After emerging as an efficient email app for iOS, Spark arrives at the Mac App Store

More than a year ago, Readdle launched itself in the emerging class of alternative email apps for iOS by launching the Spark, today endowed with irreproachable quality and highly praised one of the few names in the catalog for iPhone and iPad that boasts a five star rating among Brazilian users. When launched, it impressed our staff for its simple use experience and for being born as an alternative to the Apple Watch, supported from day one.

However, some people have always lacked something to consider it: the ability to extend its use to the Mac, natively. That's exactly what its creators focused on in the last few months, creating their second app for Apple computers.

The product arrives to accompany PDFExpert (which was already my choice to read and edit PDFs on Mac) and supports all market providers. As in iOS, it is extremely lightweight and adopts the same efficiency and integration model with the cloud of other apps created for macOS Sierra.

Solving the mess in the Inbox

For this first release, Readdle focused on bringing to macOS the functions that make Spark stand out in its mobile version as the Smart Inbox, which automatically identifies and categorizes your messages among private items, notifications and subscriptions, directly in the list. To complete the experience, a sidebar sounds immediately familiar to users used to the traditional Mail.

Several other features already known to iOS users are in the Mac version, including:

  • Automatic formatting of messages in plain text, which facilitate reading and professionalize the generation of PDFs;
  • Grouping of conversation histories;
  • Smart notifications, which alert you only when the emails you want arrive;
  • Quick actions for groups of messages and snooze;
  • Gesture shortcuts, which can be customized to exactly meet your needs.

Some other functions take inspiration from what users already have in Mail and complement their experience, including learning about archiving habits (based on folders) and quick responses to conversations (also adjustable) and events. Version 1.0 of Spark also arrives with initial support for the Touch Bar of the new MacBooks Pro, launched last month.

Spark for Mac with Touch Bar support

Quick (and simple) responses

In addition to offering quick response options for conversations, Spark automatically recognizes the signatures you use on your sent items, so new users don't even have to worry about adjusting these functions again the same goes for those arriving from iOS, as the app automatically maintains your preferences in sync. In general, the message composition is designed to be simple fast.

As it is a product that seeks simplicity, some features known by iOS users do not yet appear in this version, such as integration with external services for uploading files (not even iCloud, via Mail Drop). These are things that will make the mobile version seem more powerful than macOS for a while, while Readdle does not seek parity of resources between the two sides.

Even working connected to the internet without saving all its history locally, Spark is also fast for searches and supports natural expressions only in English, a pity. 🙁 In this way, it is possible to search through your entire message archive with the same agility as Spotlight.

Spark for Mac

With the launch of Spark for macOS, Readdle takes a new step towards becoming a reference in productivity apps on Apple platforms. Version 1.0 deserves to be explored by its current users on other devices and promises to become essential as other features are added.


Spark app icon - Readdle Email App


Spark app icon - Readdle Email App