You may not give much thought to the email app that you or your business uses.
However, choosing the best one for your needs could unlock a range of features and tools that’ll make your home life simpler and your work life more productive.
Keep reading to find out how to make sure the email app you’re using is right for you- and how to choose a new one if it’s time to upgrade.
Better Ways of Working
Most of us have gotten so used to email apps that look and function a certain, standard way that it may never cross our minds that there could be a different approach to doing things. However, new apps are now available that merge the best features of instant messaging with the additional functionality of traditional email.
Sound interesting? Look for an email app such as that offered by Spike, which does away with the screen clutter of repeating headers and signatures, for example, so that email conversations are more natural, easier to follow, and messages are more reader-friendly, too. The app also features an innovative smart inbox so that users can see higher priority messages first, while lower priority communications are moved to the side, to be dealt with later. This can help with staying focused and avoids the risk of time-consuming distractions getting in the way.
Spike isn’t just great for boosting productivity at work; its easy-to-use tools will allow you to organize and prioritize daily household and admin tasks; it can help with everything from the weekly grocery list to setting handy schedules and reminders.
Space and Simplicity
It’s important to think about the amount of space you need when choosing an email app. Consider this not just in terms of your inbox but the attachments you’ll be sending, too: most apps will have some type of limit in place regarding the size of attachments that can be sent. Gmail, for example, allows users to send up to 20MB of attachments in each email.
Also, take some time to ascertain whether you need a basic, no-frills, free email app or something a little more sophisticated. This will all depend on your usage; if you’re planning on using the app very lightly and literally just require it to send and receive messages, then a free, basic platform is likely to suit your needs. If, however, you’d like to make use of additional features, such as ad tracker blocking or a discounted VPN connection, then it would probably be better to look for a more sophisticated email app that’ll give you lots of extra tools and perks.
Customization, Anyone?
And for those who’d prefer to add some customization to their email account, be sure to check what your potential new provider offers in this regard. Some apps allow users to incorporate things like keyboard shortcuts or dark themesor to enhance their inbox by altering the onscreen layout or customizing the notification settings.
Choose an email app depending on the level of customization that you’d like to have available: whether you want to be able to change up the entire theme of the app or even add image effects, there are options to suit you.
The Undo Send Safety Net
We’ve all been there: we’ve sent an email that, for whatever reason, we badly want to recall. If you’d like to have the ability to do this as a safety net, then keep this in mind when choosing a new email app.
The ability to ‘snooze’ incoming emails, which you don’t need to deal with right away, may also be a tool that you’d find useful, especially if your inbox tends to be particularly busy.
Multiple Accounts and Integrations
And now for our next double act to consider when figuring out the best email app to use! If you have multiple email accounts across various platforms, you may wish to choose an app that lets you combine all of these accounts so that you can easily view, sort, and respond to incoming messages all in one place. This is likely to be especially important if you’re looking for an app to use for your professional email.
The nature of integrations possible is another important element to think about. Would it be useful, for example, to be able to mark a task in your project management platform as completed via your email app? Or use your app to update your contact information across a range of social media sites?
Integrations can boost productivity by allowing you to get more tasks completed in the same place – quicker.
Security and Privacy
Finally, the email app you choose must have first-class security and privacy credentials. You should expect your app to provide, as standard, two-factor authentication, encryption features, and anti-spam tech to keep your account and details safe.
Checking these things, along with all of the other elements in the list above, will not only mean that you’ll not only be using the very best email app for your needs but will ensure you’re making the most of all the features it offers, too.
