Alternative Mail Apps

[willmtaylor]

Again I tried other email apps. With Edison I get every notification so I compared the other apps with Edison and tried them together for some days.

First app was Spark. There are so many features I don't want to use. Also this Team feature is a feature that I don't need. Spark worked but often notifications came late or never. Also the calendar wasn't working for my account. Stock calendar works. I don't know why calendar is not working in Spark. But I remember some month ago I had this problem too with Spark.

Then I tried myMail. Notifications worked but there is no unified inbox which is a must have for me and my 8 email accounts. Support stated that this is a planned feature for the next months...

Also I tried AltaMail. Here you can customize nearly everything and if you get used to the app it's really fine. But for me there is a big show stopper: You only get notified about new emails if the app is opened in the background. You must not close the app. Otherwise it doesn't work anymore. So you have to open up AltaMail again to get new mails and get notified about them.

Canary Email still got notification problems for all of my accounts. I tried it again and after some hours I decided to delete the app.

Last one was Airmail which is really a good email app. I love Airmail. But some month ago I had problems with notifications and so I decided to use Edison. Now I tried Airmail again and it worked for some days and I used it as primary email app. But then there came an update and notifications didn't work anymore. Sometimes there were no notifications but Edison showed them. When opening Airmail new emails came 1 or 2 seconds after opening the app. Although there was an update which should fix the problem (Improved notifications) it wasn't fixed for me. So Airmail is gone from my iPhone again.

When testing all these apps Edison worked good for me. That's why I'm still with Edison Email.

What issues do you have with the iOS stock email app?

 

[jjk454ss]

Again I tried other email apps. With Edison I get every notification so I compared the other apps with Edison and tried them together for some days.

First app was Spark. There are so many features I don't want to use. Also this Team feature is a feature that I don't need. Spark worked but often notifications came late or never. Also the calendar wasn't working for my account. Stock calendar works. I don't know why calendar is not working in Spark. But I remember some month ago I had this problem too with Spark.

Then I tried myMail. Notifications worked but there is no unified inbox which is a must have for me and my 8 email accounts. Support stated that this is a planned feature for the next months...

Also I tried AltaMail. Here you can customize nearly everything and if you get used to the app it's really fine. But for me there is a big show stopper: You only get notified about new emails if the app is opened in the background. You must not close the app. Otherwise it doesn't work anymore. So you have to open up AltaMail again to get new mails and get notified about them.

Canary Email still got notification problems for all of my accounts. I tried it again and after some hours I decided to delete the app.

Last one was Airmail which is really a good email app. I love Airmail. But some month ago I had problems with notifications and so I decided to use Edison. Now I tried Airmail again and it worked for some days and I used it as primary email app. But then there came an update and notifications didn't work anymore. Sometimes there were no notifications but Edison showed them. When opening Airmail new emails came 1 or 2 seconds after opening the app. Although there was an update which should fix the problem (Improved notifications) it wasn't fixed for me. So Airmail is gone from my iPhone again.

When testing all these apps Edison worked good for me. That's why I'm still with Edison Email.

Question on Edison. I only use 2 emails, but 1 is personal and 1 is work. When I use Mail in iOS it sometimes sends new emails from personal sometimes from the business email. I hate this. Does Edison to a better job of this somehow.

Also, does it support Push for Gmail?

 

[DenalB]

What issues do you have with the iOS stock email app?

The stock mail app doesn't support instant push for my accounts. Also there are some features I miss like snooze or unsubscribe from a newsletter by one click.

Biggest problem is that in stock email app there are all of my business emails and I want to separate business emails from private emails. So I have to use another email app.

When I use Mail in iOS it sometimes sends new emails from personal sometimes from the business email. I hate this. Does Edison to a better job of this somehow.

Edison always sends emails from default email account. I don't remember that Edison wanted to send email from one of my other accounts... :/

Also, does it support Push for Gmail?

Actually I'm using 2 Gmail accounts and Edison is notifying instantly. So I would say that Edison supports push for Gmail.

