- Gmail Settings For Mac Mail
- Gmail Vs Mac Mail App Free
- Gmail Vs Mac Mail Apps
- Gmail Vs Apple Mail On Mac
- Gmail Vs Mac Mail
- Gmail App Vs Mac Mail
Jan 25, 2008 I use to use 3rd party apps full time and stuffed Apple Mail in a folder somewhere, but that has changed recently. Unless you pay then nothing is 'free' (the first party Google and Yahoo mail clients excluded) and you are the product; ie. They are selling your analytics. Recent events show how scary analytics can be and how much they have about.
Whether you are a student, entrepreneur, or an end-user, you need a capable Email app to get through a busy day. These days, Email apps aren’t limited to conversations and newsletters. Now, your Email Inbox is a centralized place for all receipts, important documents, travel details, gift vouchers, banking information, and more. Over the years, Apple Mail, Gmail, and Outlook have improved upon various fronts with better organization, more editing options, and so on.
Usually, Apple Mail is the default choice for many iOS/iPad OS users. Every year, Apple adds incremental updates to the default mail app with major iOS release.
Google has been aggressive with Gmail updates and improvements on iOS. So does it make sense for people to have two email apps on their iPhones or iPads? Will Gmail's app serve better than Appel Mail app?
In this post, we are going to compare the default Apple Mail to Gmail. The comparison makes more sense now as starting with iOS 14, and Apple is finally allowing users to change the default Mail and Browser app on the iPhone. The comparison will be based on UI, features, composting options, cross-platform availability, and more. Let’s get started.
Note: For this post, our iPhone X runs the latest Gmail app v6.0.2 on the App Store and Apple Email app from the iOS 14 Developer beta update. Cross-Platform Availability
As expected, the Apple Mail app is only available on Apple devices. You can access the app on iOS, macOS, and iPad OS. Gmail doesn’t offer native apps on desktop platforms. You can use the Gmail app on Android, iOS, iPad OS, and Web.
User Interface
Apple hasn’t changed much of the UI for the default Email app on iPhone. The home screen displays the accounts that you have added from the iPhone Settings menu.
You can either open the All Inboxes or go with individual accounts. Apple has kept the Inbox UI simple and functional. The compose button is at the bottom, and the search bar is at the top. Apple Mail supports the iOS 13 dark theme, which looks great on the AMOLED devices.
If you have a Gmail app on Android, you will find yourself at home with the iOS variant. Unfortunately, the app still uses a hamburger menu to navigate through Email folders on iOS. The compose menu is at the bottom right corner.
I like Gmail’s quick account switcher. You can see your current account profile from the upper right corner in the search bar. Just use swipe up/down gestures and switch among the added accounts in the Gmail app.
Gmail supports iOS 13 dark theme, but it’s more of a dark grey type and doesn’t look as good as Apple Mail’s implementation.
Also on Guiding Tech
Spike Mail vs Outlook: Which Apple Mail Alternative Is Better on iPhone
Read MoreEmail Organization
Email organization is very crucial since everyone's Inbox is often filled with mails from different services, subscriptions, and so on. Today, all prominent mail apps are in the race to offer better email organization features to sort out the important mails from promotional ones or newsletters.
Let’s start with Gmail. Taking inspirations from its web version, Google has added several tabs such as Social, Promotions, Updates, Forums, and a Primary Inbox for general conversations. Google’s algorithms are smart enough to organize incoming emails based on their category and relevance. When that fails, you will have to manually organize that one odd mail in any of those folders. Users can quickly hit the star on an email to stash it in a separate tab for important emails.
Apple Mail doesn’t offer such organization capabilities. However, you can set certain contacts, and email addresses as VIP ones, and the app will create a separate Email folder for it.
Compose Mail Options
Apple has added a rich toolbar to edit Emails. When you hit the compose email, you can tap on the little arrow on top of the keyboard and view the added options.
The formatting toolbar lets you change the default fonts, size, color, add bullet points, numbers, change the layout, and more. The up arrow Send button at the top might confuse some folks.
Google has finally added a Smart Compose function on Gmail mobile apps. The search giant offers writing suggestions as you type. Swipe right to accept or continue writing to ignore the suggestions. Unlike Apple Mail, Gmail doesn’t offer those rich editing options, but it has integrated the ‘Schedule Send’ function to schedule emails.
Also on Guiding Tech
Top 11 Apple Mail Tips and Tricks to Use It like a Pro
Read MoreFeatures Galore
Let’s start with Gmail first. Gmail lets you create an email signature, and allows you to set Out of Office AutoReply. Google also offers Smart Reply function, which shows suggested replies. It can be useful in certain situations.
Gmail has added Siri Shortcuts' support. You can set Siri to Send Email. I particularly liked the Google Tasks add on. From any email, you can tap on the three-dot icon at the top and select Add to Tasks.
My biggest problem with Apple Mail is that all the Settings options are in the iPhone Settings app (this is how all Apple default apps function). Apple Mail offers a rich preview when you use long-press an email from the notification center.
Apple also offers better swipe gestures on an email compared to Gmail. For example, in Gmail, the left swipe gesture on a mail only allows you to take one action. In Apple Mail, you can swipe left and flag an email, archive it, or use the more option to reply, forward, move to junk, and more. I would like to see Apple Notes and Reminders integration in the Apple Mail.
