Check out a breakdown of the e-mail shoppers on which subscribers open your campaigns and also you’ll discover two acquainted names on the prime of the checklist: Apple Mail and Gmail. But, though these are two of the preferred e mail shoppers, they’ve some distinct variations.
Among the largest variations between Gmail and Apple Mail relate to how they render HTML e mail designs.
On this article, we’ll discuss how the Apple Mail app works and the way it compares to the Gmail app. We’ll additionally discuss in regards to the variations between the 2 e mail functions that will help you make knowledgeable choices about e mail design and growth.
Gmail and Apple Mail similarities
Gmail and Apple Mail are e mail apps obtainable in each internet and cellular variations. You’ll be able to entry each on iPhones, iPads, Macs, and any gadget working on iOS, iPadOS, or macOS ecosystem. Apple Mail is just obtainable for Apple gadgets, however Gmail is accessible on each iOS and Android gadgets.
Whereas there’s a desktop utility for Apple Mail, Google doesn’t provide that choice with Gmail. The person interface for Apple Mail appears pretty just like Gmail, and each have apps you can set up on iOS gadgets.
Backstage, each the Gmail app and the Apple Mail app depend on Easy Mail Switch Protocol (SMTP) servers to ship messages. They each use Publish Workplace Protocol model 3 (POP3) and Web Message Entry Protocol (IMAP) to retrieve messages. As well as, there’s the likelihood to arrange Microsoft Change in each Apple Mail and Gmail to retrieve messages.
Regardless of these technical similarities, HTML e mail design can nonetheless present up in a Gmail person’s inbox trying a method and look totally completely different for an Apple Mail person.
Right here’s one other complicated truth…
Apple Mail additionally permits Gmail customers to fetch new messages from their e mail accounts and mixture them within the Apple Mail app. So, even when somebody has a Gmail handle, it’s totally attainable that they’re viewing it within the Mail App with a Mac or an iOS gadget.
The explanations for inconsistent show all level again to how these two shoppers render emails, which can clarify extra in a second.
What are the principle variations between Gmail and Apple Mail?
Regardless of their similarities, there are some key variations within the Gmail and Apple Mail apps that may confuse each e mail designers and their shoppers. Beneath, we’ll undergo 5 main variations between the 2.
1. Rendering engines
Apple Mail and Gmail use completely different rendering engines, and that’s the principle purpose why emails could seem otherwise in these apps.
A rendering engine is software program that takes HTML and CSS code and “attracts” textual content and pictures on the display. Whereas Gmail makes use of a proprietary rendering engine, Apple Mail makes use of WebKit, which it additionally makes use of within the Safari browser. Some variations of Outlook use WebKit as effectively.
You might be conversant in how sure internet browsers will show internet pages otherwise than others. That is principally the identical idea. For instance, you could need to use a particular internet font in your emails, however whereas it shows wonderful in Apple Mail, Gmail reverts to a default font. Whereas animated PNGs will work in Apple Mail, they’ll solely work in Gmail for iOS. Gmail and Apple Mail additionally deal with darkish mode emails otherwise.
When somebody makes use of the Mail App to fetch Gmail messages, will probably be rendered with WebKit. That’s why you could not be capable to belief what you see in case you merely ship a handbook check to Gmail. It’s extraordinarily possible that a few of your subscribers with Gmail addresses are viewing campaigns within the Mail App.
2. E mail shopper vs. e mail service
That brings up one other key distinction between Gmail and Apple Mail. Whereas Gmail is each an e mail shopper and an e mail service, Apple Mail is just an e mail shopper.
An e mail shopper is an utility, like Apple Mail or Android Mail, which you utilize to entry your emails. An e mail shopper could have particular guidelines or behaviors concerning the deletion, archiving, or threading of your emails.
An e mail service – like Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, or Yahoo Mail – gives the technical spine for sending and receiving your emails. Apple Mail offers you a approach to test your emails from a wide range of shoppers in a single place. To place it merely, you’ll be able to’t get an @applemail.com e mail handle, however recipients can use Apple Mail to view emails from a number of mailboxes.
E mail providers typically even have particular guidelines or behaviors concerning the deletion, archiving, or threading of emails. If that’s the case, they often take priority over every other guidelines your e mail shopper could have. Nonetheless, it’s necessary to notice that your campaigns will likely be rendered within the shopper on which the e-mail is opened.
3. CSS styling and responsive design
Among the most irritating variations between Apple Mail and Gmail contain utilizing CSS to type an HTML e mail. As an illustration, if there’s an error within the <type> block, the Gmail app will strip out the type block from emails.
The type block is an HTML aspect that defines the CSS types for a doc. Whereas Gmail does have some help for media queries and the <type> aspect, Can I E mail signifies it’s solely partially supported. Utilizing the <type> tag within the physique of an HTML e mail gained’t work Gmail solely helps it within the <head>.
Many e mail builders use media queries to code responsive emails. These queries mechanically modify the e-mail’s width, top, orientation, and determination to a subscriber’s gadget.
In keeping with Can I E mail, Apple Mail absolutely helps media queries. Gmail, nevertheless, helps media queries for coding responsive campaigns so long as they’re included in a <type> block within the e mail’s <head> part. The one exception is height-based media queries, which Gmail doesn’t help.
Nonetheless, media queries are usually not supported in any respect in GANGA accounts (Gmail app for non-Google accounts). And as you’ll see subsequent, there’s one other sort of media question that gained’t work in Gmail.