 

[jjk454ss]

The stock mail app doesn't support instant push for my accounts. Also there are some features I miss like snooze or unsubscribe from a newsletter by one click.


Edison always sends emails from default email account. I don't remember that Edison wanted to send email from one of my other accounts... :/


Actually I'm using 2 Gmail accounts and Edison is notifying instantly. So I would say that Edison supports push for Gmail.

Thanks, been playing with it for a few minutes now and it does seem nice

 

[DenalB]

and it does seem nice

But keep in mind that Edison normally collects data from you and your email accounts. You have to disable this by opt-out data sharing in setting "Manage Privacy" if you don't like it.

 

[willmtaylor]

But keep in mind that Edison normally collects data from you and your email accounts. You have to disable this by opt-out data sharing in setting "Manage Privacy" if you don't like it.

Have you tried Proton Mail?

 

[DenalB]

Have you tried Proton Mail?

I tried a lot of email apps... I don't remember if ProtonMail was one of them... But as far as I know you have to use an email account with ProtonMail to use the app. And I don't want to create another email account. Some month ago I already changed primary email account from Gmail to Mailbox.org because of privacy concerns and I'm happy with Mailbox.org.

 

[DenalB]

Anybody tried Preside (https://preside.io/)? At first view it looks like a good email app. You are able to modify many things and settings and if you want to buy premium you are able to do so and support the devs for $4,99 a month or $24,99 a year. But the app works great without premium. So you are not forced to buy.

I will try the app for some days. May be it can replace Edison Email.

 

[pacorob]

I haven't tried Preside. I will check it.
I did use Canary Mail (9.99 dollar pay once) which also has a nice dark mode but the UI is terrible. It is not so nice as Edison and Spark.

Have you also tried the free e-mail app Spike (formerly known as Hop) a chat like e-mail app? It's not my think but I wonder what you guys think of it.

 

[KarimLeVallois]

Anybody tried Preside (https://preside.io/)? At first view it looks like a good email app. You are able to modify many things and settings and if you want to buy premium you are able to do so and support the devs for $4,99 a month or $24,99 a year. But the app works great without premium. So you are not forced to buy.

I will try the app for some days. May be it can replace Edison Email.

Looks nasty looking!

 

[DenalB]

I did use Canary Mail (9.99 dollar pay once) which also has a nice dark mode but the UI is terrible. It is not so nice as Edison and Spark.

Used Canary Mail for some weeks. I liked the dark mode too and the handling of the app. But for me there were to many notification problems so that I couldn't rely on it anymore. Tried it again in the last days but also there were notification errors.

Have you also tried the free e-mail app Spike (formerly known as Hop) a chat like e-mail app?

Yes, tried Spike two times. But for me it is more like a messenger. And I like the "old way" of organizing my emails. Yes, you can modify the design of the app a lot. But it's hard for me to getting used to the app. May be I'll give it another try...

Looks nasty looking!

What do you mean? The design?

 

[KarimLeVallois]

Used Canary Mail for some weeks. I liked the dark mode too and the handling of the app. But for me there were to many notification problems so that I couldn't rely on it anymore. Tried it again in the last days but also there were notification errors.


Yes, tried Spike two times. But for me it is more like a messenger. And I like the "old way" of organizing my emails. Yes, you can modify the design of the app a lot. But it's hard for me to getting used to the app. May be I'll give it another try...


What do you mean? The design?

Yeah, the design looks like it was put together by a developer and not a designer lol

 

[DenalB]

Yeah, the design looks like it was put together by a developer

It is a little bit... different... But I play with all the settings. May be it looks better after some time. I don't know.

 

[vbctv]

The new Airmail Zero Beta looks interesting....

 

[DenalB]

Airmail Zero

Is this like Airmail 2.0?

 

[KarimLeVallois]

Is this like Airmail 2.0?

No, it's a separate app just for Gmail. Apparantly some of the tech will get implemented into AirMail...

 

[DenalB]

No, it's a separate app just for Gmail.

Thanks for info.

 

[KarimLeVallois]

Thanks for info.

