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# random
k
f
Their mobile apps are really bad too. My friend missed an email from a Google Recruiter because Gmail didn't notify her. The irony! Check out Spark - https://sparkmailapp.com/
🙀 2
c
My opinion for such extensions is to avoid them. Or if you really want to use them, then vet them properly, clone the code and then install from your own repository. Email is too sensitive to let any extension be able to access it.
✅ 9
f
Looks like it is made by an ex-google employee https://leggett.org/
c
The problem is not who made it now, but that it can be taken over by anyone later on without you realizing. Several extensions have gone rogue that way by either being bought out, or the author's account being stolen/leaked credentials, etc.
g
The claims about the author seems to be true. 2 Year old reddit thread. https://www.reddit.com/r/google/comments/b98lml/simplify_a_chrome_extension_to_simplify_gmail/ The account takeover vulnerability is not specific to this particular extension. It's applicable to every single one we install. I just gave it a try and it does make the UI much better.
c
The account takeover vulnerability is not specific to this particular extension. It's applicable to every single one we install.
True, and that's why it's advisable to not install extensions that either access all websites data, or sensitive websites.
k
Hmm, so is it not advisable to use this extension at all?
c
If you really want to, then I'd suggest to clone the code (if it's open source) and install locally. And you can update the code periodically as and when you need.
Ideally, I'd say security of your mail/sensitive data is much more important than a bit of beautification.
👍 2
g
I personally found it very useful. Keeping it around for a while. I don't think it's open source, they are launching a paid version and all...
k
I'm not a coder, well yeah security trumps beautification for me as well.
c
If it's closed source, then it's all the more important to avoid it. Even without account takeover, there could be other vulns in there and past antecedents (being a xoogler), or even current ones, can't guarantee much here, and I say that as a current googler.
👍 2
f
Good point. The Great Suspender fiasco has definitely made me skeptical.
✅ 1
g
@faint-energy-11966 https://www.migadu.com/guides/spark/ This is why I moved away from spark.
f
Yeah, I've been worried about Spark's privacy policies for a while. I just haven't found a decent alternative. Gmail app never notifies me on my phone. I need email notifications to be immediate due to the nature of work I do.
c
Gmail app never notifies me on my phone.
Probably your phone is optimizing it out? Lot of android phones are notorious for that.
d
@faint-energy-11966 Which phone you are using ? As @creamy-sundown-74328 said there may be some battery optimization done that you may need to change in Gmail app settings .
f
Nope. No battery optimization. This is a known gmail bug. Not sure if it has been fixed now. Haven't gone back to gmail app in a while. https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/dtdldo/androids_gmail_notification_bug/
m
yeah, I’ve had the same problems with Gmail as @faint-energy-11966. Been using Spark for more than a year now. I use Missive for work, but not sure how it will work for personal email
s
I would advise against using extensions too. PS: Gmail notifications don't work seamlessly even on pixel lol (personal experience). Been using Spark and Hey and both have been smooth. The most weird part, switched to iOS 6 months ago and Gmail notifications work perfectly fine on iPhone 😂
f
Yeah. Gmail notifications work fine on my iPad. Classic Google! Doing some research on privacy implications of using Spark and it looks bad. Will be sharing some info here soon.
👌 2
TL;DR - All email apps, even Outlook store credentials on their servers to provide email services. Spark isn't much different in that regard but they maybe participating in additional tracking to enhance their AI features. If you really want privacy, best to use privacy focused email services like Protonmail. This thread summarizes it quite well - https://ariel-lim.com/blog/3-reasons-why-switched-mac-mail-to-spark-readdle/#privacy
c
TL;DR - All email apps, even Outlook store credentials on their servers to provide email services.
This is completely incorrect and the author of the article is mistaken/conflating very different things. The windows analogy they gave is not related to email at all, and the passwords saved are wifi passwords (just like android/apple do) and those can be disabled as well if you want. Third party email apps saving passwords on their servers is the exception than the norm.
Even the first party itself (e.g. google, or microsoft) won't save your passwords on server side in plain text, only the hash to compare/validate your logins.
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