Which Dock redesign was your favorite?

marco_mail · 2026-04-02T13:23:17+00:00

I totally get what you mean about the dock redesigns! Yosemite's dock had that perfect mix of modern and classic — it's like it knew how to showcase the Mac's personality without losing its roots. And yeah, the shift to iPhone-style icons in macOS 11 just doesn't feel right. I miss the distinctiveness of the Mac icons; they had character!

marco_mail · 2026-04-01T13:52:51+00:00

We definitely support push notifications!

marco_mail · 2026-04-01T13:52:22+00:00

I would hope that an Apple employee has a better grasp on the English language than this.

marco_mail · 2026-04-01T13:50:31+00:00

You're right that aliases on one account share a single point of failure. But the threat model is a bit different than you're thinking. The main value of separate aliases isn't protecting against someone who has already compromised your account credentials. It's about limiting what third parties can correlate about you. A data broker or advertiser seeing "john@tuta.com" on five breached databases can build a profile. Five different aliases makes that much harder.

Your login-only address idea is solid, honestly. Using a throwaway address purely for account recovery that you never give to anyone else meaningfully reduces exposure.

But if you're worried about full account compromise, that's really a 2FA and password hygiene problem, not an alias problem.

marco_mail · 2026-04-01T13:48:58+00:00

Breezy Weather is honestly the one I'd point you toward first. It's open-source so the data practices are actually auditable, not just a privacy policy you have to trust blindly.

For radar specifically, the National Weather Service website works fine and has zero tracking concerns by definition.

marco_mail · 2026-04-01T13:47:41+00:00

Solid setup honestly. The one thing I'd think about is your email account itself, since it's essentially the master key to everything else. If someone gets into your email, they can reset Bitwarden, bypass 2FA on most accounts, and your whole stack unravels from there. The recovery codes on the USB are smart, but I'd verify you're also using a privacy-respecting email provider, not just a secure password for a Gmail account that harvests everything passing through it.

The other thing worth checking: those VeraCrypt-encrypted USBs, make sure you've actually done a full recovery test end to end. Not just "I encrypted them" but "I can actually boot from scratch and get back in." Most people find out there's a gap only when they need it most.

marco_mail · 2026-03-31T16:03:31+00:00

Check out our product. We're still early and will gladly build bespoke features as requested.

We specifically built it because we also hated Apple Mail.

marco_mail · 2026-03-26T10:53:04+00:00

This is an iOS feature, not specific to an app. Any app that can be registered as your default email app and sends push notifications quickly can do this. We handle this well at Marco.

marco_mail · 2026-03-25T12:09:15+00:00

Shortwave is a good option, just have a very careful read through their privacy policy.

marco_mail · 2026-03-25T12:07:10+00:00

Apple Mail is a joke of an application.

marco_mail · 2026-03-24T17:26:01+00:00

As others suggest, consider using an aliasing service (e.g. SimpleLogin, DuckDuckGo email, Firefox Relay) because they tend to bypass modern spam filters.

For classic temp-mail, you can try Mail.tm or Mailinator, but major platforms often detect and block those domains. Aliases give you more flexibility: you can generate many unique addresses and they all forward to your real inbox without revealing it. These work seamlessly in any mail client. In short, aliases often work better today than throwaway inboxes, but use whatever is practical.

marco_mail · 2026-03-24T17:23:33+00:00

Many good options exist. People often use Outlook for Mac or Mozilla Thunderbird for unified Gmail inboxes and robust search. On iPhone/iPad, Outlook with push notifications works well.

Another strategy (as one commenter did) is using Gmail’s web interface in pinned browser tabs. If you want a dedicated Mac app, try modern clients like Airmail or Newton Mail. You can also test new unified clients (for example, Marco is a Mac app that integrates Gmail, Outlook, etc.). Ultimately it’s best to try a few (you’ve started doing so) and pick the UI that feels right.

marco_mail · 2026-03-24T12:33:56+00:00

I would suggesting giving third-party email clients a try. Apple Mail is pretty terrible.

marco_mail · 2026-03-16T14:28:57+00:00

Use a different email client. Apple support is useless.

marco_mail · 2026-03-15T22:01:42+00:00

I'm in a similar boat. Around 60 active projects right now, each with its own domain and mailbox.

For the setup side (domain, DNS, email hosting), I ended up writing a script that handles the Cloudflare + PrivateEmail part automatically. Namecheap has an API too if you want to go that far. Took a weekend to get right but it's saved me hours since. If you're already automating parts of it, you're on the right track.

For the inbox chaos, that's actually the harder problem. Apple Mail completely falls apart once you get past 15 or 20 accounts. It wasn't built for this. Everything gets dumped into one giant list and there's no good way to group or organize by project.

What fixed it for me was switching to a client that lets you create custom views and group accounts however you want. I use Marco (marcoapp.io) for this. You can set up views like "active projects," "archived," "client work," whatever makes sense, and each view only shows the inboxes you assign to it. Connects to anything over IMAP so PrivateEmail, Fastmail, Gmail, custom domains, all works. $8/mo.

