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Mail vs Spark or Alternatives?


  • Total voters
    59

thebeachbum

macrumors member
Oct 28, 2012
66
32
Texas
Spark threads every email sent with any responses. Very easy to accidentally delete the whole thread or send everyone on the thread an unintended response. Just started using it. Will most likely go back to mail and keep searching for an alternative. Note, the threading option cannot be turned off. It is a major feature of Spark.
 

Abazigal

Contributor
Jul 18, 2011
19,457
21,847
Singapore
Mail vs Spark or Alternatives?

I've recently heard spark saves my mail in their servers. I was wondering if this was standard practice or safe. If not, I might go back to using old Mail app that comes default. Or are there alternatives?

Thanks

References:

Spark Mail by Readdle promised privacy but didn’t deliver it.
I might be wrong, but my understanding is that this is standard for any email app which promises push notifications (that's how they deliver it in the first place). So it really comes down to whether you trust the developer to not do anything shady.

On the desktop, I would stick with the stock mail app. It feels good enough for what you should need it for anyways.
 
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cyb3rdud3

macrumors 68040
Jun 22, 2014
3,174
1,966
UK
I might be wrong, but my understanding is that this is standard for any email app which promises push notifications (that's how they deliver it in the first place). So it really comes down to whether you trust the developer to not do anything shady.

On the desktop, I would stick with the stock mail app. It feels good enough for what you should need it for anyways.
I'm sorry but you are wrong. That is not standard at all. It is a job for the mail server as detailed in the standards documentation, not of the mail client. Removing mail from my mail servers to then not have in my client, but in some third parties server. My gosh why would anyone want to do that?

If you just have a tiny little bit of awareness of your privacy then simply do not use that mail app ever. It is not an app, it is not a mail client. Anyone using it is effectively saying; hey here is a copy of all my emails, please read them for me and do with them whatever you want...
 

sgtaylor5

Contributor
Aug 6, 2017
651
385
Cheney, WA, USA
I'm using GyazMail ($18); the developer very recently rewrote it for 64 bit. Clean, very customizable and fast. Sends only text emails (no rich text), but does a very good job of rendering incoming HTML emails.
 

Tassiecelt

macrumors newbie
Jan 7, 2014
14
3
I’ve been using Spark for a long time, here are two Cons for Spark and Apple Mail (as I understand)
  • Spark Con. No way to use inline (in the text) images or PDFs. (apple Mail does this)
  • Apple Mail Con. Cannot easily include an image in a signature (Spark Mail does this)
I want to use inline images for sending Christmas Greetings by email, havping the image as an attachment is not so friendly.
 

LyamShell

macrumors newbie
Jan 6, 2021
1
0
I use the Spark app. They must solve a glaring problem. I cannot edit emails before clicking send without glitches. It's highly frustating to have letters or words elsewhere in the email delete or some part of text jump elsewhere. I doubt Spark will ever clear up this problem anytime soon ... especially after reading about glaring privacy problems and indirect or direct association with the evil Alphabet empire (Google, YouTube, etc.).
 

boastboy

macrumors newbie
Jun 16, 2011
3
0
Cape Town, South Africa
I have used spark in the past but was appalled by their privacy policy so I switched back to mail, I just would like to turn off automatically opening images in Apple mail, any ideas?
 

Freddy Fruitfly

macrumors member
Sep 15, 2017
91
40
I have used spark in the past but was appalled by their privacy policy so I switched back to mail, I just would like to turn off automatically opening images in Apple mail, any ideas?
 

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MacGizmo

macrumors 68040
Apr 27, 2003
3,036
2,370
Arizona
Any app or service that offers the feature to "un-send" stores your email on their server... it's the only way to do it. Many apps and services that offer the feature "send later" also probably store the email on the server—there are exceptions, but for the most part that is the case.

Postbox is really nice. It is based on Mozilla Thunderbird code, with proprietary features and interface (a much nicer interface, I might add). Postbox is offering a lifetime license for $29 right now (normally $50 I believe).

For me, I'm willing to live with Apple's Mail client shortcomings because I don't have to worry about privacy issues. Nor do I have to worry about them changing pricing, license parameters, lack of updates, or the sale of the app or entire company to Google or someone else. I also have multiple Macs and iOS devices, and there is no other app that syncs so easily and accurately as Apple's own products.
 
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stlblufan

macrumors regular
Jul 14, 2008
139
37
New York City
I also use Airmail, which has both a desktop and a mobile app (and you can sync settings via iCloud). It's the best email system that I've been able to find over the past few years. Highly recommend.
 

Fatus_Asticus

macrumors 6502
Oct 24, 2021
281
252
I like mail, my one beef with it is I can't specify where to go after mail deletion. Default brings me to the next message and I'd rather go back to inbox IOS, on Mac that isn't an issue.

My needs are modest though.
 
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Fastsavage

macrumors regular
Jun 28, 2011
176
39
New Zealand
One thing with apple mail is that it deletes deleted messages after 30 days - when I like to keep them forever (you should see my work office365 mailbox) Is there a better way....
 

phrehdd

macrumors 601
Oct 25, 2008
4,289
1,292
One thing with apple mail is that it deletes deleted messages after 30 days - when I like to keep them forever (you should see my work office365 mailbox) Is there a better way....
I admit I am a little confused here. I have mail dating back to 2013 in my box using mail app and icloud.
 

Fastsavage

macrumors regular
Jun 28, 2011
176
39
New Zealand
After I typed my post I went and investigated more - looks like I have a screw up in the iCloud.com preferences

I have a call logged with Apple support to sort it out

**** UPDATE ****

Well, 25 minutes on the phone with Apple Support and problem sorted, major screw up in webmail preferences, not 100% sure what they did. however, lots of logging in and out and the adviser consulting a higher up tech and... sweet all good.

Will say Apple Support was excellent - I scheduled a callback, and they did the next morning at the time I chose.

Cheers and I vote Apple Mail
 
Last edited:

Pooneil

macrumors member
Nov 11, 2021
41
13
Any app or service that offers the feature to "un-send" stores your email on their server... it's the only way to do it. Many apps and services that offer the feature "send later" also probably store the email on the server—there are exceptions, but for the most part that is the case.

Postbox is really nice. It is based on Mozilla Thunderbird code, with proprietary features and interface (a much nicer interface, I might add). Postbox is offering a lifetime license for $29 right now (normally $50 I believe).

For me, I'm willing to live with Apple's Mail client shortcomings because I don't have to worry about privacy issues. Nor do I have to worry about them changing pricing, license parameters, lack of updates, or the sale of the app or entire company to Google or someone else. I also have multiple Macs and iOS devices, and there is no other app that syncs so easily and accurately as Apple's own products.
I just purchased Postbox while on sale. I found it to be very sluggish on my M1 Macbook Pro. Scrolling a message using my track pad was all but impossible. It seems to be written in the old Mozilla code.
 
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