Desktop Gmail client

Read Gmail from a mailbox on your computer

GInbox is a local-first client for Gmail. It talks to the Gmail API, stores mail in SQLite on your disk, and keeps OAuth tokens in the OS credential store. There is no GInbox cloud.

Download GInbox Privacy policy

Windows x64 and Apple Silicon. After install, the first action is Add Gmail account.

GInbox

GC+

Nora Hale
314:22
Q3 hiring plan
The two roles we talked about last week are approved. Can you send the job posts before Friday?
Invoice from Fathom
11:04
Receipt for GInbox hosting
Thanks for your payment. This receipt is for the September invoice.
Samir, you
4Yesterday
Flight to Lisbon
Hold the 08:40. I will confirm the hotel once the dates are locked.
Maya Chen
Yesterday
Label colors
Matching Gmail's palette so shared labels look the same on both sides.
GitHub
Mon
[G-Costa/GInbox] v0.1.17
Windows setup and the Apple Silicon DMG are attached to this release.

Q3 hiring plan

Nora Hale · 14:22

The two roles we talked about last week are approved. Can you send the job posts before Friday? The rest of the thread stays on this machine after GInbox syncs it. Archive, star, and reply go back to Gmail through the same API call the official clients use.

How it works

Sign-in uses OAuth 2.0 with PKCE. GInbox listens on a random localhost port for Google's redirect, then exchanges the code on this machine.

01
Download the desktop app
Installers are on GitHub Releases. Windows is a per-user setup exe. macOS is an Apple Silicon DMG.
02
Add Gmail account
GInbox opens Google's sign-in page in your browser. After you allow access, Google sends the code to 127.0.0.1 on this computer. Nothing is posted to a GInbox server.
03
Mail syncs into SQLite
Inbox, Sent, Starred, and Drafts download into a local database. After that, GInbox checks Gmail's history cursor and only fetches what changed.

What it is for

GInbox is a built-in email client. The approved Gmail use case is compose, send, read, and process mail through a user interface.

Read and file

Conversation view, archive, star, labels, and a 10-second undo. Keyboard: j/k, e, s, /.

Write and send

Compose, reply, forward, drafts that sync with Gmail, signatures, templates, and attachments.

Stay on this machine

Tokens sit in Windows Credential Manager, macOS Keychain, or Linux Secret Service. Mail sits in ginbox.db under the app data folder.

How GInbox uses Google user data

GInbox requests three OAuth scopes when you add a Gmail account. Access, use, storage, and sharing are described here and in the privacy policy. Use is limited to running the desktop mailbox you see on screen.

Scope	Why GInbox asks
Gmail modify https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.modify	Read messages, change labels, send mail, manage drafts, move mail to trash, and keep the local mailbox in sync. This is the Gmail scope for a full desktop client. GInbox does not request the broader mail.google.com scope that allows permanent delete that skips trash.
Email address https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.email	Show the connected account address in the sidebar and keep accounts distinct.
Profile https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.profile	Show the account display name and avatar next to the mailbox.

Scope

Why GInbox asks

Gmail modify

https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.modify

Read messages, change labels, send mail, manage drafts, move mail to trash, and keep the local mailbox in sync. This is the Gmail scope for a full desktop client. GInbox does not request the broader mail.google.com scope that allows permanent delete that skips trash.

Email address

https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.email

Show the connected account address in the sidebar and keep accounts distinct.

Profile

https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.profile

Show the account display name and avatar next to the mailbox.

Limited Use

The use of information received from Google Workspace APIs and Google Workspace scopes will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy and the Google Workspace user data and developer policy, including the Limited Use requirements. GInbox does not sell Google user data, use it for ads, or use it to train machine learning models. A longer write-up is on the Google API disclosure page.

Questions

Is GInbox a Google product?: No. GInbox is an independent desktop client. Gmail is a trademark of Google LLC. GInbox is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Google.
Where does my mail go?: To Google's Gmail API, then onto the computer running GInbox. GInbox does not operate a backend that stores messages, attachments, or tokens.
Why does GInbox ask for gmail.modify?: A mail client has to read, label, send, and trash. gmail.modify covers that. GInbox does not request mail.google.com, which allows permanent delete that skips trash.
How do I disconnect GInbox?: In the app, remove the account. That deletes the local copy and the keychain entry. Also revoke GInbox at Google Account permissions if you want Google to drop the grant.

Privacy, terms, and support live on this site. Email gaa.cost@gmail.com.

Install GInbox, then add a Gmail account

The website never sees your mail. Download the app, sign in through Google in your browser, and work from the local mailbox.

Download GInbox