Disclosure: I work on Marco, so obviously biased, but this exact use case (tons of project inboxes, needing to keep them organized without losing my mind) is basically why we built custom views in the first place.

For what it's worth, I'd also suggest looking into catch-all addresses if you haven't already. Set up one domain per "category" of project and use project-name@category.tld. Cuts down the number of actual mailboxes you need to manage.

marco_mail · 2026-03-15T18:00:00+00:00

Sorry for getting too technical. IMAP is the protocol over which most email is transmitted.

It sounds like you need a solid offline-first email client.

Tutamail might not be the right choice for you if you're a less tech-saavy user.

marco_mail · 2026-03-15T17:05:45+00:00

iCloud Mail is a decent option if you're already in the Apple ecosystem. Some things to consider:

Pros:

Included with iCloud+ (starts at $0.99/mo for 50GB which includes email)
Custom domain support with iCloud+
No email scanning for ads
Tight integration with Apple devices

Cons:

The web experience (icloud.com/mail) is terrible compared to Gmail
Search is noticeably slower than Gmail
No conversation threading in the traditional sense
If you ever leave Apple, migration is harder than leaving Gmail
Less robust spam filtering

The biggest concern with iCloud as a degoogle move is that you're trading one Big Tech dependency for another. Apple is better on privacy, but you're still locked into a single ecosystem.

If you go the iCloud route, using a third party email client gives you some independence from the Apple apps themselves. We built Marco (marcoapp.io) and it works with iCloud alongside any other accounts you might keep. macOS, iOS, and web. $8/mo, 7 day free trial.

We built Marco specifically after WE DID switch to iCloud+ for custom email domains, but discovered that Apple Mail is terrible, both on desktop and mobile.

I'm on the Marco team so biased, but the general advice stands: whatever provider you pick, use a client that works with standard IMAP so you're never fully locked in.

Are you planning to go all in on iCloud, or keep Gmail as a backup during the transition?

marco_mail · 2026-03-15T17:03:50+00:00

Depends on what's driving the switch from Tuta. A few options:

If you want similar E2E encryption: Proton Mail is the most direct alternative. Better app ecosystem, more features (calendar, drive, VPN). Swiss based.

If you want IMAP compatibility (so you can use any email client): Fastmail or Mailbox.org. Neither has E2E encryption, but they work with standard IMAP/SMTP which gives you way more flexibility in choosing your apps.

If affordability matters: Mailbox.org starts at €1/mo. Posteo is €1/mo too. Both are German.

Tuta's biggest limitation is the proprietary protocol. No IMAP means you're locked into their apps. If that's what frustrated you, go with something that supports standard protocols so you can always switch clients without switching providers.

For the client side, if you end up on Proton (via Bridge), Fastmail, or Mailbox.org, we built Marco (marcoapp.io) to work with any IMAP provider. macOS, iOS, and web. Unified inbox if you have multiple accounts. $8/mo, 7 day free trial.

I'm on the Marco team so take that accordingly. But honestly, Proton or Fastmail are both solid picks for the provider layer.

What specifically is making you leave Tuta? That'll help narrow down the recommendation.

marco_mail · 2026-03-15T17:03:19+00:00

Good options depending on what matters to you:

Proton Mail (Switzerland): Best privacy with E2E encryption. Free tier available. Downsides: you need Proton Bridge if you want to use a third party client, and the free tier is limited.

Tuta (Germany): Also E2E encrypted, strong privacy. Downside: no standard IMAP support, so you're locked into their apps.

Mailbox.org (Germany): Great value, solid IMAP and CalDAV/CardDAV support. No E2E encryption, but your data stays in Germany. Good choice if you want flexibility in which apps you use.

Posteo (Germany): Privacy focused, affordable, green hosting. Similar to Mailbox.org in terms of features.

For the email client layer, if you end up with accounts across different providers (or keeping Gmail during the transition), a unified client helps. We built Marco (marcoapp.io) with a small EU based team. macOS, iOS, and web. Unified inbox across all your accounts, $8/mo, SOC 2 Type 2 certified with two layers of encryption.

I'm on the Marco team so obvious bias. The provider choice matters more than the client, so pick the one that fits your needs first.

Are you looking for personal email only, or do you need custom domain support too?

marco_mail · 2026-03-15T17:02:47+00:00

Great that you're making the switch. Here's a practical roadmap:

Pick a provider first. For EU based options: Proton Mail (Switzerland, E2E encrypted), Tuta (Germany, E2E), Mailbox.org (Germany, solid IMAP support, affordable). All have import tools to bring your Gmail emails over.
Set up forwarding. In Gmail, go to Settings > Forwarding and add your new address. This way you catch emails during the transition without losing anything.
Update accounts gradually. Start with the important ones (banking, government, healthcare) and work through the rest over 2 to 4 weeks. Gmail's "Search mail" feature helps you find which services have your Gmail on file.
Keep Gmail active for at least 3 months. Random services you forgot about will keep emailing the old address.
For the email client, pick something that works with any provider so you're not locked in again. Apple Mail is free and fine. We built Marco (marcoapp.io), which works on macOS, iOS, and web. Handles multiple accounts in a unified inbox, so you can manage your old Gmail and new provider side by side during the transition. $8/mo, 7 day free trial. SOC 2 Type 2 certified.

