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  • GMail - Separate Profile Or Use FairEmail

I am trying to figure out the best way to configure GMail access from both a usability and privacy standpoint. I am most likely going to end up creating a separate Google profile so that I can get access to Google Maps. The other options just don't seem to be anywhere near good enough.

Since I would be installing that separate Google profile, I thought about putting Gmail on that profile. But, I would want to check email more regularly without having to switch profiles.

That leads me to the possibility of installing FairEmail in the main profile instead. Does FairEmail accessing my GMail eliminate a lot of the privacy concerns outside of what emails are sent through/scanned by Gmail? I mainly rely on my Protonmail email, but still want to keep my GMail for now.

Thanks!

  • de0u replied to this.

    FairMail probably the best, it works fine with gmail, yahoo, imaps, etc. One thing to note when your client accessing a mail server then your IP / location / country will be known by the mail server too. So, google will know from which IP you fetch the emails. Thats the privacy concern you may have.

    JohnnyDavis Does FairEmail accessing my GMail eliminate a lot of the privacy concerns outside of what emails are sent through/scanned by Gmail?

    If you are concerned about Google scanning your mail as they receive it, then accessing it with FairEmail after Google has already scanned it won't help. It might help with other concerns... what is it that you are hoping to protect?

        de0u I'm trying to keep Google in general off my phone. It's hard to get away from Google maps though so I am OK with installing that on a separate profile.

        I am not quite ready to be completely done with my gmail yet as I work towards moving to protonmail. So, weighing my options.....

            JohnnyDavis If your goal is to have as little Google code on your phone as possible, but you are ok with Google reading mail sent to your GMail account, then using FairEmail (or any other e-mail client) instead of Google's e-mail client will reduce the amount of Google code on your phone.

            It's not clear offhand which privacy concerns would be posed in particular by running Google's mail client, though. If you're concerned about Google being actively malicious, Maps would be equally plausible as a vector. And using Maps sort of inherently provides Google with information about your location.

            I guess I'm saying it may be productive to list precisely which things you want to avoid (Google scanning your e-mail; Google knowing where you are) and then consider mitigation strategies. For example, if you want to access GMail from your phone but you don't want them to know where you are when you do so, a VPN may be appropriate.

              JohnnyDavis can't u just use the web browser version of Google maps? That's what I do and I believe it has all the same functionalities for basic navigation

                  Uphill1945 Web version is useless -- no notifications, and you have to keep opening it.