# FairEmail support

If you have a question, please check the frequently asked questions below first.
At the bottom you can find how to ask other questions, request features and report bugs.


## Authorizing accounts

For support on authorizing an account you should consult the documentation of your provider.
Searching for *IMAP* and the name of the provider is mostly sufficient to find the right documentation.
To setup an account (to receive email) and an identity (to send email)
you need the IMAP and SMTP server addresses and port numbers, whether STARTTLS should be used
and your username (mostly, but not always, your email address) and your password.
In some cases you'll need to enable external access to your account and/or to use a special (app) password,
for instance when two factor authentication is enabled.

For authorizing:

* Gmail / G suite: see [question 6](#user-content-faq6)
* Outlook: see [question 14](#user-content-faq14)
* Microsoft Exchange: see [question 8](#user-content-faq8)


## Known problems

~~A [bug in Android](https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/78495471) lets FairEmail occasionally crash on long pressing or swiping.~~


## Planned features

None at this moment.

Anything on this list is in random order and *might* be added in the near future.


## Frequently requested features

* Rich text editor: besides that very few people would use this on a small mobile device, Android doesn't support a rich text editor and most rich text editor open source projects are abandoned.
* Widget to read e-mail: widgets can have limited user interaction only, so a widget to read e-mail would not be very useful. Moreover, it would be not very useful to duplicate functions which are already available in the app.
* Badge count: there is no standard Android API for this and third party solutions might stop working anytime. For example *ShortcutBadger* [has lots of problems](https://github.com/leolin310148/ShortcutBadger/issues). You can use the provided widget instead.
* Switch language: Android is not designed to change the language of an app and on recent Android versions it even causes problems. So, better fix the translation in your language if needed, see [this FAQ](#user-content-faq26) about how to.
* Better design: please let me know what you have in mind [in this forum](https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/source-email-t3824168).
* ActiveSync: using the Exchange ActiveSync protocol requires [a license](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exchange_ActiveSync#Licensing), so this cannot be added.

Since FairEmail is meant to be privacy friendly, the following will not be added:

* Open links without confirmation
* Show original messages from unknown senders without confirmation
* Direct file/folder access: for security/privacy reasons (other) apps should use the [Storage Access Framework](https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/providers/document-provider), see also [this FAQ](#user-content-faq49) and [this FAQ](#user-content-faq68)

Confirmation is just one tap, which is just a small price for better privacy.
Note that your contacts could unknowingly send malicious messages if they got infected with malware.

Stripped and reformatted messages are often better readable than original messages because the margins are removed and font sizes are standardized.

FairEmail does not allow other apps access to your messages and attachments without your approval.

FairEmail follows all the best practices for an email client as decribed in [this EFF article](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/01/stop-tracking-my-emails).