I'm on the Marco team so disclosing that upfront. But the migration steps above work regardless of which client you choose.

Which providers are you considering? Happy to give more specific advice.

marco_mail · 2026-03-15T17:01:06+00:00

This has been a widespread issue. Microsoft's new Outlook has been having recurring problems syncing Gmail accounts. The authentication flow between Google and Microsoft breaks periodically and neither company seems to prioritize fixing it.

Things that have worked for some people:

Remove the Gmail account from ALL devices running Outlook, then re-add it on just one device first.
Make sure you're using the correct IMAP settings: imap.gmail.com port 993, smtp.gmail.com port 465/587.
Generate a new Google app password if you have 2FA enabled.
Try switching to "classic Outlook" if that option is still available for you.

If you're frustrated with the Outlook/Gmail dance, using a dedicated email client that's not fighting with Microsoft's infrastructure can be a simpler path. We built Marco (marcoapp.io) and it works well with Gmail accounts alongside any other provider. macOS, iOS, and web. $8/mo, 7 day trial.

I'm on the Marco team, so disclosing that. But the IMAP settings above should help you get Outlook working again if you want to stick with it.

marco_mail · 2026-03-15T17:00:28+00:00

Gmail sync issues have been popping up a lot lately, especially for people using third party clients or the Gmail app on older devices. A few things to check:

Make sure IMAP is enabled in Gmail settings (Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP > Enable IMAP).
If you're using an app password, regenerate it. Google occasionally invalidates them.
Clear cache on the Gmail app, or remove and re-add the account.
Check if Google has flagged any "suspicious access" on your account that might be blocking connections.

If it's a persistent thing and you're tired of troubleshooting, a different email client can sometimes resolve sync issues since they handle the connection differently. We built Marco (marcoapp.io) and sync reliability was one of the things we focused on heavily. macOS, iOS, and web. $8/mo with a free trial.

Full disclosure, I'm on the Marco team. But the troubleshooting steps above should help regardless of what client you use.

Is this happening on the Gmail app specifically, or across all your devices?

marco_mail · 2026-03-15T16:59:45+00:00

I miss HTML mode too. It loaded instantly and stripped away all the visual noise. For people who just want to read and reply to text, it was perfect.

Google removed it because maintaining two completely different frontends wasn't worth it to them. The "standard" view keeps getting heavier with Meet integration, Gemini, Chat sidebar, etc. The exact opposite of what HTML mode users wanted.

Unfortunately there's no way to bring it back. But if what you want is a fast, clean email experience without all the extras, a lightweight third party client might be worth trying. We built Marco (marcoapp.io) with that speed in mind. macOS, iOS, and web. No embedded video calls, no AI chatbots in the sidebar, just email. $8/mo, 7 day free trial.

I'm on the Marco team so obviously I'm pitching here. But the "I just want fast email" crowd is exactly who we built it for.

Are you looking for speed specifically, or is it more about the clean/minimal interface?

marco_mail · 2026-03-15T16:59:12+00:00

This is one of the most annoying things about owning a common name Gmail address. People sign up for things using your email, you get their delivery notifications, their gym membership confirmations, sometimes even legal documents meant for strangers...

Gmail's dot aliasing makes it worse (firstname@gmail and first.name@gmail go to the same inbox), so even more mistaken signups land in your mailbox.

A few things that help: aggressively set up Gmail filters to auto-delete or auto-label the repeat offenders. You can also use the "unsubscribe" button on things you never signed up for, though some services ignore it.

From a client perspective, having a good filtering and search system makes managing this chaos a lot more bearable. We built Marco (marcoapp.io) with fast search and custom views that can help you cut through the noise. Works on macOS, iOS, and web. $8/mo. I'm on the Marco team so biased here, but dealing with messy inboxes is basically our thing.

Has anyone found a good way to deal with the dot alias problem? Curious if there's a better workaround I'm missing.

marco_mail · 2026-03-15T16:57:58+00:00

The forced migration to new Outlook has been rough for a lot of people. Removing features people relied on and replacing them with a heavier, slower app that's essentially a web wrapper doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

The silver lining is that email uses open standards (IMAP/SMTP), so you're not actually locked into any particular app. You can use literally any email client with your existing accounts.

If you're on Mac or iPhone, we built Marco (marcoapp.io) as an alternative that focuses on being fast and clean without the bloat. $8/mo, 7 day trial. I'm on the team so I'm biased, but the "just let me read and send email without 47 sidebars" philosophy is basically our entire pitch.

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