All about intention, not intuition
In the short time since its Android debut in 2019, the Spark email app has built a loyal following. We consider it one of the best email apps for Android as it is backed by regular feature updates and strong developer support. With the latest batch of updates, Spark introduces a new look, some new tools and a much needed Windows app.
The developers behind Spark say the app’s new philosophy of productivity revolves around intent rather than intuition to help users prioritize and stay focused — even if it means taking a break from walking a familiar garden path.
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This means planting new features like Smart Inbox, where unread emails from individuals take precedence over newsletters and notifications, even in a unified inbox view. Emails can be grouped by sender to give them a readable “instant message” thread view that can be read and then muted at will.
Spark can also turn emails into tasks if you’re a “to-do” type, so you can 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 flagged for priority email, where their unread replies are permanently displayed at the top of the inbox. They also appear in desktop notifications if Desktop Start screen is enabled. Desktop users can access their custom keyboard shortcuts to handle messages with a new keyboard shortcut Ctrl + K or Cmd + K.
In addition, Spark is also setting up its own cloud infrastructure so that senders can upload attachments larger than 25MB and have them appear as hyperlinks.
Spark has come a long way since its Mac origins, as it currently claims 1.4 billion users who can access their email from the web, on iOS, Android, and even on Huawei devices through its own AppGallery. The Windows client comes full circle for coverage of the most widely used platforms.
However, this long list of improvements comes at a price. Most of the new features — including Priority Email, Group by Sender, Mute Threads, support for large attachments, and Home Screen for Desktop — are covered by Spark Premium, which costs new subscribers $8 per month or $60 for a year-long package. Existing individual users get a 30% discount on annual subscriptions for Premium, bringing the cost down to $42 – that equates to $3.50 per month. They can also continue to use free features they had before.
Spark also offers enterprise collaboration tools that you can learn more about from the company.