Airmail 4

An upgrade with new features and a new subscription model

$9.99/year From Bloop, airmailapp.com

Needs macOS 10.12 or later; 64-bit processor

The last time we reviewed Airmail, it was the Zero version, designed specifically for Gmail. Airmail 4, on the other hand, is an update to the core Airmail app and brings with it a host of new features.

There is, literally, a price to pay for those new additions. They are available only with a Pro subscription, which also allows you to use Airmail on iOS and iPadOS.

Most obvious among the new features is the redesigned interface, with themes and a customizable layout. But there’s also a new Smart inbox, improved search, and custom actions. Gmail users can also use Google’s Shortcuts and Quick Actions.

Gmail is just one of the platforms supported by Airmail, alongside iCloud, Outlook, AOL, Yahoo, and of course POP 3 and IMAP accounts.

Airmail has a raft of productivity features that make it well worth considering. By default, you can send any message to a specific iCloud Calendar or Reminders list. But you can also choose to send it to a raft of other services from apps like Bear, Fantastical, and Things. Received messages can be snoozed so you can be reminded of them later, or you can schedule messages to send later. But, unlike Spark, there’s no way to delegate messages to others in a team. We also like the privacy feature, which, when activated, processes all mail on your Mac rather than the server, stops automatic downloading of images, and blocks pixel tracking. You can also choose to block pixel tracking separately from other privacy features.

There are a few wrinkles that need a trip to Preferences to iron out: Smart Inbox doesn’t display in the list of mailboxes by default, there’s a very distracting animation effect when you move from message to message, and switching themes changed the layout but it wasn’t changed back when we reverted to the original theme.

However, there’s much to like in Airmail. There are numerous customization options for things like the order of mailboxes in the list, and we’re a fan of the color–coding used to differentiate messages in different accounts in the unified inbox.

THE BOTTOM LINE. Airmail 4 looks great, has several excellent features, and is well worth considering as an alternative to Apple’s Mail.

Airmail 4 can connect with other apps, such as Things, so you can send an email as a task to that app.

Privacy mode processes all mail on your Mac rather than a server, and blocks tracking pixels.