## Frequently Asked Questions

* [(1) Which permissions are needed and why?](#user-content-faq1)
* [(2) Why is there a permanent notification shown?](#user-content-faq2)
* [(3) What are operations and why are they pending?](#user-content-faq3)
* [(4) How can I use an invalid security certificate / IMAP STARTTLS / an empty password?](#user-content-faq4)
* [(5) How can I customize the message view?](#user-content-faq5)
* [(6) How can I login to Gmail / G suite?](#user-content-faq6)
* [~~(7) Why are messages in the outbox not moved to the sent folder?~~](#user-content-faq7)
* [(8) Can I use a Microsoft Exchange account?](#user-content-faq8)
* [(9) What are identities?](#user-content-faq9)
* [(11) Why is POP not supported?](#user-content-faq11)
* [~~(10) What does 'UIDPLUS not supported' mean?~~](#user-content-faq10)
* [(12) How does encryption/decryption work?](#user-content-faq12)
* [(13) How does search on device/server work?](#user-content-faq13)
* [(14) How can I setup Outlook with 2FA?](#user-content-faq14)
* [(15) Why does the message text keep loading?](#user-content-faq15)
* [(16) Why are messages not being synchronized?](#user-content-faq16)
* [~~(17) Why does manual synchronize not work?~~](#user-content-faq17)
* [(18) Why is the message preview not always shown?](#user-content-faq18)
* [(19) Why are the pro features so expensive?](#user-content-faq19)
* [(20) Can I get a refund?](#user-content-faq20)
* [(21) How do I enable the notification light?](#user-content-faq21)
* [(22) Why do I get 'Couldn't connect to host' ?](#user-content-faq22)
* [(23) Why do I get 'Too many simultaneous connections' ?](#user-content-faq23)
* [(24) What is browse messages on the server?](#user-content-faq24)
* [(25) Why can't I select/open/save an image, attachment or a file?](#user-content-faq25)
* [(26) Can I help to translate FairEmail in my own language?](#user-content-faq26)
* [(27) How can I differentiate external and embedded images?](#user-content-faq27)
* [(28) How can I manage status bar notifications?](#user-content-faq28)
* [(29) How can I get new message notifications for other folders?](#user-content-faq29)
* [(30) How can I use the provided quick settings?](#user-content-faq30)
* [(31) How can I use the provided shortcuts?](#user-content-faq31)
* [(32) How can I check if reading email is really safe?](#user-content-faq32)
* [(33) Why are edited sender addresses not working?](#user-content-faq33)
* [(34) How are identities matched?](#user-content-faq34)
* [(35) Why should I be careful with viewing images, attachments and the original message?](#user-content-faq35)
* [(36) How are settings files encrypted?](#user-content-faq36)
* [(37) How are passwords stored?](#user-content-faq37)
* [(38) Can you help me restore my Play store purchase?](#user-content-faq38)
* [(39) How can I reduce the battery usage of FairEmail?](#user-content-faq39)
* [(40) How can I reduce the network usage of FairEmail?](#user-content-faq40)
* [(41) How can I fix the error 'Handshake failed' ?](#user-content-faq41)
* [(42) Can you add a new provider to the list of providers?](#user-content-faq42)
* [(43) Can you show the original ... ?](#user-content-faq43)
* [(44) Can you show contact photos / identicons in the sent folder?](#user-content-faq44)
* [(45) How can I fix 'This key is not available. To use it, you must import it as one of your own!' ?](#user-content-faq45)
* [(46) Why does the message list keep refreshing?](#user-content-faq46)
* [(47) How can I solve 'No primary account or no drafts folder' ?](#user-content-faq47)
* [~~(48) How can I solve 'No primary account or no archive folder' ?~~](#user-content-faq48)
* [(49) How can I fix 'An outdated app sent a file path instead of a file stream' ?](#user-content-faq49)
* [(50) Can you add an option to synchronize all messages?](#user-content-faq50)
* [(51) How are folders sorted?](#user-content-faq51)
* [(52) Why does it take some time to reconnect to an account?](#user-content-faq52)
* [(53) Can you stick the message action bar to the top/bottom?](#user-content-faq53)
* [(54) How do I use a namespace prefix?](#user-content-faq54)
* [(55) How can I mark all messages as read / move or delete all messages?](#user-content-faq55)
* [(56) Can you add support for JMAP?](#user-content-faq56)
* [(57) Can I use HTML in signatures?](#user-content-faq57)
* [(58) What does an open/closed email icon mean?](#user-content-faq58)
* [(59) Can original messages be opened in the browser?](#user-content-faq59)
* [(60) Did you known ...?](#user-content-faq60)
* [(61) Why are some messages shown dimmed?](#user-content-faq61)
* [(62) Which authentication methods are supported?](#user-content-faq62)
* [(63) How are images resized for displaying on screens?](#user-content-faq63)
* [(64) Can you add custom actions for swipe left/right?](#user-content-faq64)
* [(65) Why are some attachments shown dimmed?](#user-content-faq65)
* [(66) Is FairEmail available in the Google Play Family Library?](#user-content-faq66)
* [(67) How can I snooze conversations?](#user-content-faq67)
* [(68) Why can Adobe Acrobat reader not open PDF attachments?](#user-content-faq68)
* [(69) Can you add auto scroll up on new message?](#user-content-faq69)
* [(70) When will messages be auto expanded?](#user-content-faq70)
* [(71) How do I use filter rules?](#user-content-faq71)
* [(72) What are primary accounts/identities?](#user-content-faq72)
* [(73) Is moving messages across accounts safe/efficient?](#user-content-faq73)
* [(74) Why do I see duplicate messages?](#user-content-faq74)
* [(75) Can you make an iOS, Windows, etc version?](#user-content-faq75)
* [(76) What does 'Clear local messages' ?](#user-content-faq76)
* [(77) Why are messages sometimes shown with a small delay?](#user-content-faq76)

