The likes of Sony, Google and Samsung all have email clients pre-installed on their devices when you buy them, but they’re rarely anything to write home about.
Fortunately, you don’t have to rely on these default apps. Android users can choose from a wide variety of email clients on the Google Play Store. We have put together the best here, which make writing, reading and managing emails less time consuming.
Many of these apps have premium tiers, but we’re mainly focusing on what the free versions can offer.
Zoho Mail
Zoho Mail is a free and flexible email client which is also effective as a calendar and address book.
It looks equally good on smartphones and tablets, thanks to the sophisticated two-column view and large preview window when attaching files.
The app automatically collates related emails into categories, and offers simple swipe gestures which can be customised to your liking. This feature in particular can be a great time saver when dealing with large volumes of emails.
Filters and an in-depth search function means you can still find that one important email. We also really like that you can compose emails offline, ready for automatic sending as soon as you have connection.
Email for Hotmail, Outlook Mail
Contrary to what the name suggests, this free client also supports accounts outside of Hotmail and Outlook. Like many services, setup is usually simple and quick, just requiring you to enter your username and password once.
The sorting functions for attachments, favourites or simply unread emails make account management really easy, while there’s also a search function and well thought out filters to track down messages.
Unfortunately, the free version does come with some ads, but these are in a small banner at the bottom of the screen and not too distracting.
Fair Email
This is one client where upgrading to the premium version might make sense. That’s not to say
The free version of Fair Email has everything most people are looking for, but upgrading to Premium might make sense for those who regularly handle high volumes of email.
Nonetheless, you get access to many of the core features without paying a penny. There is support for unlimited accounts up to 10Mb (including IMAP), while there’s very few permissions required and the battery consumption is barely noticeable.
Messages from multiple accounts can be collected in one singular inbox, and you can mark new emails as read directly from the status bar.
The design is simple and efficient, and the optional dark mode helps if you handle email late at night.
However, there are a number of premium features that might make it worth paying for. These include fingerprint authentication, answer templates and a snooze function. You can also delay sending of your own emails with the paid version.
Email – email mailbox
Despite the slightly clunky name, this app is a rock-solid choice for most people. All the common email providers are supported, from GMX to iCloud, Gmail to AOL.
Once your email address and password have been entered, an IMAP connection will be set up automatically. This allows for each individual account to be configured individually, while you can also add custom notification sounds.
You can also set silent vibration alarms and flexible quiet windows, ensuring private and professional accounts can be used in the same app without getting sucked back into work.
Photos, custom logos, signatures and professional info can all be automatically added to outgoing emails, while push notifications mean you won’t miss a thing outside your quiet periods.
Spark
This modern email client has it all. Highlights include notifications that can be limited to only high importance emails and a useful snooze function.
In-depth category sorting automatically sorts your emails into those sent by companies and those directly from another human. Spark also supports signatures, delayed emails and switch reminders.
The app also comes into its own when working in teams. Colleagues can be invited to discuss emails or message threads together, while collaborative writing is possible via the real-time editor.
Throw in customisable swipe gestures and voice commands, and this is an almost complete email client.
Tutanota
The big selling point with Tutanota is its security – every email sent is automatically encrypted.
There are plenty of other great features, although most of these are reserved for premium subscribers. The basic app offers 1GB of encrypted cloud storage, one user and a limited search function.
However, paying around £1 per month gets you access to your own domains and up to five different accounts. Bumping this up to around £5 per month gets you 10GB of cloud storage, up to 20 accounts and your own logos.
Yahoo Mail
Despite its name, Yahoo Mail doesn’t force you to have an account with the company. In fact, you are free to log in with any of the most popular, with setup largely automatic for most accounts. This makes it one of the most convenient clients out there.
There are a few notable features worth talking about. You can customise swipe gestures to achieve specific commands, while deleting or archiving messages is particularly quick. By default, the app will only notify you of emails that aren’t from a newsletter or known company.
It’s also worth highlighting the integration with Dropbox and Google Drive, which allows for quick attaching and downloading of emails. If you really want to, you can also see the latest Yahoo! news stories.
Nine
One of Nine’s big draws is its support for Microsoft Exchange accounts, making it a credible alternative to Outlook.
It is one of only a few third-party apps to support Microsoft email accounts, although there isn’t supported by the likes of Google and Yahoo.
However, there are a number of great features on offer here. The flexible user interface always starts with a useful overview of your accounts, while there’s fingerprint support and an unlimited number of accounts possible. Folder structures can also be modified to your liking.
However, after two weeks you’ll have to pay a one-off fee of around £10 to continue using.
