I’m trying to reduce my digital footprint and get rid of apps that collect too much personal data. I already switched from Facebook Messenger to Signal and deleted most social media apps. Now I want to stop using the Gmail app on my phone but I still need to get work emails quickly. The problem is I can’t just use the browser version because I won’t get push notifications for important messages from clients and colleagues. I have an iPhone and I’m thinking about using Apple’s built-in Mail app or maybe a third-party email client. Does anyone know which option would be better for privacy? Or is there another way to handle this situation that I haven’t thought of?
Apple Mail’s your best bet since you’re already on iPhone. I’ve used it for three years after dumping Gmail - push notifications work great, it syncs perfectly with iOS, and Apple doesn’t scan your emails for ads. Privacy-wise it’s solid because everything stays in Apple’s ecosystem instead of going through another service. Setup’s dead simple - just add your Gmail account in settings and you’re done. Only downside is the interface feels basic compared to what you’re probably used to, but it handles work emails fine without all the data collection BS.
Had the same privacy worries last year and switched to Spark - best decision I made. Their privacy policies blow Gmail out of the water, and it handles multiple accounts like a champ. Push notifications actually work, and the interface is clean without all the clutter. I was skeptical about another third-party app, but they’re upfront about data handling and don’t scan your emails for ads like Google. Search function is surprisingly solid too, which was my biggest concern coming from Gmail. Just heads up - turn off the smart features if you’re serious about privacy, but even then it’s miles better than sticking with Gmail’s app.
just go with apple mail. i kno it’s kinda basic, but at least apple don’t track your emails for ads like google. been using it for work emails for a few months now - push notifications are on point, and my client stuff is private.