[I have another question.](#support)

<a name="faq1"></a>
**(1) Which permissions are needed and why?**

* *have full network access* (INTERNET): to send and receive email
* *view network connections* (ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE): to monitor internet connectivity changes
* *run at startup* (RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED): to start monitoring on device start
* *in-app billing* (BILLING): to allow in-app purchases
* *foreground service* (FOREGROUND_SERVICE): to run a foreground service on Android 9 Pie and later, see also the next question
* *prevent device from sleeping* (WAKE_LOCK): to keep the device awake while synchronizing messages
* Optional: *read your contacts* (READ_CONTACTS): to autocomplete addresses and to show photos
* Optional: *find accounts on the device* (GET_ACCOUNTS): to use [OAuth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OAuth) instead of passwords
* Optional: *read the contents of your SD card* (READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE): to accept files from other, outdated apps, see also [this FAQ](#user-content-faq49)
* Android 5.1 Lollipop and before: *use accounts on the device* (USE_CREDENTIALS): needed to select accounts (not used/needed on later Android versions)

<br />

<a name="faq2"></a>
**(2) Why is there a permanent notification shown?**

A permanent status bar notification with the number of accounts being synchronized, the number of messages to send and the number of operations pending (see next question) is shown
to prevent Android from killing the service that takes care of receiving and sending email.

Most, if not all, other email apps don't show a notification with the "side effect" that new email is often not or late being reported.

Background: this is necessary because of the introduction of [doze mode](https://developer.android.com/training/monitoring-device-state/doze-standby) in Android 6 Marshmallow.

If you came here by clicking on the notification, you should known that the next click will open the unified inbox.

<br />

<a name="faq3"></a>
**(3) What are operations and why are they pending?**

The low priority status bar notification shows the number of pending operations, which can be:

* *add*: add message to remote folder
* *move*: move message to another remote folder
* *delete*: delete message from remote folder
* *send*: send message
* *seen*: mark message as read/unread in remote folder
* *answered*: mark message as answered in remote folder
* *flag*: add/remove star in remote folder
* *keyword*: add/remove IMAP flag in remote folder
* *headers*: download message headers
* *raw*: download raw message
* *body*: download message text
* *attachment*: download attachment
* *sync*: synchronize local and remove folder

Operations are processed only when there is a connection to the email server or when manually synchronizing.
See also [this FAQ](#user-content-faq16).

<br />

<a name="faq4"></a>
**(4) How can I use an invalid security certificate / IMAP STARTTLS / an empty password?**

Invalid security certificate: you should try to fix this by contacting your provider or by getting a valid security certificate
because invalid security certificates are insecure and allow [man-in-the-middle attacks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man-in-the-middle_attack).
If money is an obstacle, you can get free security certificates from [Let’s Encrypt](https://letsencrypt.org).

IMAP STARTTLS: the EFF [writes](https://www.eff.org/nl/deeplinks/2018/06/announcing-starttls-everywhere-securing-hop-hop-email-delivery):
"*Additionally, even if you configure STARTTLS perfectly and use a valid certificate, there’s still no guarantee your communication will be encrypted.*"

Empty password: your username is likely easily guessed, so this is very insecure.

If you still want to use an invalid security certificate, IMAP STARTTLS or an empty password,
you'll need to enable insecure connections in the account and/or identity settings.

