All about intent, not intuition
In the short time since its Android debut in 2019, the Spark email app has accrued a loyal fan base. We consider it one of the best email apps for Android as it’s backed by regular feature updates and strong developer support. With its latest batch of updates, Spark is introducing a new look, some new tools, and a much-needed Windows app.
The developers behind Spark say the app’s new philosophy centers productivity around intent instead of intuition to help users prioritize better and stay focused — even if it means interrupting people’s strolls down a familiar garden path.
This means planting new features such as Smart Inbox, where unread emails from individuals are prioritized over newsletters and notifications, even in a unified inbox view. Emails can be grouped by sender so as to give them a readable “instant message” thread view which can be read and then muted at will.
Spark can also convert emails into tasks if you’re a “to-do” type, letting you check off messages when you’re done with the embedded task or set them aside if you need to do them later.
Recipients can also be highlighted for Priority Email where their unread responses are persistently listed at the top of the inbox. They’ll also show up in desktop notifications if Home Screen for Desktop is turned on. Desktop users can access their custom shortcuts to deal with messages with a new Ctrl + K or Cmd + K shortcut.
And on top of all that, Spark is also setting up its own cloud infrastructure to allow senders to upload attachments larger than 25MB and have them appear as a hyperlink.
Spark has come a long way from its Mac origins as it currently claims 1.4 billion users who access their email from the web, on iOS, Android, and even on Huawei devices through its proprietary AppGallery. The Windows client closes the loop on covering the most-used platforms.
This long list of improvements comes at a price, though. Most new features — including Priority Email, Group by Sender, Mute Threads, large attachment support, and Home Screen for Desktop — will come under Spark Premium, which will set new subscribers back by $8 per month or $60 for a year-long package. Existing individual users get a 30% discount on annual subscriptions for Premium, dropping the fee down to $42 — that works out to $3.50 a month. They can also continue using features they had before for free.
Spark also offers collaborative working tools for enterprises which you learn more about from the company.
