Mailbox for Mac Now Available via Public Beta Test, Offers New Snooze Features and Draft Support

[MacRumors]

Popular email management app Mailbox for iOS is set to expand to the Mac, with the company making its desktop software available to the public through a beta test that begins today.

Mailbox for Mac resembles the Mailbox app for iOS, with a simple, clean interface that aims to help users reach "inbox zero." It includes all of the features of the iOS version, like easy controls to archive and delete emails, along with snooze functionality and organizational lists. It supports swipe gestures and it includes several hotkeys to control specific functions within the app.

The Mac email app also includes more advanced snooze controls, allowing users to snooze emails until they return to their desks, and it also adds draft support, saving drafts locally and syncing with Mailbox on other devices via Dropbox. Draft support has been a long-requested feature for Mailbox.

Support for drafts is one of the most common feature requests for Mailbox and becomes even more important when managing an inbox across multiple devices. Along with the rollout of Mailbox for Mac beta, we're also launching draft support for Mailbox on desktop (coming soon on iOS and Android). Drafts are saved locally to the device you're on and automatically synced across devices when you're signed in with your Dropbox.

First introduced in early 2013, Mailbox proved to be ultra popular, requiring a reservation system that restricted access to a limited number of users for several weeks. Shortly after its release, however, the app was acquired by file-sharing and storage service Dropbox, and the iOS version has seen several major updates since then. The Mac version was first announced back in April.

Users can sign up to beta test Mailbox on the company's website. While the software can be downloaded immediately, activating the beta app requires a betacoin, which will be sent out via email over the next few weeks. Users who signed up to beta test the app back in April should be receiving betacoins today.

Article Link: Mailbox for Mac Now Available via Public Beta Test, Offers New Snooze Features and Draft Support

 

[fivedots]

How do people deal with Mailbox's terrible search vs. Gmail's own app? A dealbreaker for me.

 

[Michael Goff]

What will make this better than the OS X Mail app?

 

[pedromcm.pm]

iCloud

I use Mailbox on Android because it is by far the best and easiest way to sync iCloud mail for Android users.

Since I use Dropbox (there's no iCloud drive on Android) to sync everything and it is so great on the mac (I can sync my android photos, and it automatically saves my iPhoto library and screenshots) that I even ended up using the Carousel app. Mailbox was the next logical step, and the extra GB is just a bonus.

3 great apps. Dropbox team is great.

HOWEVER

Once I have an iPhone or iCloud supports Android, I will stop using those apps. Dropbox is swimming in turbulent waters: People will eventually go all in on their respective ecosystems and I don't know if Dropbox can compete with cross-platform service providers like Google and MS.

 

[Mascots]

What will make this better than the OS X Mail app?

Better organization, hands down.

It flows very close to the GTD style which I use obsessively everyday, so Mailbox makes organizing my mail more natural for me.

I'm excited because I have built a very efficient system for handling myself, and with Mailbox for Mac, I don't have to shift back to an iOS every time I start to tackle my inbox.

 

[RapsacDK]

I have been using this app in my iPhone for quite a while, and I am very happy with doing so. Especially the "Remind me later" function is a great help. Looking forward to seeing how the native app will be working.

 

[Michael Goff]

Better organization, hands down.

It flows very close to the GTD style which I use obsessively everyday, so Mailbox makes organizing my mail more natural for me.

I'm excited because I have built a very efficient system for handling myself, and with Mailbox for Mac, I don't have to shift back to an iOS every time I start to tackle my inbox.

Stupid question time: GTD?

Also, I'm guessing this supports most email services?

 

[JGIGS]

Love the app as well on my nexus. Can't wait for it on my Mac.

Out of curiosity how do you get your photos to save/sync to your iPhoto Library with dropbox?

I've been an google drive guy so far but maybe I can keep docks on google drive and photo's on dropbox.

I use Mailbox on Android because it is by far the best and easiest way to sync iCloud mail for Android users.

Since I use Dropbox (there's no iCloud drive on Android) to sync everything and it is so great on the mac (I can sync my android photos, and it automatically saves my iPhoto library and screenshots) that I even ended up using the Carousel app. Mailbox was the next logical step, and the extra GB is just a bonus.

3 great apps. Dropbox team is great.

HOWEVER

Once I have an iPhone or iCloud supports Android, I will stop using those apps. Dropbox is swimming in turbulent waters: People will eventually go all in on their respective ecosystems and I don't know if Dropbox can compete with cross-platform service providers like Google and MS.

 

[bradkrischel]

How do people deal with Mailbox's terrible search vs. Gmail's own app? A dealbreaker for me.

Mailbox searches your entire Gmail account including archived mail. What exactly do you mean?

 

[fivedots]

Mailbox searches your entire Gmail account including archived mail. What exactly do you mean?