I'd rather the developers just concentrate on Airmail, rather than all these silly side projects!

 

[DenalB]

I think there are enough problems which should be fixed and enough wishes that should be implemented first, e.g. dark mode for iOS.

 

[1144557]

I'd rather the developers just concentrate on Airmail, rather than all these silly side projects!

It's too bad because the app otherwise is really the best out there by far otherwise in terms of features and flexibility; like Outlook on desktop can do everything that most other iOs mail clients cannot.

But its far too buggy and unreliable. If they did an iOS12 and just revamped it killing all bugs and added 0 new features it would get them so far. That is the #1 complaint about that app from nearly everyone; it is just too buggy to daily drive. Ive never heard anyone really complain the app was bad other than bugs.

I dont get why they still dont do a massive bug overhaul, as they must be fully aware as I see all of the bug complaints in reviews on the App Store, their twitter, press, etc.

Im not sure if they dont get it, too prideful, or what the issue is there. It's super sad though because they far and beyond have the best email app for people who want all of the options like an Outlook type client gives on mobile out there overall if it worked reliably.

 

[KarimLeVallois]

I think there are enough problems which should be fixed and enough wishes that should be implemented first, e.g. dark mode for iOS.

I agree, this just takes time away from the main app. plus, I still have bugs they haven't fixed, so can't use the app anyway.

 

[DenalB]

I still have bugs they haven't fixed, so can't use the app anyway.

For me the problem with notifications is the biggest no-go.

 

[KarimLeVallois]

It's too bad because the app otherwise is really the best out there by far otherwise in terms of features and flexibility; like Outlook on desktop can do everything that most other iOs mail clients cannot.

But its far too buggy and unreliable. If they did an iOS12 and just revamped it killing all bugs and added 0 new features it would get them so far. That is the #1 complaint about that app from nearly everyone; it is just too buggy to daily drive. Ive never heard anyone really complain the app was bad other than bugs.

I dont get why they still dont do a massive bug overhaul, as they must be fully aware as I see all of the bug complaints in reviews on the App Store, their twitter, press, etc.

Im not sure if they dont get it, too prideful, or what the issue is there. It's super sad though because they far and beyond have the best email app for people who want all of the options like an Outlook type client gives on mobile out there overall if it worked reliably.

Perhaps they haven't go the skills to kill the bugs and would rather do simpler apps instead?

 

[1144557]

Perhaps they haven't go the skills to kill the bugs and would rather do simpler apps instead?

The way the app is designed and stuff that does work I tend to doubt that theory. They have stuff no other app has that does work even teams from big companies like Google and Microsoft. Edison is also nowhere near close on features.

Hell outlook still doesnt even sync drafts, with 1.1 million reviews an 4.7 stars in the app store somehow. Or HTML signatures. Boggles my mind some of the basics are just missing for years. Its a good app overall, but its soooooo basic in some areas; even more so than the stock app in some ways.

Spark is the only one that gets close to Airmail in features (send later, email formatting etc) but dont trust their privacy at all. And i just dont like the cartoony layout/feel it has to it.

 

[KarimLeVallois]

The way the app is designed and stuff that does work I tend to doubt that theory. They have stuff no other app has that does work even teams from big companies like Google and Microsoft. Edison is also nowhere near close on features.

Hell outlook still doesnt even sync drafts, with 1.1 million reviews an 4.7 stars in the app store somehow. Or HTML signatures. Boggles my mind some of the basics are just missing for years. Its a good app overall, but its soooooo basic in some areas; even more so than the stock app in some ways.

Spark is the only one that gets close to Airmail in features (send later, email formatting etc) but dont trust their privacy at all. And i just dont like the cartoony layout/feel it has to it.

I agree, perhaps I was a little too harsh, but they seem to shy away from fixing the harder bugs, they gave up on mine.

I also agree on the look of Spark, just can't live with the look as my daily driver. I'm currently using Newton as I like the look and features, but the search is pants and always have to revert to Apple Mail for this... Not a huge thing though, as searching like that doesn't happen often.