The Best Email Client for Android
The Gmail app isn’t just for Gmail anymore. With the addition of IMAP, POP and Exchange support, as well as many features to manage and control your email, we recommend Gmail to manage all of your email accounts, even non-Google ones, on Android.
Gmail
Platform: Android Price: Free download page
Functions
- Supports IMAP, POP, Exchange / Outlook, Yahoo Mail
- Unified mailbox
- Archive, tag and mark messages
- Block and unsubscribe from email addresses
- Disable streams
- Archive, delete or reply to emails from notifications
- Sort messages by importance
- Install an autoresponder
- Allow attachment downloads over Wi-Fi only to save mobile data
Where is it best
In the early days of Android, Google had a separate mail app for all of your email, other than Gmail. However, the Gmail app now supports IMAP, POP, and Exchange, so you can add almost any email account to your device. You can even view all of your inboxes in one place.
It’s Google of course, so it has some handy bonus tools as well. You can block the sender if a person is stalking you, or unsubscribe from the mailing list if you are stalked by a company. Both are available as regular menu buttons, so they are easier to access than creating a filter or looking for an unsubscribe button in the tiny text at the bottom of the email.
You can also turn off conversations to still receive emails, but you don’t need to receive notifications every time. Gmail also allows you to reply or archive / delete (you can choose that in the app settings) from the notification.
Where it fails
Gmail has become popular for a reason, but it is still not perfect. You still can’t remind yourself of an email later, as can be done with Boomerang (which unfortunately doesn’t support POP or IMAP). There is also no integration with apps for working with a calendar or to-do list. While Gmail can do some smart things, like adding events to your calendar when you get hotel or trip information, it looks like it’s limited to Gmail accounts.
Competition
Oh dude. Is there some time competition for email clients? How you handle email will largely depend on your preferences. Boomerang is the best alternative if you can only live with Gmail and Exchange accounts. This allows you to quickly set reminders to re-check your email at a specific time or location. You can also customize swipe gestures to view your mail faster.
The boxer was a close contender for first place. It has a built-in to-do list, support for most common email types, and more notification actions than Google. Unfortunately, Exchange support is not free and you have to pay extra for some basic functionality like custom quick replies or signatures.
Dropbox’s inbox is another attractive option. You can snooze emails for later, mute conversations, and create a built-in to-do list. He may even learn over time what actions you are taking from certain senders, so you can always swipe to defer an email from your boss, but archive the email from the salesperson. Another drawback is that it is only available for Gmail and iCloud accounts. POP, IMAP and Exchange are not available.
Microsoft also entered the arena with Outlook . The app supports most Outlook, Exchange, Yahoo, iCloud, Gmail, and IMAP, plus you can integrate storage from OneDrive, Dropbox, and Box, which is pretty impressive. You can schedule emails to be sent later and integrate them with your calendar. Unless, of course, your calendar is Outlook. If you are more partial to Microsoft services, Outlook may be the best option.
The last option, which doesn’t technically fit here, is Gmail’s Inbox . Inbox only supports Gmail accounts, so it’s not really a very suitable email client. However, it encourages a completely different approach to email , turning your email into a to-do list rather than a messaging system. It can also display important information such as tracking numbers, reservations, calendar appointments and many other useful features .
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