Spark Email App

[dmoskaluk]

I'd like some feedback from others who use or have used Spark for iOS. Personally I'm very satisfied with its presentation and function for iPhone & iPad. I've used Apples canned mail app, Outlook, Airmail, and GMails app & find all have plusses & minuses, with Spark having most positives and simplicity.
With the impressions I have, I also installed Spark on the iMac and while it's equally impressive, I suspect it may not be quite ready for Prime Time yet, as I've had to uninstall & reinstall twice to restore function and to get it out of a dormant mode where the iCloud synch keeps spinning ( all night) and the product is essentially frozen. I'm a great fan of cross-platform commonality, and I like where stuff 'looks the same' and 'acts the same' in multiple incarnations. ( probably the old Airbus pilot in me )

I use Gmail as well as iCloud mail, but I've dedicated my Apple Mail app to my iCloud mail, as 3rd party mail apps now need 2 step authentication to support iCloud.......The Spark ( as well as Outlook) have only been for my Gmail.

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

Spark is the only email I use on ios and macOS. I love it. It is fast and free and actually deletes email and spam when you click on it. I hate the inbuilt mail app on iphone as it never deletes emails and spam properly.

I have not had any issues using spark on either platfor. Wish I could use it on my Android devices as well.

 

[TripleOne]

I prefer Airmail's UI

 

[metllicamilitia]

I love Spark, but I’ve just recently gone back to the stock email app for a bit. Just felt like a change.

 

[dmoskaluk]

Spark is the only email I use on ios and macOS. I love it. It is fast and free and actually deletes email and spam when you click on it. I hate the inbuilt mail app on iphone as it never deletes emails and spam properly.

I have not had any issues using spark on either platfor. Wish I could use it on my Android devices as well.

I finally gave up and may revisit Spark for iMac 'in due course' but reinstalled Airmail on the desktop. Now all's in synch and I have a well functioning email system for all devices. Airmail for iPhone & iPad was fine too when I used it several months ago but it took more mobile data if/when away from wifi than any other email client I've used. ( Outlook / Gmail/ Spark, iOS native Mail....)

 

[dmoskaluk]

I would strongly suggest that the biggest reason that the Gmail (red envelope) for iOS can be a bit 'crude & clunky' is that Google, and Apple, being more or less direct competition in many markets, simply don't play well together. Apple has no incentive to make Google look good, and the Gmail app is really an 'Appleized' Android App to begin with. It 'does what's needed' but little more. Spark does not even produce an Android Mail App, so has nothing to gain or lose by throwing it's development strength into iOS.....

 

[Rob Phillips]

I’ve used Spark for a while now and love it. Lots of great features but my personal favorite is account syncing between devices. I have a bunch of email accounts so it makes setting up a new device super easy.
I’m not experiencing the issues you mentioned in macOS though.

 

[bjf123]

I played around with Spark awhile ago and liked the features. Maybe I misunderstood, but I thought when you used Spark, the emails all went through their servers in between your mail provider and your device. I wasn’t comfortable with that.

I have both a gmail and and iCloud email address and really only use Apple’s built in mail app on both my iPhone and iPad. I’ve never really had any issues with gmail not playing nice with my emails.

 

[Ledsteplin]

I played around with Spark awhile ago and liked the features. Maybe I misunderstood, but I thought when you used Spark, the emails all went through their servers in between your mail provider and your device. I wasn’t comfortable with that.

I have both a gmail and and iCloud email address and really only use Apple’s built in mail app on both my iPhone and iPad. I’ve never really had any issues with gmail not playing nice with my emails.

Me neither. But some don't like that Gmail doesn't use push in the stock mail app. I have no issue with fetch. I've used Spark, as well most other 3rd party mail apps. My favorite is Email - Edison Mail. I like you can read and send emails from in iMessage.

 

[metllicamilitia]

Me neither. But some don't like that Gmail doesn't use push in the stock mail app. I have no issue with fetch. I've used Spark, as well most other 3rd party mail apps. My favorite is Email - Edison Mail. I like you can read and send emails from in iMessage.

Edison was just found to be using real people to read your actual emails. So far Spark has not been known to do this. Edison was also not the only email client outed this way, but I haven’t looked into it further.

 

[dmoskaluk]

I’ve used Spark for a while now and love it. Lots of great features but my personal favorite is account syncing between devices. I have a bunch of email accounts so it makes setting up a new device super easy.
I’m not experiencing the issues you mentioned in macOS though.

I'm at a loss about the problems with Spark on my desktop, because after I download/install it just works fine for about a day tops then is back to its issues - for all I know the problem is with my iMac which is older (2012) but still performs admirably in most other areas. I use its native Mail on the Mac for iCloud only, and use Airmail for my Gmail there which is fine. ( Of course I have the web browser entry for Gmail as well

 

[dmoskaluk]

I just re-installed Spark for iMac an hour ago - let's leave it overnight and see - so far so good but I've said that before - I do so like the presentation for all my mail ( and the settings) being synched a lot.....

 

[dmoskaluk]

Pleased to report that after the 3rd re-install,Spark on my iMac is now co-operatiing fully and having the same formatting for all devices is a treat. I have benched Airmail ( but not deleted it) and am now satisfied.

 

[Lee_Bo]

Looks like I may have to give this a try. Been using iOS app for personal and Outlook for work.

 

[dmoskaluk]

You will probably like it - do look at a few YouTube videos reviewing the product for both iOS & the Mac OS.......IF you choose to use it for iCloud mail though, you will need to use 2 factor authentication, as iCloud mail now needs it to run on 3rd party applications like Outlook or Airmail as well. I use the canned 'Mail' apps ( Apple) for iCloud mail on both iOS and iMac, but Spark does Gmail and many other very well.

 

[judgetom]

Do you feel comfortable using a third party mail app re Data Protection / Privacy? You have to provide your account passwords to Spark allowing them to pull mail from your account via their servers/services and forward the mail then to you.

For me that is too scary even if the mail client works perfect.

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

Do you feel comfortable using a third party mail app re Data Protection / Privacy? You have to provide your account passwords to Spark allowing them to pull mail from your account via their servers/services and forward the mail then to you.

For me that is too scary even if the mail client works perfect.

Most mail services make you login through their own websites like outlook opens its own login servers within the mail app so you are not giving that information to a 3rd party. It is very safe.

 

[judgetom]

Well according to their pre GDPR privacy notice they have stored the login credentials directly on their servers. Do not know if this has recently changed.

But this is not of interest for me since I am a stock mail app user.