There’s no Gmail app for Mac. Here’s how to make one.
Google doesn’t make a Gmail app for the Mac. You can still give Gmail an app of its own: a window with only Gmail in it, its own Dock icon, and a hotkey. It stays signed in, and it takes about a minute.
With Tilemode: press ⌃⌥N, enter https://mail.google.com, name it Gmail, pick a hotkey such as ⌃⌥⌘M, and click Add app.
Built in: open Gmail in Safari and choose File › Add to Dock (macOS Sonoma 14 or later).
Is there a Gmail app for Mac?
No. Google makes Gmail apps for iPhone and iPad, but not for the Mac, and its iPad app isn’t offered for Mac in the App Store. On a Mac, Gmail is a website you open in a browser tab.
That tab is easy to lose among the others, and closing the browser closes your mail. Giving Gmail its own app fixes both: one window with only Gmail in it, a Dock icon, and a hotkey that brings it up from anywhere.
How to make a Gmail app with Tilemode
- Open Tilemode (it needs macOS 14 or later) and press ⌃⌥N, or choose New web app… from the Tilemode menu.
- Address: type
https://mail.google.com - Name: type Gmail. This is the name you’ll see in the Dock.
- Hotkey: pick keys such as ⌃⌥⌘M (type
ctrl+opt+cmd+m) and, if you like, a Tile such asleft-two-thirdsso it always opens in that part of the screen. - Click Add app, then sign in to Gmail once inside the new app.
Tilemode builds a small app for it in ~/Applications/Tilemode Apps, with a plain letter icon (no logo), its own Dock spot and its own storage. Prefer the command line? tilemode app add https://mail.google.com --name "Gmail" --hotkey ctrl+opt+cmd+m --tile left-two-thirds does the same thing.
What works in your Gmail app
It’s Gmail’s own website, so it looks and works the way it does in a browser. On top of that:
- Its own window and Dock icon. ⌘⇥ finds it like any other app.
- It stays signed in. Each app keeps its own sign-in and storage, separate from your browser and from your other web apps.
- One key to bring it up. The hotkey opens the app, or brings it to the front if it’s already open.
- Notifications. When Gmail shows a notification while the app is open, it appears as a normal Mac notification.
- Downloads go to your Downloads folder, and links to other sites open in your usual browser.
- Mac keys: ⌘R reloads, ⌘[ and ⌘] go back and forward, ⌘L goes to an address, and ⌘⇧O opens the page in your browser.
Good for
- Reading, writing, replying and searching your mail
- Labels, filters, stars and Gmail’s settings
- Opening and saving attachments people send you (saved files go to your Downloads folder)
What it can’t do yet
- Attaching files from your Mac: Tilemode web apps can’t open the file picker yet. To send an attachment, press ⌘⇧O to open that email in your browser.
Tips for Gmail as an app
- Turn on notifications in Gmail: click the gear, choose See all settings, and under General, next to Desktop notifications, choose New mail notifications on. While the app is open, new mail then shows up as a Mac notification.
- Two accounts, two apps: each Tilemode app keeps its own sign-in. Make a second app called “Gmail Work” with its own hotkey and sign in with your work account there.
- Give it room: the left two thirds of the screen works well for mail, with your calendar or a document in the last third.
The built-in way: Safari’s Add to Dock
On macOS Sonoma 14 or later, Safari can make a web app for free:
- Open Gmail in Safari:
https://mail.google.com - Choose File › Add to Dock (or click the Share button and choose Add to Dock).
- Type a name and click Add.
The web app is saved to the Applications folder in your home folder and appears in the Dock and Spotlight. Safari usually carries your sign-in over when you make it. After that it keeps its own cookies and history, apart from Safari. It has a simple toolbar with back and forward, you can give it any name and icon, and for sites that send notifications it can show them with a count on its Dock icon. Because it’s Safari underneath, it also handles things Tilemode apps can’t yet, like choosing files to upload.
If you’d rather use the Mail app that comes with your Mac, it can read Gmail too: go to System Settings › Internet Accounts, click Add Account, and choose Google. You get your messages, but not Gmail’s own look, labels page or settings.
More on this, step by step: how to turn a website into a Mac app.
Why make it with Tilemode
Safari’s web app is a good start. Tilemode, our Mac app, adds the parts that make it fast to use every day:
- A hotkey for every app. Press it and Gmail comes up, whatever you’re doing. Press it again to go through its windows.
- It opens where you want it. Give the app a tile and it lands there every time, next to your other work.
- Tiling for everything else. ⌃⌥1 puts your windows side by side, and ⌃⌥F fills the screen.
- As many as you like. Each app has its own sign-in, so two accounts can be two apps with two keys.
Questions
Will I stay signed in?
Yes. The app keeps its sign-in and storage between launches, separate from your browser and from your other web apps.
Can I add attachments in the Gmail app?
Not from inside a Tilemode app yet, because it can’t open the file picker. Press Command-Shift-O to open the email in your browser and attach the file there. Opening and saving attachments you receive works, and they go to your Downloads folder.
Can I use more than one Gmail account?
Yes. Use Gmail’s own account switcher inside the app, or make one app per account. Each Tilemode app keeps its own sign-in, so a “Gmail Work” app can stay signed in to a different account.
Why do some links open in my browser?
Links to other sites open in your usual browser, so the app stays just Gmail. That includes links to other Google sites, such as Calendar or Docs.
How do I remove the app?
In Tilemode, run tilemode app remove with the app’s name, or delete it from ~/Applications/Tilemode Apps. For a Safari web app, drag it from the Applications folder in your home folder to the Trash.