<br />

<a name="faq5"></a>
**(5) How can I customize the message view?**

In the three dot overflow menu you can enable or disable or select:

* *text size*: for three different font sizes
* *compact view*: for more condensed message items and a smaller message text font

In the display section of the advanced settings you can enable or disable:

* *Unified inbox*: to disable the unified inbox and to list the folders selected for the unified inbox instead
* *Group by date*: show date header above messages with the same date
* *Conversation threading*: to disable conversation threading and to show individual messages instead
* *Show contact photos*: to hide contact photos
* *Show identicons*: to show generated contact avatars
* *Show message preview*: to show two lines of the message text
* *Show address details by default*: to collapse the addresses section by default
* *Conversation action bar*: to disable the bottom navigation bar
* *Automatically show original message for known contacts*: to automatically show original messages for contacts on your device, please read [this FAQ](#user-content-faq35)
* *Automatically show images for known contacts*: to automatically show images for contacts on your device, please read [this FAQ](#user-content-faq35)

Note that messages can be previewed only when the message text was downloaded.
Larger message texts are not downloaded by default on metered (generally mobile) networks.
You can change this in the advanced options.

If the list of addresses is long, you can collapse the addresses section with the *less* icon at the top of the addresses section.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to make everybody happy and adding lots of settings would not only be confusing, but also never be sufficient.

<br />

<a name="faq6"></a>
**(6) How can I login to Gmail / G suite?**

Preferably select Gmail as provider and select an account on your device.

If you want/need to use a username/password instead of selecting an account, you'll need to enable access for "less secure" apps,
see [here](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6010255) for Google's instructions
or go [directy to the setting](https://www.google.com/settings/security/lesssecureapps).

To login to Gmail / G suite you'll sometimes need an app password, for example when two factor authentication is enabled.
See here for instructions: [https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185833](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185833).

If this doesn't work, see here for more solutions: [https://support.google.com/mail/accounts/answer/78754](https://support.google.com/mail/accounts/answer/78754)

<br />

<a name="faq7"></a>
**~~(7) Why are messages in the outbox not moved to the sent folder?~~**

~~Messages in the outbox are moved to the sent folder as soon as your provider adds the message to the sent folder.
Note that this requires a sent folder to be selected and to be set to synchronizing.
If this doesn't happen, your provider might not keep track of sent messages or you might be using an SMTP server not related to the provider.
In these cases you can use the advanced identity setting *Store a copy of sent messages in* and select the sent folder.
There is a menu to move sent messages in the outbox to the sent folder.~~

<br />

<a name="faq8"></a>
**(8) Can I use a Microsoft Exchange account?**

You can use a Microsoft Exchange account if it is accessible via IMAP.
See here for more information: [https://support.office.com/en-us/article/what-is-a-microsoft-exchange-account-47f000aa-c2bf-48ac-9bc2-83e5c6036793](https://support.office.com/en-us/article/what-is-a-microsoft-exchange-account-47f000aa-c2bf-48ac-9bc2-83e5c6036793)

Please see [here](#frequently-requested-features) about ActiveSync support.

<br />

<a name="faq9"></a>
**(9) What are identities?**

Identities represent email addresses you are sending *from*.

Some providers allow you to have multiple email aliases.
You can configure these by setting the email address field to the alias address and setting the user name field to your main email address.

<br />

<a name="faq10"></a>
**~~(10) What does 'UIDPLUS not supported' mean?~~**

~~The error message *UIDPLUS not supported* means that your email provider does not provide the IMAP [UIDPLUS extension](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4315).
This IMAP extension is required to implement two way synchronization, which is not an optional feature.
So, unless your provider can enable this extension, you cannot use FairEmail for this provider.~~

<br />

<a name="faq11"></a>
**(11) Why is POP not supported?**

Besides that any decent email provider supports [IMAP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Message_Access_Protocol) these days,
using [POP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_Office_Protocol) will result in unnecessary extra battery usage and delayed new message notifications.
Moreover, POP is unsuitable for two way synchronization and more often than not people read and write messages on different devices these days.

