FairEmail review: private mail on Android

FairEmail is an open-source, privacy-oriented email app for Android, for people who already have a mailbox.² You bring an email address you already have.² It works with virtually all providers, including Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo.¹ It asks before showing pictures inside a message, to prevent tracking.²

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: An open-source email app for Android that uses accounts you already have.²

Works on: Android phones and tablets, version 6 or newer. TVs and E Ink devices are not supported.²

Price: Free to use. Optional Pro features are a one-time purchase, and there is no subscription.⁴

Licence: GNU GPL version 3, or any later version.²

Best for: Several existing mail accounts on one Android phone, with remote images held until you allow them.

Official site: email.faircode.eu

What FairEmail does (and how it protects your privacy)

FairEmail is the app on the phone. The mailbox still lives with your email provider. The official site calls setup easy, and says the app works with virtually all providers, including Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo.¹ It speaks IMAP, POP3 and SMTP, the ordinary standards mail servers use.²⁴ It does not speak Microsoft Exchange Web Services or ActiveSync, so a workplace account that offers only those cannot be added.¹

It asks before showing images, opening links, or opening attachments.² A remote image is fetched from the internet when a message opens, and that fetch can tell the sender you read the mail. It also tries to disable tracking images, reformats messages against phishing (a fake dressed up to look real), and removes styling, scripting and unsafe HTML.² Scripting means code inside the message.

New mail can arrive by IMAP IDLE, a signal from your mail server.² The app does not use Firebase Cloud Messaging, and it does not store mail on third-party servers.² Messages can stay on the phone, across unlimited accounts and one combined inbox.² The changelog lists version 1.2339, dated 24 October 2026.³ Play’s listed update is 17 September 2026. GitHub builds are updated more often.²⁶

Key FairEmail features

Many accounts, one list: Unlimited accounts, an optional unified inbox, and conversation threads.²
Images and links wait: You confirm images, links and attachments. The app tries to recognize and disable tracking images.²
A plainer message view: Styling, scripting and unsafe HTML are removed, with a warning if a message could not be authenticated.²
Push from the mail server: IMAP IDLE brings new-mail alerts without Firebase Cloud Messaging.²
OpenPGP through another app: Install OpenKeychain or PGPony. FairEmail does not store the PGP keys.⁴
No Google services required: It works on devices that have none installed.²
Offline reading: Messages are stored on the phone, with two-way sync when you are online.²
Optional Pro tools: Filters, snooze, a PIN or biometric lock, and S/MIME signing are one-time extras.²⁴

FairEmail pros and cons

Pros

Images, links and attachments stay unloaded until you confirm them.²
There are no advertisements, and error reports stay off unless you opt in.²⁵
Several accounts can share one inbox, including on a phone without Google services.²
The download is described as under 30 MB, with mail kept on the device.²
Version 1.2339 is dated 24 October 2026. A notice on the changelog says the app will continue to be maintained and supported.³

Cons

It needs Android 6 or newer, on phones and tablets. TVs and E Ink devices are not supported.²
Exchange Web Services and ActiveSync are not supported, so some work accounts cannot be added.¹
Filters, snooze, a PIN or biometric lock, and S/MIME signing are a one-time Pro purchase.²⁴
Only Play and GitHub are official releases. F-Droid has no OAuth sign-in, and its package is 1.2338 from 4 October 2026.²⁷
A low-priority notification stays up while a foreground service watches for mail.²
The Play listing says FairEmail might not suit someone who wants a very simple email app.⁶

Is FairEmail safe and private?

FairCode B.V. publishes FairEmail.¹ The privacy policy names managing director Marcel Bokhorst, in Dordrecht, the Netherlands, and was last updated on 16 September 2026.⁵ The README copyright runs from 2018 to 2026.²

Account details and messages go to your email provider.⁵ Error reports use Bugsnag and stay off unless you opt in.⁵ They are deleted after one month.⁵ Spam lists, translation and attachment checks stay off until you enable them.⁵ A breached-password check sends only the first five characters of a SHA1 hash (a one-way fingerprint) to Have I Been Pwned.⁵

Android encrypts user data by default, including account credentials, and stored messages are protected by encryption.⁵ Server connections stay encrypted unless you turn that off.⁴ The listed personal data is kept on the device for 30 days by default, and it is not sold or used for ads, profiling or AI training.⁵ OpenPGP needs OpenKeychain or PGPony. Keys stay in that app. FairEmail was tested with OpenKeychain 5.4 and PGPony 4.1.1. S/MIME signing is Pro.²⁴ The changelog says Google requires an annual CASA audit by an assessor, this year TAC Security.³ It says the 2026 audit revealed no problems.³ Play’s data-safety section says no data is shared with third parties, and that the app may collect personal info and messages.⁶ BellCrier checks your email addresses against known data breaches and emails you when one turns up, with what was exposed and how to fix it.

How to get started with FairEmail

Install FairEmail from Google Play or the GitHub releases page. Those are the official releases.²
Open it with an email address you already have. The app does not create a mailbox.²
On the Play or GitHub build, add Gmail with the Gmail (OAuth) wizard.⁴ For Outlook or Office 365, open Settings, tap the wizard, and choose Outlook/Office 365 (OAuth).⁴ OAuth lets the provider approve the app.
If the Gmail wizard is not an option, turn on two-factor sign-in, create an app password, and choose Other provider.⁴ Keep that password in KeePassDX.
Leave remote images off until you want them. Links and attachments ask first too.²
For encrypted mail, install OpenKeychain or PGPony and select it in the encryption settings.⁴ The F-Droid build has no OAuth, and switching between that build and the Play or GitHub version means uninstalling first.⁴⁷
If new mail stops, turn off battery optimizations for FairEmail. A low-priority notification stays up while its foreground service runs.²⁴

Who should use FairEmail (and who might prefer something else)

FairEmail fits an Android phone or tablet when you already have mail accounts and want images and links to wait for a tap, including on a device without Google services.² A workplace account that only offers Exchange Web Services or ActiveSync will not connect.¹ It is also not a calendar, contacts, task or notes manager.⁶ For that sync, use DAVx⁵.

For browser access to an existing mailbox, use Roundcube. Thunderbird for Android is free and open source.⁸ It can encrypt mail with OpenPGP when paired with OpenKeychain.⁸ For a messenger with a choice of relay and device, see Delta Chat.

Frequently asked questions

Is FairEmail free?

Everyday mail is free. Advanced Pro features are a one-time payment, with no subscription, and Play offers that purchase in the app.⁴⁶ The F-Droid build does not include Play billing, so a Play purchase cannot be reused there.⁴

Is FairEmail safe?

Messages go to your provider over an encrypted connection unless you turn that off, and error reports stay off unless you opt in.⁴⁵ The changelog says the 2026 CASA assessment by TAC Security revealed no problems.³ End-to-end encryption is optional. It needs OpenPGP via OpenKeychain or PGPony, or Pro S/MIME.²⁴

Does FairEmail work on iPhone?

It does not run on iPhone. It runs on Android phones and tablets with Android 6 or newer.² The official site, Play Store and F-Droid offer that Android build.¹⁶⁷

Does FairEmail work with Gmail?

Yes, on the Play Store or GitHub version, through the Gmail (OAuth) wizard.⁴ F-Droid lacks that wizard, because Google approved OAuth for official builds only.⁴ An app password with the Other provider wizard is the fallback.⁴