4. Darkish mode emails
Viewing emails in darkish mode has grow to be in style and that’s created some challenges for e mail builders. A standard approach to optimize emails for darkish mode is using the media question (prefers-color-scheme).
This question lets you develop darkish mode and light-weight mode variations of a marketing campaign and the shopper will render the model that matches the mode the subscriber prefers. Sadly, this solely works with e mail shoppers that use WebKit as a rendering engine, which as you realize by now, consists of Apple Mail and excludes Gmail.
Get some tips about enhancing the darkish mode e mail expertise in Gmail from Rémi Parmentier of HTeuMeuLeu.com. Try the information on fixing darkish mode in Gmail with CSS mix modes.
5. AMP for e mail
Along with darkish mode, interactivity is one other e mail advertising and marketing development. AMP for e mail relies on the open-source AMP framework. It permits builders so as to add interactive parts to e mail campaigns akin to carousels, surveys, types, and extra – all with out leaving the inbox.
Many builders who’ve used AMP for e mail find it irresistible. Others have been hesitant to attempt it out for one massive purpose… Gmail is the one main e mail shopper with constant help for AMP for e mail. That’s as a result of Google is instantly related to the event of AMP.
It’s no secret that Apple and Google are big rivals. So, in case you’re anticipating AMP help in Apple Mail any time quickly, don’t maintain your breath. If you happen to’re going to benefit from AMP for e mail, be sure you have interactive e mail fallbacks in place.
Proper now, the 2 tech giants are combating over the adoption of Android’s RCS (Wealthy Communication Providers) messages. Discover out extra from both MacRumors or Android Police, relying on which aspect you fall.
6. Safety and privateness
Each the Gmail and Apple Mail apps use encryption. Nonetheless, whereas all Apple Mail is encrypted with S/MIME, solely paid Google Workspace accounts use S/MIME encryption. All different Gmail accounts use TLS encryption. Whereas S/MIME is safer, TLS is extra broadly supported by e mail techniques and thus operates extra seamlessly for the common person than S/MIME.
As well as, Apple rolled out its Mail Privateness Safety (MPP) function in 2021. MPP permits Apple Mail customers to specify whether or not or not they need to share details about when, the place, and the way they open emails. This may have an effect on the way you measure e mail engagement metrics, particularly open charges. Discover out extra about what AMPP means for e mail entrepreneurs.
What are some key options of the Gmail app?
Now that we’ve explored a number of the fundamental options of each e mail apps, their similarities, and their variations, let’s go over some Gmail-specific options. Beneath, we’ve included a listing of key Gmail capabilities to bear in mind whereas designing emails:
- Gmail clips messages bigger than 102kb. If you happen to exceed this dimension, Gmail will show the primary 102kb of your message adopted by the textual content [Message clipped] View complete message. Learn how to forestall Gmail clipping.
- Gmail’s attachment interface is extra intuitive. Although each Gmail and Apple Mail apps help attachments, Gmail’s giant attachment button is extra intuitive than Apple Mail’s attachment answer. In Apple Mail, you’ll must faucet and maintain on to the message space of an open e mail to add a file.
If you happen to’re designing emails for the Gmail app, you’ll want to take a look at our ideas for creating emails for Gmail and Google apps.
What are some key options of the Apple Mail app?
Keen on designing emails for Apple Mail? On this part, we’ll go over some Apple Mail-specific options to bear in mind when you work:
- Apple Mail works with many e mail providers. Apple Mail helps different e mail providers, together with Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, AOL Mail, Yahoo Mail, and iCloud. You’ll be able to arrange your Apple Mail to import and mixture emails from different suppliers. As an illustration, let’s say you obtain an e mail by Gmail. This message might look completely different relying on whether or not you open it within the Gmail or Apple Mail app.
- Apple Mail helps responsive designs. You need to use the type tag to incorporate your CSS stylings for responsive e mail designs.
- Apple Mail could resize your e mail based mostly on the biggest aspect. Use the type tag to create responsive designs. In any other case, Apple Mail would possibly resize your e mail design based mostly on the biggest aspect, like a big picture, to make it “match.” Consequently, the app can incorrectly cut back your textual content to a smaller print.
Like the following tips? They’re simply the tip of the iceberg. Try our ideas for designing for iOS gadgets.
Wrapping up
And that’s it! We’ve gone by the key similarities and variations between the Gmail and the Apple Mail apps. If you happen to’re new to the world of e mail growth, the conclusion that these shoppers don’t show campaigns identically is perhaps a little bit of a shock.
That’s why there’s Sinch E mail on Acid. We constructed our e mail testing platform to assist with challenges identical to this. Use our e mail previews to view your campaigns on dozens of shoppers and gadgets. See how the e-mail renders and repair any points earlier than you hit ship.
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This text was up to date on Could 24, 2022. It first printed in September 2013.
Writer: The E mail on Acid Group
The E mail on Acid content material group is made up of digital entrepreneurs, content material creators, and straight-up e mail geeks.
Join with us on LinkedIn, comply with us on Fb, and tweet at @EmailonAcid on Twitter for extra candy stuff and nice convos on e mail advertising and marketing.
Writer: The E mail on Acid Group
The E mail on Acid content material group is made up of digital entrepreneurs, content material creators, and straight-up e mail geeks.
Join with us on LinkedIn, comply with us on Fb, and tweet at @EmailonAcid on Twitter for extra candy stuff and nice convos on e mail advertising and marketing.