Basically, POP supports only downloading and deleting messages from the inbox.
So, common operations like setting message attributes (read, starred, answered, etc), adding (backing up) and moving messages is not possible.

See also [what Google writes about it](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7104828).

<br />

<a name="faq12"></a>
**(12) How does encryption/decryption work?**

First of all you need to install and configure [OpenKeychain](https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.sufficientlysecure.keychain/).
To encrypt a message before sending, just select the menu *Encrypt*. Similarly, to decrypt a received message, just select the menu *Decrypt*.
Encryption is [Autocrypt](https://autocrypt.org/) compatible. For security reasons received messages are not decrypted automatically.
Encryption/decryption is a pro feature.

Inline PGP in received messages is supported, but inline PGP in outgoing messages is not supported,
see [here](https://josefsson.org/inline-openpgp-considered-harmful.html) about why not.

S/MIME is not supported because it is not used much and because key management is complex.
There are also [security concerns](https://security.stackexchange.com/a/83752).

Note that signed only or encrypted only messages are not supported, see here for some considerations:

* [OpenPGP Considerations Part I](https://k9mail.github.io/2016/11/24/OpenPGP-Considerations-Part-I.html)
* [OpenPGP Considerations Part II](https://k9mail.github.io/2017/01/30/OpenPGP-Considerations-Part-II.html)
* [OpenPGP Considerations Part III Autocrypt](https://k9mail.github.io/2018/02/26/OpenPGP-Considerations-Part-III-Autocrypt.html)

If you want, you can verify a signature by opening the *signature.asc* attachment.

<br />

<a name="faq13"></a>
**(13) How does search on device/server work?**

You can start searching for messages on sender, recipient, subject, keyword or message text by using the magnify glass in the action bar of a folder.
First on device messages will be searched and after that the search will be executed on the server,
except if the unified inbox is a collection of more than one folder.
Searching local messages is case insensitive and on partial text.
The message text of local messages will not be searched if the message text was not downloaded yet.
Searching on the server might be case sensitive or case insensitive and might be on partial text or whole words, depending on the provider.
Searching messages is a pro feature.

<br />

<a name="faq14"></a>
**(14) How can I setup Outlook with 2FA?**

To use Outlook with two factor authentication enabled, you need to create an app password.
See [here](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12409/microsoft-account-app-passwords-two-step-verification) for the details.

Unfortunately, Outlook doesn't properly support OAuth for IMAP/SMTP connections, so there is no other way.

Technical background: [MSAL](https://github.com/AzureAD/microsoft-authentication-library-for-android) is supported for business accounts only
and OAuth requires embedding a client secret in the app.

<br />

<a name="faq15"></a>
**(15) Why does the message text keep loading?**

The message header and message body are fetched separately from the server.
The message text of larger messages is not being pre-fetched on metered connections and need to be fetched on opening the message.
The message text will keep loading if there is no connection to the account, see also the next question.

In the advanced settings you can set the maximum size for automatically downloading of messages on metered connections.

Mobile connections are almost always metered and some (paid) Wi-Fi hotspots are too.

<br />

<a name="faq16"></a>
**(16) Why are messages not being synchronized?**

Possible causes of messages not being synchronized (sent or received) are:

* The account or folder(s) are not set to synchronize
* The number of days to synchronize is set to low
* There is no usable internet connection
* The email server is temporarily not available
* Android stopped the synchronization service

So, check your account and folder settings and check if the accounts/folders are connected (see the legend menu for the meaning of the icons).

On some devices, where there are lots of applications competing for memory, Android may stop the synchronization service as a last resort.
Some Android versions,
in particular of Huawei (see [here](https://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/2016/07/04/push-notifications-not-coming-through-to-your-huawei-phone-heres-how-to-fix-it/) for a fix)
or Xiaomi (see [here](https://www.forbes.com/sites/bensin/2016/11/17/how-to-fix-push-notifications-on-xiaomis-miui-8-for-real/) for a fix)
stop apps and services too aggressively.
See also [this dedicated website](https://dontkillmyapp.com/).

