Short answer: Google doesn't make a Gmail app for Mac; its Gmail app on the App Store is for iPhone and iPad. On a Mac you have four reasonable options: Gmail in your browser, Gmail saved as a Safari web app, Apple Mail with your Google account, or a third-party app. All of them are safe if you sign in with Google and turn on 2-Step Verification. The real difference is who else gets access to your mail and whether you need encryption beyond what Gmail already does.
The best ways to use Gmail on a Mac
There's no single right answer here. It depends on whether you want Gmail exactly as Google designed it, a proper Mac app, or extra privacy features. Here's how the options compare:
| Option | What you get | Who can access your mail | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail in a browser | The full Gmail website, all features | Google only | People who live in Gmail already |
| Safari web app | Gmail in its own window, Dock icon and notifications (macOS Sonoma 14 or later) | Google only | A Gmail app feel without installing anything |
| Apple Mail | Gmail next to iCloud and other accounts in the Mac's built-in app | Google and Apple's app on your Mac | Several accounts in one place |
| Third-party app | Extra features such as unified inboxes, AI or encryption | Google, the app, and possibly its developer's servers | Features Gmail and Mail don't have |
How to turn Gmail into a Safari web app
This is the closest thing to an official Gmail app for Mac. Apple's web apps keep their own cookies and website data, separate from Safari, and can show unread notification counts on the Dock icon.
- Open Safari and go to mail.google.com. Sign in.
- From the menu bar, choose File > Add to Dock (or click the Share button and choose Add to Dock).
- Name it Gmail and click Add. It's saved to the Applications folder in your home folder and appears in the Dock.
Because the web app doesn't share cookies with Safari, you'll sign in to Google once more inside it. This needs macOS Sonoma 14 or later.
How to add Gmail to Apple Mail
- Open Mail and choose Mail > Add Account.
- Enter your Gmail address, or click choose from a list and pick Google.
- Click Continue and follow the prompts to sign in with your Google Account.
Google no longer lets apps sign in with just your username and password. If Mail (or any app) asks for your Gmail password in a plain form and fails, remove the account and add it again using the Sign in with Google option. Google says app passwords are unnecessary in most cases and not recommended.
Is Mail+ for Gmail safe?
Mail+ for Gmail is a Mac App Store app from Rocky Sand Studio Ltd. that puts Gmail in its own window with a Dock badge, notifications and a menu bar notifier. Its listing says it isn't made or endorsed by Google, and that it uses secure connections and the Gmail API. It's free, with paid extras ($7.99 a year or $19.99 one-time at the time of writing), and needs macOS 12 or later.
On privacy, the developer's App Store label says the app may collect your email address (for its own marketing) and product interaction data (for analytics), not linked to your identity. Apple notes that these labels come from the developer and aren't verified by Apple. We found nothing alarming, but there's also no independent audit to point to. If you use it:
- Install it from its Mac App Store listing, not from a download site.
- Sign in through Google's own sign-in screen, never a form inside the app asking for your password.
- Check which apps can reach your account in your Google Account settings, and remove access if you stop using it.
If you mainly want Gmail in its own window, the free Safari web app does much the same job with no extra company involved. For a native Gmail client, Mimestream says it talks directly to Google, keeps your login in the Mac's Keychain and stores Google data only on your device.
What secure actually means for Gmail
Every Gmail message is sent with TLS, which protects it in transit, and that's true whichever app you use. What TLS doesn't do is hide your email from Google or from whoever runs the receiving server. Google's stronger options, S/MIME and client-side encryption, are for work or school accounts only. Confidential mode can set an expiry date and block forwarding, but Google itself warns that recipients can still take screenshots.
So for a personal Gmail account, end-to-end encryption means using an email app that supports PGP, where only you and the recipient hold the keys. Our guide to PGP encryption for email explains how it works. Whatever app you choose, the biggest single step is turning on 2-Step Verification for your Google Account.
Using Gmail in Canary Mail
Disclosure: we make Canary Mail. Canary is an email app for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows and Android that works with Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo, Exchange and other IMAP accounts. Tracker blocking is on by default, inbox triage runs on your device, and your email isn't used to train AI. The free plan covers unlimited accounts on 2 devices with AI inbox sorting. The Pro+ plan ($100 a year) adds PGP encryption, SecureSend and phishing and impersonation detection. More than 2 million people use Canary, and Apple has featured it on the App Store and the Mac App Store.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there no Gmail app for Mac?
Google hasn't released one. Its Gmail app on the App Store lists iPhone and iPad only. On a Mac you use Gmail on the web, or add it to another email client such as Apple Mail, which Google's help explains how to do.
Is it better to use Apple Mail or the Gmail website?
The Gmail website gives you every Gmail feature, including labels, categories and confidential mode, exactly as Google designed them. Apple Mail is better if you want Gmail alongside iCloud or work accounts in one app. Both are secure when you sign in with Google.
What is the most secure way to use Gmail on a Mac?
Use the Gmail website or a Safari web app so no other company handles your mail, turn on 2-Step Verification, and sign in with Google rather than an app password. If you need end-to-end encryption, use an app that supports PGP.
Can Gmail be end-to-end encrypted?
Not with a personal account inside Gmail itself. Gmail uses TLS for all mail, and its client-side encryption is limited to work and school accounts. For personal Gmail, PGP in an email app is the usual route.
Related reading
- The best Gmail app for Mac and iPhone
- Apple Mail vs Gmail compared
- Choosing a secure email client for Mac
Sources
- Google: Add Gmail to another email client
- Google: Learn how Gmail encrypts your emails
- Google: Send and open confidential emails
- Google: Turn on 2-Step Verification
- Google: Manage links between your Google Account and apps from other developers
- Apple: Use Safari web apps on Mac
- Apple Mail User Guide: Add and manage email accounts
- App Store: Gmail - Email by Google
- Mac App Store: Mail+ for Gmail
- Rocky Sand Studio: Privacy policy
- Mimestream: Privacy policy