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Popular Airmail desktop email app lands on the iPhone w/ iCloud sync, snooze, more

Airmail iPhone

Airmail, the popular third-party email client for the Mac, has landed today on the iPhone for the first time. The brand new Airmail for iPhone app works with various email services including Gmail, iCloud, Outlook, and Exchange, and even features iCloud sync to keep the mobile and desktop preferences on the same page. Airmail also includes modern features for the latest iPhones, third-party app integration, and email management features missing after Dropbox retired Mailbox.

As far as email apps go, my personal iCloud email goes through the built-in Mail app, but the Gmail experience is sub par as almost everyone probably knows. For that reason, I’ve always kept my work email in a separate app.

Up until now, I’ve bounced between Dropbox’s Mailbox (which shuts down later this month), Google’s Gmail app, Microsoft’s Outlook, and Readdle’s Spark which all take a similar approach to email with various differences in terms of features and how things work. But none offer a great Mac app yet, which is why I’ve relied on Airmail on OS X to manage my work inbox.

As mentioned at the top, Airmail for Mac and iPhone both feature iCloud sync which lets you set preferences in one version of the app and enjoy them on the other automatically.

Airmail iPhone

Airmail also features actions made popular by the retired Mailbox app like the ability to “snooze” emails for a later time. Third-party services can be integrated closely with Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Wunderlist, Fantastical, Deliveries and more through supported app extensions, which Apple’s Mail app curiously lacks.

Airmail’s ready for the latest iPhones. Airmail features 3D Touch quick actions from the Home screen on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Firmly pressing the app icon lets you see your unified inbox, jump directly to search in the app, view attachments from emails, and compose a new message.

And just like Airmail for Mac, you can easily customize the way Airmail for iPhone looks and works with appearance and action options within the app’s settings.

Airmail for iPhone is available now on the App Store for $4.99; Airmail for iPad is currently in development. Airmail for Mac, with full OS X El Capitan support, is also available through the Mac App Store for $9.99.

I recommend checking Airmail for iPhone out if you’re looking for a richer email experience than what Apple’s Mail app offers. Airmail syncs nicely with the desktop version, works well with third-party apps, and provides a solid Gmail experience with push notifications and more.

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Comments

  1. Richard Stovall - 8 years ago

    How is the speed in general and with syncing between desktop and iOS? That’s my biggest complaint about Spark: slow in general and slow to update.

    Also, what options does the Apple Watch notification have?

    • tinman8443 - 8 years ago

      I have no idea what your standard is, but I haven’t had any aggravation myself with mail syncing. You can customize the actionable items for notifications (they match whatever you have set for notifications on the phone).

      • eizan70 - 8 years ago

        I stopped using spark due to the slow nature of uploading the email content, usually with HTML emails. I believe that is what Richard Stovall is referring to. It was horrendously slow, to the point I would have to open the Mail app to view those emails.

        Richard I pulled the trigger and bought it, it does seem to avoid the lag time that seemed to plague Spark.

    • I haven’t expeirenced too many issues with the syncing speed, but I haven’t used Spark, so I can’t give you that comparison. Airmail have a very customized list of notification actions for the Apple Watch.

  2. tinman8443 - 8 years ago

    Airmail for iPhone also offers a slew of advanced e-mail options I haven’t seen in any other client, including the ability to view e-mail source code, redirect mail, and bounce messages. The experience is solid and robust. One of my favorite things is being able to use VIP contacts and receive e-mail notifications only from people on my VIP list (I know you can do with with Apple’s mail, but I was glad to see it also available in this third party experience. For me it’s hard to think about switching back).

    • ctyrider (@ctyrider) - 8 years ago

      I will give you a benefit of the doubt, but gotta say.. Your comment sounds suspiciously like it’s made by someone who works for Airmail..

      Does AirMail for IOS have full support for Gmail tagging and archiving?

      • tinman8443 - 8 years ago

        I don’t work for Airmail, but I was a beta tester, so I’m pretty used to it’s ins and outs by now. I just like it a lot. The only money that changed hands is when I bought it from the app store. But if anyone wants to send some money my way, I won’t turn it down! :D

        It does have support for labels and archives. Not sure if you mean something else though.

      • tinman8443 - 8 years ago

        Also, Airmail kind of fills a hole in my tech soul left by Sparrow. Rest in Pease sweat Sparrow.

      • chrislaarmansite - 8 years ago

        Well, I can tag my messages and I can move them to maps, the Gmail way, in AirMail for iOS. I could even move them to another account.

        (Note: I hadn’t used my AirMail for OS X waiting for AirMail for iOS, so I’m not an expert on it.) :-)

  3. Unfortunately Airmail has NO EXPORT FEATURE … I am not happy with the Mac version for several reasons but cannot get out of continuing using it, since I cannot export my local mail archive (non-IMAP). Please be aware of this, when trying Airmail!

