How to Set up Spark and start sorting
1 Get connected
Spark works with all major email providers including Gmail, iCloud, and Outlook, and you can manually configure it if your particular provider isn’t covered. In this example we’re going to choose Google.
2 See your mail
Enter your details (and the code for two-factor authentication if you use it – which you really should) and you should see something like this: a traditional three-panel mail layout with various folders and tags at the side.
3 Find your folders
If you want to add your own folders to the sidebar, just click More at the bottom of the sidebar and then navigate to the folder you want to add. Click the star to add it. You can create new and Smart Folders here, too.
4 See the sidebar
As you can see above, adding a folder to the sidebar also adds any subfolders it contains. You can now file a message in any of those folders by dragging and dropping it onto the appropriate one.
5 Get swiping
If you’re using a MacBook, swiping horizontally on its trackpad uncovers two important options: Delete, which will ditch the selected message in the Trash folder, and Snooze, which hides the messagel for a specified time.
6 Choose your Snooze
As you can see above, there are multiple Snooze options: later today, tomorrow, the weekend, next week… there’s even a Someday option if you like to be vague. You can also select a specific date.
7 Set up new Snoozes
You can customize the Snooze options to fit your own requirements. Go to Spark > Preferences > Snoozes to specify what “later today” means, and to set the specific days or times for other Snoozes.
8 Create Quick Replies
We love Spark’s choice of Quick Replies, which enable you to reply instantly to messages if you don’t have time to type up a more detailed response. In Spark > Preferences > Quick Replies, you can create your own replies.
9 Get back fast
Here are Quick Replies in action. Simply scroll to the foot of a message, click the Quick Replies button and then choose the one you want to use. There’s a brief delay in sending, just in case you change your mind.
10 Sign your name
Another welcome feature is support for multiple signatures, which you can create in Spark > Preferences > Signatures. Spark will try to pick the correct signature for each message, which is clever.
11 Edit your inbox
In Spark > Preferences > Smart Inbox, you can customize how the Smart Inbox works – for example, by grouping personal messages across multiple accounts or per account, or by hiding specific categories.
12 Make Spark speedier
Last but not least, allow us to introduce Spark’s range of customizable keyboard shortcuts. You can change the defaults by clicking one you want to change and then pressing the keys you want to use. Easy!