamwork.
• High speed.
• A system for automatically sorting letters by tags.
• Integration with third-party programs (Things, Todoist, Evernote and others).

Minuses:

• Some features are dependent on Readdle's servers, which sometimes fail.
• To work in a team you need an expensive subscription.

Canary Mail

This is what the dark theme looks like in Canary Mail

The first paid email client on our list with a mountain of features and a great emphasis on the security of correspondence. Canary developers use advanced email encryption techniques to ensure that no one can access your data. Moreover, they are active by default, i.e. application security operates at the maximum level from the first launch.

There are also many useful functions in everyday life:

• Cleaning your mailbox from spam and annoying mailings.
• Smart Search: You can type something like “unread newsletters” to get all the news in one list.
• Read receipts. You can embed a script into your email that will notify you when your email is opened.
• Instant unsubscribe from any mailing list in one click.
• Prepare letters for quick sending, so as not to write the same thing every time and not to format letters again.

Pros:

• Automatic encryption of sent emails.
• Lots of handy features, including read receipts and the ability to snooze emails.
• Nice interface.

Minuses:

• High price.
• Poor localization of the Russian language.
• The controls are not very conveniently located.

Unibox

This is what the contact list on the left looks like

This client is good primarily for its interface. The sidebar of standard mailers displays mailboxes and individual letters. In Unibox, your interlocutors are displayed there, regardless of whether they are real people or mailing services. This approach simplifies working with mail - you no longer need to enter names into the search or somehow tag individual people. All of them are displayed in a single list.

Moreover, if you select the interlocutor, the entire history of correspondence in the form of a chat will be displayed on the right side of the interface. Moreover, with one click you can enable the display of all attached files that have ever been sent between you and your interlocutor.

Pros:

• A single list of contacts instead of separate letters.
• Design of correspondence in the form of a chat.
• Separate window with attachments.

Minuses:

• There is no tagging system for sorting emails.
• Price.

Airmail

Airmail interface and a separate window with a letter

The developers of Airmail are immodest guys who openly declare that their client is the best of all. This product is tightly integrated with macOS and supports all the key features, be it Handoff (an instant synchronization function between a computer, tablet and smartphone), AppleScript, Time Machine or multi-touch gestures on MacBook trackpads.

Pros:

• Instant replies interface (you can respond to a letter with one click).
• Full control over the list of previous actions. Time is given to undo the last action (for example, if you accidentally deleted a letter).
• Work offline.
• The support service is available 24 hours a day.
• Full integration with all macOS features. Works even better than the built-in client.

Minuses:

• Price.
• Lack of demo version for testing.

Outlook

The cross-platform functionality of the program is demonstrated here

An email client that comes bundled with Office 365. Essentially, it is an organizer, because not only mail is built in, but also a calendar with a notebook. Microsoft endlessly talks about security and intelligent functions that will somehow help sort out the rubble of mail. Personally, I didn't see them.

This is generally the only email client that I will criticize. It is inconvenient, cumbersome, costs an incredible amount of money, creates confusion and does not bring anything new to working with mail.

The only thing that pleases is the cool mobile client, but even that was not created by Microsoft. She bought a ready-made application and renamed it.

Pros:

• Good mobile application.
• Laconic design.
• Cross-platform application (works on Android, Windows, iOS).

Minuses:

• Price.
• Confusing interface.

Thunderbird

Here's a classic mailer without any frills

An orthodox email client that was developed by Mozilla back in 2004. He hasn't changed much since then. Company principles:

• Keep the classic, extensible and customizable interface.
• Ensure the security of incoming and outgoing mail.
• Provide support for all existing encodings.

Pros:

• Classic interface with tab support.
• Manual configuration of mailbox parameters.
• Integrated calendar.
• Development through a community of enthusiasts.
• Sorting mail by tags.
• Automatic blocking of suspicious content (protects against surveillance).
• Smart search with message filtering functions in one click.

Minuses:

• There are no email reminders or the ability to postpone an incoming message until a later date.
• No automatic box setup.
• Classic design can only be considered a plus for those who are used to it. For younger users it is very outdated.
• No mobile client.

Spike

Interface with letters

Spike is an attempt to turn email into chats. In classic clients, emails are often sorted as separate entities. Sometimes it is impossible to find a connection between letters on similar topics from the same addressee. Spike solves this problem by turning email correspondence into messaging-like messaging.

Your messages are on the right, your interlocutor's messages are on the left. You can immediately see when someone is typing for you, you can immediately see when your message has been read. You can even call if correspondence is not enough. In general, Spike is a messenger in which you do not need to register, since it works based on your mailbox.

Pros:

• Messenger style interface.
• Ability to send files, pictures, record audio messages.
• Supports audio and video calls.
• Built-in calendar.
• Group chats.
• Separate sorting of people and mailings from robots.
• Postponing writing for later.
• Mobile client.

Minuses:

• If you don't take into account the unattractive design, then they don't exist at all.

I reviewed the most popular email clients for MacOs. I hope that my article will help you with a successful choice.

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The built-in email client Mail in OS X is a prime example of what a cool product can be. I've been using it for 3 years now and it suits me in almost everything. Its design is ideal in my opinion, and in terms of functionality, many recognize it as one of the best email clients not only for Mac, but in general of all existing ones.

But Mail still has its serious shortcomings. For example, lack of support for tags in letters. For some reason, Apple implemented it in Finder and refused to do it with mail, although that is where tags are most needed. Yes, there is MailTags, but its cost makes you think twice before purchasing.

Or the situation with aliases: I connected an alias info@ to my corporate mailbox and every time I send using an alias I have to manually select an SMTP server; Mail does not provide the ability to configure the binding of aliases to individual servers.

AirMail

Price: $9.99

Supported OS: Mac OS X, iOS

An email client with a very beautiful and modern interface. The controls are located so that they occupy a minimum of usable space, leaving it to the viewing area. The program itself is very convenient to use, unlike its analogues. If you're thinking about replacing Mail, AirMail might be a great candidate.

Special mention should be made of the mode for displaying attachments and images in PostBox. Using it when searching for files in emails can be a huge time saver, although Mail supports message searches filtered by file type. In all other respects, except for the design, PostBox repeats the functionality of Mozilla Thunderbird and it makes sense to buy the program only for those who care about its appearance.

Advantages:

• Quick response form;
• Editable message labels;
• A large number of settings for aliases;
• Advanced message search;
• Attachment Browser;

Flaws:

• Not the most original interface design;
• Not all extensions are ported correctly;
• Does not work with Microsoft Exchange.

Mozilla Thunderbird

Price: for free

Supported OS: Mac OS X, Windows, Linux