<br />

<a name="faq17"></a>
**~~(17) Why does manual synchronize not work?~~**

~~If the *Synchronize now* menu is dimmed, there is no connection to the account.~~

~~See the previous question for more information.~~

<br />

<a name="faq18"></a>
**(18) Why is the message preview not always shown?**

The preview of the message text cannot be shown if the message body has not been downloaded yet.
See also [this FAQ](#user-content-faq15).

<br />

<a name="faq19"></a>
**(19) Why are the pro features so expensive?**

The right question is "*why are there so many taxes and fees?*":

* VAT: 25 % (depending on your country)
* Google fee: 30 %
* Income tax: 50 %

So, what is left for the developer is just a fraction of what you pay.

Note that only some convenience and advanced features, like the dark/black theme, need to be purchased,
which means that FairEmail is basically free to use.

Also note that most free apps will appear not to be sustainable in the end, whereas FairEmail is properly maintained and supported,
and that free apps may have a catch, like sending privacy sensitive information to the internet.

<br />

<a name="faq20"></a>
**(20) Can I get a refund?**

If a purchased pro feature doesn't work as intended
and this isn't caused by a problem in the free features
and I cannot fix the problem in a timely manner, you can get a refund.
In all other cases there is no refund possible.
In no circumstances there is a refund possible for any problem related to the free features,
since there wasn't paid anything for them and because they can be evaluated without any limitation.
I take my responsibility as seller to deliver what has been promised
and I expect that you take responsibility for informing yourself of what you are buying.


<a name="faq21"></a>
**(21) How do I enable the notification light?**

Before Android 8 Oreo: there is an advanced option in the setup for this.

Android 8 Oreo and later: see [here](https://developer.android.com/training/notify-user/channels) about how to configure notification channels.
You can use the button *Manage notifications* in the setup to directly go to the Android notification settings.

<br />

<a name="faq22"></a>
**(22) Why do I get 'Couldn't connect to host' ?**

The message *Couldn't connect to host ...* means that FairEmail was not able to connect to the email server.

Possible causes are:

* A firewall is blocking connections to the server
* The email server is refusing to accept the connection
* The host name or port number is invalid
* The are problems with the internet connection

If you are using a VPN, the VPN provider might block the connection because it is too aggressively trying to prevent spam.

<br />

<a name="faq23"></a>
**(23) Why do I get 'Too many simultaneous connections' ?**

The message *Too many simultaneous connections* is sent by the email server
when there are too many folder connections for the same email account at the same time.

Possible causes are:

* There are multiple email clients connected to the same account
* The same email client is connected multiple times to the same account
* The previous connection was terminated abruptly for example by abruptly losing internet connectivity, for example when turning on flight mode

If only FairEmail is connecting to the email server, first try to wait half an hour to see if the problem resolves itself,
else enable the folder settings '*Poll instead of synchronize*' for some folders.
The poll interval can be configured in the account settings.

The maximum number of simultaneous folder connections for Gmail is 15,
so you can synchronize at most 15 folders simultaneously on *all* your devices at the same time.
See [here](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7126229) for details.

<br />

<a name="faq24"></a>
**(24) What is browse messages on the server?**

Browse messages on the server will fetch messages from the email server in real time
when you reach the end of the list of synchronized messages, even when the folder is set to not synchronize.
You can disable this feature in the advanced account settings.

<br />

<a name="faq25"></a>
**(25) Why can't I select/open/save an image, attachment or a file?**

If a menu item to select/open/save a file is disabled (dimmed) or not available,
the [storage access framework](https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/providers/document-provider),
a standard Android component, is probably not present,
for example because your custom ROM does not include it or because it was removed.
FairEmail does not request storage permissions, so this framework is required to select files and folders.
No app, except maybe file managers, targeting Android 4.4 KitKat or later should ask for storage permissions because it would allow access to *all* files.

