Make email calmer, without giving up control.
MailBuddy is a macOS mail client for Gmail that combines fast inbox workflows, flexible views, multi-account support, and optional AI assistance. Your Gmail password is never collected by MailBuddy.
MailBuddy
Gmail workflows and AI assistance, designed for your Mac.
A practical inbox for real work
The Gmail permissions requested by MailBuddy support these prominent, user-facing features.
One inbox, multiple accounts
Connect multiple Google accounts and read, search, organize, and reply without switching between browser tabs.
Everyday mail actions
Mark read or unread, star, archive, move to Trash, restore, compose, reply, forward, and download attachments.
Views and Kanban labels
Use lists, cards, timeline, and Kanban views. MailBuddy stores workflow state with Gmail labels that remain visible in Gmail.
AI when you choose it
Run Gemma on your Mac, or explicitly select Codex for summaries and writing help using the email you are working with.
How Google access works
MailBuddy uses OAuth 2.0. The app receives a token after you review and approve the requested permissions.
01
Google opens sign-in
MailBuddy uses Google OAuth 2.0 in your system browser and never asks for your Gmail password.
02
You approve access
The app requests identity scopes and gmail.modify so its visible mail actions work.
03
Tokens stay on your Mac
OAuth access and refresh tokens are stored in the macOS Keychain, not in a MailBuddy account database.
04
You stay in control
Revoke MailBuddy at any time from your Google Account permissions or remove an account in the app.
Why MailBuddy requests gmail.modify
Reading alone cannot power the actions shown above. The gmail.modify scope lets MailBuddy read mail and apply user-requested changes such as read status, stars, archive, Trash, and labels. It does not allow permanent deletion that bypasses Trash.
AI is optional and visible
MailBuddy separates on-device processing from provider-backed processing so you can choose the boundary that fits your work.
On-device
Gemma
Downloaded models run locally on your Mac. Email content used by Gemma is not sent to Zrindy or an external AI provider.
User-selected provider
Codex
If you select Codex and start an AI action, the relevant prompt and email context are sent to OpenAI through your locally authenticated Codex session. MailBuddy does not send mail to Codex in the background.