A variety of third-party mail apps for mac have come and gone over the years, from the once-revolutionary but now defunct mailbox app, to currently available options like spark. One of the newer options to get into this space is an app called MimeStream, and it comes from a former Apple engineer. might be the best gmail app for macos yet.
A new update to mimestream today brings a handful of new features, including deeper integration with Google Calendar, additional customization options, and more.
the best gmail app for macos?
for those unfamiliar, mimestream is advertised as a “native macos email client for gmail”. The idea is that it combines the features of Gmail that you would find on the web with the power and integration of a native MacOS app. The app is completely native to MacOS and is written in Swift, leveraging the Gmail API instead of the IMAP protocol to provide many of Gmail’s specific features.
These gmail-specific features include things like categorized inboxes, multiple accounts, tag management, powerful search (!), and keyboard shortcuts.
This means that mimestream only works with gmail accounts, although the developer says “future support for other services is planned”. This would include Microsoft 365/Outlook, IMAP compatible services, and JMAP compatible services.
mimestream was developed by neil jhaveri, who previously spent more than seven years at apple. During his time at Apple, Jhaveri worked on Mail and Notes apps for MacOS and iPad. he served as engineering manager for the mail team when he left in 2017.
Today’s update continues to deepen the integration between Gmail features and the native macOS Mimestream application. The most notable feature is integration with Google Calendar, which allows you to accept or decline Google Calendar invites directly within Mimestream. You can also add notes to the event and view other events scheduled for that same day.
Other new features included with today’s mimestream update include:
- configurable “favorites” section in sidebar
- support for important tag
- support for account-wide category tags
- ability to include original attachments when replying (via menu)
- ability to open individual messages in a separate window
- change filter criteria directly from the header of the message list
- japanese localization (thanks katagaki, shota and keisuke!)
9to5mac’s opinion
I’ve been using mimestream as my macos email client for the past few months, and I have to say, it’s an incredibly impressive experience. The biggest limitation of course is that at the moment it is limited to gmail accounts. luckily i am immersed in the gmail ecosystem for all my accounts so this is not a problem for me.
apple’s mail app on mac has stagnated a bit in recent years, giving google and other apps the ability to outperform it in features and performance. one of the biggest areas i notice is when it comes to searching. apple mail’s search function is slow and unreliable, while gmail’s search function is incredibly powerful. In the past, I used to go to gmail on safari whenever I needed to search for something that I knew the mail app couldn’t find.
mimestream does a great job of combining these gmail features with the experience of a native macos app. It’s fast and responsive, optimized for Apple Silicon, features a familiar design language, and is always reliable.
mimestream is technically still in beta, but you can join the beta testing program for free through the company’s website here. As long as you’re immersed in the Gmail ecosystem, MimeStream is the best native MacOS email client on the market today.
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