Postbox Email Client

Postbox Email Client is a mail application for Android that connects directly to an existing mailbox over IMAP, POP3 and SMTP. There is no Pikcn account to create and no Pikcn server between the device and the mail provider, and the application carries no advertising, analytics or tracking code.

Setting up an account

Setup opens with a short provider list. For Gmail and Google Workspace, Sign in with Google first shows a notice on how the application uses the mailbox, then Google's own account chooser and consent screen, so no Google password is typed into this application. Choosing Other builds the account from an email address: settings for dozens of well-known providers are filled in automatically, and any other mailbox can be entered by hand, with SSL/TLS, STARTTLS or no encryption on either server.

Reading and organizing mail

• Several accounts at once, with combined Inbox, Starred and Unread views

• Nested folders, with syncing and a sync window set folder by folder

• Star, mark read or unread, move between folders, and empty the trash

• Swipe a message out of the list, with an undo action

• Search on the mail server for IMAP accounts, and search within a folder

• Attachments can be previewed, shared to another application, or saved without any storage permission

• Message printing, .eml file viewing, and a home-screen folder widget

Writing mail

• Recipient autocomplete drawn from the device contact list, when access is granted

• File attachments, saved drafts, and a signature for each account

• Saved quick responses for text that is sent often

• Reply, reply all and delete from a notification, each with an undo action

Interface

The interface follows Material 3, with a light and a dark theme and a two-pane layout on larger screens. The application is translated into 69 languages and lays out correctly in right-to-left scripts.

Privacy by construction

• No advertising, no analytics library, no crash-reporting library, and no advertising identifier

• The application connects only to the configured mail servers and to the sign-in service used for a Google account

• Remote pictures in a message are not loaded until they are asked for, so tracking pixels stay dark

• Cloud backup and device-to-device transfer are switched off, so mail and credentials are not copied off the device

• Mail, attachments and settings are held in the application's private storage; removing an account deletes its stored messages and attachments and, for a Google account, asks Google to withdraw access

Note: iCloud Mail requires an Apple app-specific password rather than the primary Apple Account password.

Permissions and their purpose

• Internet and network state: to reach the configured mail servers and to tell when a connection is available

• Notifications: to announce new mail and to carry the reply and delete actions attached to it

• Vibrate: for the notification vibration setting, when it is switched on

• Read contacts: optional, requested from the recipient field, for autocomplete, search suggestions and sender pictures

• Read and write sync settings: to apply the sync frequency chosen for each account

• Run at startup and wake lock: to resume scheduled mail checks after a restart and hold the device awake while one runs

This application does not request location, camera, microphone, phone or storage permissions.

Open source

Postbox Email Client is released under the Apache License, Version 2.0. Source code on GitLab

Postbox Email Client is published by Pikcn Technologies (OPC) Private Limited and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google LLC or Apple Inc. Google is a trademark of Google LLC. Apple and iCloud are trademarks of Apple Inc. Support: info@pikcn.com. Privacy policy: Postbox Email Client privacy policy