<br />

<a name="faq26"></a>
**(26) Can I help to translate FairEmail in my own language?**

Yes, you can translate the texts of FairEmail in your own language [here](https://crowdin.com/project/open-source-email).
Registration is free.

<br />

<a name="faq27"></a>
**(27) How can I differentiate external and embedded images?**

External image:

![External image](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/google/material-design-icons/master/image/1x_web/ic_image_black_48dp.png)

Embedded image:

![Embedded image](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/google/material-design-icons/master/image/1x_web/ic_photo_library_black_48dp.png)

Broken image:

![Broken image](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/google/material-design-icons/master/image/1x_web/ic_broken_image_black_48dp.png)

Note that downloading external images from a remote server can be used to record you did see a message, which you likely don't want if the message is spam or malicious.

<br />

<a name="faq28"></a>
**(28) How can I manage status bar notifications?**

In the setup you'll find a button *Manage notifications* to directly navigate to the Android notifications settings for FairEmail.

On Android 8.0 Oreo and later you can manage the properties of the individual notification channels,
for example to set a specific notification sound or to show notifications on the lock screen.

FairEmail has the following notification channels:

* Service: used for the foreground service notification, see also [this FAQ](#user-content-faq2)
* Notifications: used for new message notifications
* Error: used for error notifications

See [here](https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/notifiers/notifications#ManageChannels) for details on notification channels.
In short: tap on the notification channel name to access the channel settings.

On Android before Android 8 Oreo you can set the notification sound in the advanced options.

See [this FAQ](#user-content-faq21) if your device has a notification light.

<br />

<a name="faq29"></a>
**(29) How can I get new message notifications for other folders?**

Just long press a folder, select *Edit properties*,
and enable either *Show in unified inbox*
or *Notify new messages* (available on Android 7 Nougat and later only)
and tap *Save*.

<br />

<a name="faq30"></a>
**(30) How can I use the provided quick settings?**

There are quick settings (settings tiles) available to:

* globally enable/disable synchronization
* show the number of new messages and marking them as seen (not read)

Quick settings require Android 7.0 Nougat or later.
The usage of settings tiles is explained [here](https://support.google.com/android/answer/9083864).

<br />

<a name="faq31"></a>
**(31) How can I use the provided shortcuts?**

There are shortcuts available to:

* compose a message
* setup accounts, identities, etc

Shortcuts require Android 7.1 Nougat or later.
The usage of shortcuts is explained [here](https://support.google.com/android/answer/2781850).

<br />

<a name="faq32"></a>
**(32) How can I check if reading email is really safe?**

You can use the [Email Privacy Tester](https://www.emailprivacytester.com/) for this.

<br />

<a name="faq33"></a>
**(33) Why are edited sender addresses not working?**

Most providers accept validated addresses only when sending messages to prevent spam.

For example Google modifies the message headers like this:

```
From: Somebody <somebody@example.org>
X-Google-Original-From: Somebody <somebody+extra@example.org>
```

This means that the edited sender address was automatically replaced by a validated address before sending the message.

Note that this is independent of receiving messages.

<br />

<a name="faq34"></a>
**(34) How are identities matched?**

Identities are matched on e-mail address in this order:

1. *To* header address
1. *To* header address without extra (see [this FAQ](#user-content-faq33))
1. *From* header address
1. *From* header address without extra
1. *Delivered-To* header address

Matched identities can be used to color code messages. The identity color takes precedence over the account color.
Setting colors is a pro feature.

<br />

<a name="faq35"></a>
**(35) Why should I be careful with viewing images, attachments and the original message?**

Viewing remotely stored images (see also [this FAQ](#user-content-faq27)) might not only tell the sender that you have seen the message,
but will also leak your IP address.

Opening attachments or viewing an original message might execute scripts,
that might not only cause privacy sensitive information to leak, but can also be a security risk.

Note that your contacts could unknowingly send malicious messages if they got infected with malware.