Significantly slower, poorer results, and appears to miss conversations entirely.

Try searching for the same term in Mailbox and in the Gmail app or on the web. Use a term that you likely have hundreds of results over a few years for.

I search Groupon via Gmail, I get a complete list in a couple of seconds that loads more as I scroll; it goes back to 2010.

I do the same via Mailbox, I get a list that loads piecemeal, adds messages to parts of the list that I've already scrolled past to maintain the date sort order, and mysteriously stops in June of 2014.

I'll be the first to criticize the Gmail app's many shortcomings but considering that Mailbox forces you to forgo labels entirely, it strikes me that search is a huge part of their intended workflow.

 

[Arrow94]

I can't wait to try this out! I prefer the Mailbox approach of having an "empty mailbox", I tend to address email better this way. I'm a fan of the Mailbox UI, I'm pretty sure the swipe to delete gesture in iOS 8 mail came from this app. They've still got work to do, but hopefully this can one day replace OS X Mail for me.

 

[jclo]

I have a few extra betacoins I can send out if anyone didn't sign up in April and wants access today.

 

[bradkrischel]

I have a few extra betacoins I can send out if anyone didn't sign up in April and wants access today.

Could I get one of those?

 

[joephish]

I have a few extra betacoins I can send out if anyone didn't sign up in April and wants access today.

Yes please! (Edit: Thanks!)

 

[nezr]

I have a few extra betacoins I can send out if anyone didn't sign up in April and wants access today.

here please

 

[Jab00]

I have a few extra betacoins I can send out if anyone didn't sign up in April and wants access today.

I would love to get one! And as soon as I get mine (whenever that happens to be) I will gladly pass mine along as well!

 

[jclo]

Yes please! PM or email to joseph dot humfrey at gmail dot com very welcome

Sent.

here please

I would love to get one! And as soon as I get mine (whenever that happens to be) I will gladly pass mine along as well!

PM me your email addresses.

 

[warriorz]

I never saw the fuss with this app. Actually I found it too restrictive and lacking some basic functionality. Went back to Apple Mail, I think Apple do that really well.

 

[jclo]

Could I get one of those?

Sure, just PM me your email address.

 

[bradkrischel]

Significantly slower, poorer results, and appears to miss conversations entirely.

Try searching for the same term in Mailbox and in the Gmail app or on the web. Use a term that you likely have hundreds of results over a few years for.

I search Groupon via Gmail, I get a complete list in a couple of seconds that loads more as I scroll; it goes back to 2010.

I do the same via Mailbox, I get a list that loads piecemeal, adds messages to parts of the list that I've already scrolled past to maintain the date sort order, and mysteriously stops in June of 2014.

I'll be the first to criticize the Gmail app's many shortcomings but considering that Mailbox forces you to forgo labels entirely, it strikes me that search is a huge part of their intended workflow.

That's interesting. I've never really had an issue, but I don't use search all that often. When I do it's usually a very specific search that wouldn't yield many results, and therefore I'm usually able to find it pretty quick using Mailbox.

 

[fivedots]

That's interesting. I've never really had an issue, but I don't use search all that often. When I do it's usually a very specific search that wouldn't yield many results, and therefore I'm usually able to find it pretty quick using Mailbox.

Yeah, it all depends on your email habits. Since Mailbox seems tailored to high volume users, I would've thought search would be a top priority. Perhaps it's a Gmail API limitation.

I'm a very low volume email user and actually have little use for the snooze features but I prefer Mailbox's interface and gesture controls. But I had several issues finding emails quickly or at all so I had to drop it.

I will take the desktop app for a spin though and see what it's like.

 

[DustinLH00]

I don't understand the article, because in their blog, Mailbox states that those who signed up in April will be receiving their betacoins over the next few weeks (not today) and there does not appear to be anyway to download the app now.

So not sure what is true...

 

[dlewis23]

Been using for only a few minutes but so far I'm really liking the UI on it. Clean, simple and fast. There are a few features missing but they should get added over time. The syncing seems to be ok even with the large amount of emails in my inbox.

 

[jclo]

I don't understand the article, because in their blog, Mailbox states that those who signed up in April will be receiving their betacoins over the next few weeks (not today) and there does not appear to be anyway to download the app now.

So not sure what is true...

Download link: https://download.mailboxapp.com/mac

I'm not sure all testers are getting their coins today, but some are definitely already going out.

 

[PocketSand11]

Stupid question time: GTD?

Also, I'm guessing this supports most email services?

It doesn't support generic IMAP or POP3 like other email clients do, just certain popular services like Gmail, Yahoo!, iCloud (I think), etc. I don't know why they did that. It means that I can't use it. I also don't know why I'd want to use this instead of regular OS X Mail.