My favorite Apple Mail feature is a 3D touch implementation in the app. You can long-press on any email and quickly glance over it and, at the same time, use several options such as Reply, Reply All, Forward, Mute, Archive, and more.
Unfortunately, none of the email apps offer calendar integration from the app.
Also on Guiding Tech
#email
Click here to see our email articles pageOptimize Your Email Experience
Gmail Settings For Mac Mail
Both the Apple Mail and Gmail are capable email apps out there. We can recommend Gmail if you are already living in Google’s ecosystem and want to use add-ons such as Google Tasks, Smart Compose, Smart Reply, and so on. Apple Mail excels in formatting options and clever use of 3D touch within the app. Although, it does carry a fair share of hiccups.
Next up:Looking for Apple Mail alternatives on the iPhone? Read the post below to find the top five Apple Mail rivals on iPhone.
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read NextTop 5 Apple Mail Alternatives for iPhoneAlso See#comparison #apple
Did You Know
Google Duo is available for both Android and iOS users.
More in iOS
Top 4 Ways to Fix Google Duo Not Showing Contacts on Android and iPhone
Emailing is probably the activity we do the most on our computers. Even if you don't work on a computer during the day, you probably sit down in front of it to check your inbox at the end of the day. If the Mail app that comes with your Mac doesn't provide the features you need, you're in luck. There are dozens of great email apps in the Mac App Store. I've tested many of them and these are my favorites. Each one has a little something special that makes it unique.
Polymail
Polymail for Mac has a fantastic interface with cute buttons everywhere so you don't have to think about what to do next. It actually looks like it belongs on a mobile device, except that you click the buttons instead of tapping them.
There is a fourth section that appears whenever you select an email, which displays all of the past correspondences you've had with that particular contact or group of contacts. It's great for quickly tracking down something you've talked about in the past.
You can set up new mail with a pre-made template, send calendar invites, get notifications when someone has read your email, and schedule an email to be sent at a later time.
You can also write or respond to emails with rich text formatting. So, if you want to change the font, add bold lettering, bullet point a section, or just slap an emoji in there, it's all available right from the toolbar at the top of your new email. The only thing it's missing is Touch Bar support, which would really make this app shine.
Polymail can be used for free, but you'll need to sign up for a subscription if you want all of the awesome features that make Polymail stand out, like read notifications, send later, and messaging templates. You can add these features for as low as $10 per month. If you are a heavy email user and these features entice you, give the free trial a run to see if it's worth your money.
If you want your computer email experience to look and feel more like a mobile experience, with big, easy-to-find action buttons, Polymail is the one for you.
Spark
Spark has this 'Smart Inbox' feature that separates mail into categories: Personal, Notifications, Newsletters, Pinned, and Seen. That is, any email that is from someone in your contacts or otherwise looks like a personal email will be filtered to the top of the inbox list. Below that, in a separate section, emails that look like alerts from companies you deal with, like your gas company or Amazon, that include some kind of alert or notification. Below that, you'll see a section called 'Newsletters' which is exactly that. Below that, there are emails you've flagged or tagged as important in some way. Lastly, emails you've seen, but haven't moved to another folder.
Spark also allows you to snooze an email and come back to take care of it at a later time. This is invaluable when you regularly get emails that you need to respond to but don't have time for until the end of the day. I use it all of the time.
It also has gesture-based actions for getting to inbox zero. You can swipe to the right or left to delete, archive, pin, or, mark an email as unread.
And it has Touch Bar support, which I love.
Spark is best for people that like to have their inbox organized before they go through and move emails to new folders, address them, or delete them entirely. If that sounds appealing to you, try Spark.
Kiwi for Gmail
If you have one or more Gmail accounts, you should consider switching to Kiwi. This all-in-one triumph brings the look and feel of Gmail for the web to the desktop in the form of an app. With the service's unique Focus Filtered Inbox, you can view your messages based on Date, Importance, Unread, Attachments, and Starred. In doing so, you can prioritize your emails in real-time.
Perhaps the best reason to use Kiwi for Gmail is its G Suite integration. Thanks to the app, you now get to experience Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, as windowed desktop applications. Kiwi is available for Mac and Windows.
Postbox
Gmail Vs Mac Mail App Free
New on our list for 2020, Postbox has been designed for professionals, but anyone with more than one email account should continue using it. Available for Mac and Windows, Postbox works with any IMAP or POP account, including Gmail, iCloud, Office 365, and more.
Postbox offers one of the fastest email search engines available, which is ideally suited when you need to find files, images, and other attachments. With the app's built-in Quick Bar, you can move a message, copy a message, switch folders, tag a message, Gmail label a message, or switch folders with just a few keystrokes.
Looking for more? Postbox comes with 24 (counting) themes, and much more.
Your favorite?
What's going to be your next email client for Mac?
Gmail Vs Mac Mail Apps
Updated February 2020: Guide updated to reflect price changes and more.
macOS Catalina
Main
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
Gmail Vs Apple Mail On Mac
exposure notificationGmail Vs Mac Mail
National COVID-19 server to use Apple and Google's API, hosted by Microsoft
Gmail App Vs Mac Mail
The Association of Public Health Laboratories has announced it is working with Apple, Google, and Microsoft to launch a national server that will securely store COVID-19 exposure notification data.