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Frequently Asked Questions

General​

What is MailCopilot?​

MailCopilot is a modern desktop email client that connects to your existing email accounts via IMAP and SMTP protocols. It is built for speed, privacy, and simplicity.

Which platforms does MailCopilot support?​

Currently, MailCopilot is available for Linux as an AppImage. Windows and macOS support is planned for future releases.

Is MailCopilot free?​

Visit mailcopilot.io for the latest information about pricing and availability.

Where are my passwords stored?​

Passwords are stored securely in your system's keychain (via keytar). They are never saved in plain-text configuration files.

Accounts​

Which email providers are supported?​

MailCopilot works with any provider that supports IMAP and SMTP, including Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Fastmail, Yandex Mail, Mail.ru, ProtonMail (via Bridge), and self-hosted servers.

How do I connect a Gmail account?​

Click Sign in with Google in the account setup wizard. A browser window will open for authorization. No app password is needed.

Can I use multiple accounts?​

Yes. Add as many accounts as you need. You can switch between them in the sidebar or use the Unified Inbox to see all messages in one place.

The connection test shows a TLS certificate error. What should I do?​

MailCopilot always verifies TLS certificates. If your mail server uses a self-signed or custom certificate, a trust prompt will appear. Review the certificate details and choose to trust it if you are confident the server is legitimate.

Messages​

How do I search for messages?​

Click the search bar (or press /*) and type your query. MailCopilot searches message subjects, senders, and content.

You can also use advanced search operators:

  • from:user@example.com -- messages from a specific sender.
  • to:user@example.com -- messages sent to a specific recipient.
  • subject:meeting -- messages with a word in the subject.
  • has:attachment -- messages with attachments.
  • is:unread / is:read -- filter by read status.
  • is:starred -- starred messages.
  • before:2026-01-01 / after:2025-12-01 -- filter by date.
  • in:Sent -- messages in a specific folder.
  • Negate any operator with -: -from:spam@example.com.
  • Combine conditions with OR or AND (case-insensitive): from:alice OR from:bob.

Can I undo deleting a message?​

Yes. After deleting, archiving, or marking a message as spam, an undo bar appears at the bottom of the screen. Click Undo before the countdown expires to reverse the action.

How does conversation threading work?​

When enabled (the default), related messages are grouped into conversation threads based on their subject and references. You can disable this in Settings > Productivity > Group messages into conversations.

How do I move messages between folders?​

You can drag and drop messages from the list to a folder in the sidebar, right-click and choose Move to folder, or press v to open the folder picker.

Compose​

Where are my drafts saved?​

Drafts are saved automatically in two places: locally in the application, and optionally to your IMAP Drafts folder on the server (if draft sync is enabled in settings).

Can I schedule messages to be sent later?​

Yes. Click the Schedule button in the compose window and choose when to send. Scheduled messages appear in the Outbox folder where you can edit or cancel them.

What is the maximum attachment size?​

The maximum size is 25 MB per file.

AI Assistant​

Is the AI assistant required?​

No. The AI assistant is entirely optional. If you do not configure it, no email data is sent to any AI service.

What data does the AI assistant access?​

When you use the assistant, the content of the currently selected email (and optionally the thread) is sent to the AI provider (Anthropic). A privacy notice is shown before first use.

Which AI models are available?​

You can choose between Claude Sonnet 4.5, Claude Opus 4.6, and Claude Haiku 4.5.

Where can I see what the AI is doing with my data?​

Open Settings → AI and expand the Privacy & Audit section. There you will find a full audit log of every AI action — timestamp, provider, model, goal, tool used, estimated cost, and the outcome. Token counts are recorded when the AI provider exposes them through the SDK; columns may show n/a when the provider does not surface per-request counts. You can also export the log as JSON or CSV.

For more details see AI Data & Audit Log.

Updates​

How do I update MailCopilot?​

By default, MailCopilot does not download updates automatically. When a new version is detected, a Download X.Y.Z button appears in Settings > About. Click it to start the download, then click Restart to install when the download is complete.

To check for an update manually at any time, open Settings > About and click Check for updates.

To enable automatic background downloads, open Settings > About and check Automatically download updates in the background. When enabled, new versions download silently and you are prompted to restart when the update is ready.

If MailCopilot was installed system-wide (for example, via a package manager), the auto-download checkbox is disabled and the Download / Restart controls are not available. Use your system package manager or administrator privileges to update instead. The Check for updates button still works in this mode.

Can I turn off automatic updates?​

Automatic background downloads are off by default. If you have enabled the Automatically download updates in the background option and want to turn it off, open Settings > About and uncheck that option. MailCopilot will still notify you when a new version is available, but the download will not start until you click Download.

Troubleshooting​

MailCopilot is not syncing new messages.​

  1. Check that IMAP IDLE is enabled in Settings > Productivity.
  2. Try clicking the Sync button in the sidebar.
  3. Verify your internet connection.
  4. Check the account connection status in Settings > Accounts.

The application is slow or unresponsive.​

Try shortening the Keep full message copy for period in Settings > General. If you have very large folders, consider using the By period header sync mode in Settings > Folders.

I cannot see some folders.​

Some folders may be hidden. Right-click in the sidebar and look for hidden folder options, or go to Settings > Folders and check the Show in sidebar option for each folder.