    • tinman8443 - 8 years ago

      You should send them a message on Twitter or through their website, the developers are very good about engaging with their users.

    • ashpole (@ashpole) - 8 years ago

      Is that correct? Airmail for Mac has two export options under the File menu: one for the Account Settings but also one to Export to EML… It seems to work by selecting messages and then exporting them; they can be imported into Apple Mail, I haven’t tried other mail apps.

    • Robin (@pacorob) - 8 years ago

      In the iOS version of Airmail you can export/save e-mails to a PDF (like Spark for iOS also has)

  4. William Donelson - 8 years ago

    I will wait for iPad to be out too. Much better to switch all at once, iPhone, iPad & iMac, don’t you think?

    • applewatch20152015 - 8 years ago

      I hear you. I bought Airmail today to spice up my email client on my iPhone 6S Plus. Wish I would have checked to see if an iPad version was available…it sucks that there isn’t. I wouldn’t fully switch until the iPad version is available. I have my iPad Pro right next to me all day and prefer to use that for mail and messaging versus my iPhone.

      Overall, I like the app but could absolutely do without the “slick transitions” within the app. They look cool the first 3 times but then they just slow up the app. I do like that the trash icon is at the bottom.

      I was using the Outlook app and, surprisingly, I think it’s a lot better. I’m not into using gestures in my email. I just prefer to tap on what I want to ensure that my emails are going where I need them to go (trash, folder, archive, etc.). Outlook is quick and the sync works A LOT better than the built in mail app. Moving emails to a folder is easier than Airmail. It saves 1 step…but when you’re doing that 20 times a day, that extra step is annoying. And the trash can is at the top in Outlook which makes for a long reach on the 6S Plus. Wish it was at the bottom. Love the Outlook apps on my iPhone and iPad though.

  5. Tamas Cri - 8 years ago

    How is working background app refresh? If I open an email from gmail web interface, are the badge and lock notification updated automatically?

    • tinman8443 - 8 years ago

      I *believe* that notifications are updated when a new notification is pushed. I know that the developers are working on a way to update the notification status without having to receive a new message, but I don’t know if it made it into the final release yet or if it is coming soon. I rarely use web interface myself, but the OS X version is almost always correct.

  6. Cloudmagic works nice on both

  7. Robin (@pacorob) - 8 years ago

    It looks pretty good and has quite some great features. What i’m still missing are:
    – iPad support (including Slide Over/Split View)
    – snooze to desktop – like Mailbox has/had
    – one tap reply (with pre defined options) – like Spark has
    – show attachments above e-mail description/text (just a small icon or files to click)
    – show badge app icon also when background app refresh is turned off (it’s the same problem as with Spark)
    – option to add multiple attachment in one go from a cloud storage location – like Spark can
    – TouchID / security support

    It seems I’m looking for features that are available in various different e-mail app (Outlook, Spark, Boxer, Airmail, Mailbox).

    • tinman8443 - 8 years ago

      Hey I sent your comments over to the developers… They are actually pretty responsive if you want to reach out to them yourself. They added several of my suggestions while the app was still in beta.

    • Robin (@pacorob) - 8 years ago

      It seems that you can show badge app icon without background app refresh but in order to do that you need to open the Airmail app and go to Settings > General > Notification > Advanced > turn on ‘Server Badge Counter’.

      I’ve also entered my suggestions/request via the uservoice of Airmail.
      Especially showing attachments above the e-mail message would a great think. Only a few apps offer this (Outlook, BlueMail for example).

  8. Andrey Stepko - 8 years ago

    i use Airmail for mac because it supports hebrew (right to left languages) english and russian languages … and its the only app that supports labels absolutely love it) so yesterday downloaded ios version and it has a minor bugs but … if you use mac version – in ios version you can add account from icloud so it’s imports all the preferences you’ve already put to yourself in mac.. so ios version – speed is nice, all works exactly like in mac version, for some of you it might be a too many preferences options but i love it. i use it from yesterday as a primary mail app works perfect for me..

  9. Inaba-kun (@Inaba_kun) - 8 years ago

    I’ve been using Inbox for a while and I quite like it, but it’s lack of icon badges for bundled/grouped drives me nuts. Does this supper gmail bundling?

    The lack of an iPad app is also a bug problem.

  10. Kevin Roa - 8 years ago

    It has ‘bounce’ the most important feature for me.

  11. johanaberg2015 - 8 years ago

    Airmail looks cool! Here is an obituary to the Mailbox app, where some other alternatives are reviewed as well. Hope this can help: https://blog.briteback.com/mailbox-snooze-in-peace-an-obituary-by-a-fan/

Author

Avatar for Zac Hall Zac Hall

Zac covers Apple news, hosts the 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcast, and created SpaceExplored.com.