<br />

<a name="faq36"></a>
**(36) How are settings files encrypted?**

Short version: AES 256 bit

Long version:

* The 256 bit key is generated with *PBKDF2WithHmacSHA1* using a 128 bit secure random salt and 65536 iterations
* The cipher is *AES/CBC/PKCS5Padding*

<br />

<a name="faq37"></a>
**(37) How are passwords stored?**

Providers require passwords in plain text, so the background service that takes care of synchronizing messages needs to send passwords in plain text.
Since encrypting passwords would require a secret and the background service needs to know this secret, this could only be done by storing that secret.
Storing a secret together with encrypted passwords would not add anything, so passwords are stored in plain text in a safe, inaccessible place.
Recent Android versions encrypt all data anyway.

<br />

<a name="faq38"></a>
**(38) Can you help me restore my Play store purchase?**

Google manages all purchases, so as developer I have no control over purchases.
So, the only thing I can do, is give some advice:

* Make sure you have an active, working internet connection
* Make sure the Google Play store / Play services are not blocked in any way, for example by a firewall
* Make sure you are logged in with the right Google account and that there is nothing wrong with your Google account
* Open the Play store application and wait at least a minute to give it time to synchronize with the Google servers
* Open FairEmail to check the purchase again

Note that:

* Purchases are stored in the Google cloud and cannot get lost
* There is no time limit on purchases, so they cannot expire
* Google does not expose details (name, e-mail, etc) about buyers to developers
* An application like FairEmail cannot select which Google account to use

If you cannot solve the problem with the purchase, you will have to contact Google about it.

<br />

<a name="faq39"></a>
**(39) How can I reduce the battery usage of FairEmail?**

First of all, update to [the latest version](https://github.com/M66B/open-source-email/releases/).

It is inevitable that synchronizing messages will use battery power because it requires network access and accessing the messages database.

Reconnecting to an email server will use extra battery power, so an unstable internet connection will result in extra battery usage.

Recent Android versions by default report *app usage* as a percentage in the Android battery settings screen.
Confusingly, *app usage* is not the same as *battery usage*.
The app usage will be very high because FairEmail is using a foreground service which is considered as constant app usage by Android.
However, this doesn't mean that FairEmail is constantly using battery power.
The real battery usage can be seen by using the three dot overflow menu *Show full device usage*.
As a rule of thumb the battery usage should be below or in any case not be much higher than *Mobile network standby*.
If this isn't the case, please let me know.

Most of the battery usage, not considering viewing messages, is due to synchronization (receiving and sending) of messages.
So, to reduce the battery usage, set the number of days to synchronize message for to a lower value,
especially if there are a lot of recent messages in a folder.
Long press a folder name in the folders list to access this setting.

If you have at least once a day internet connectivity, it is sufficient to synchronize messages just for one day.

Note that you can set the number of days to *keep* messages for to a higher number than to *synchronize* messages for.
You could for example initially synchronize messages for a large number of days and after this has been completed
reduce the number of days to synchronize messages for, but leave the number of days to keep messages for.

Starred messages will always be synchronized,
which will allow you to keep older messages around while synchronizing messages for a limited number of days.

Disabling the folder option *Automatically download message texts and attachments*
will result in less network traffic and thus less battery usage.
You could disable this option for example for the sent folder and the archive.

If you got the message *This provider does not support push messages* while configuring an account,
consider switching to a modern provider which supports push messages (IMAP IDLE) to reduce battery usage.

If your device has an [AMOLED](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMOLED) screen,
you can save battery usage while viewing messages by switching to the black theme (this is a pro feature).

<br />

<a name="faq40"></a>
**(40) How can I reduce the network usage of FairEmail?**

You can reduce the network usage basically in the same way as reducing battery usage, see the previous question for suggestions.

Additionally, you can set FairEmail to download small messages and attachments on a metered (mobile, paid) connection only
or let FairEmail connect via unmetered connections only.
These advanced settings are accessible via *Setup* > *Advanced options*.

<br />

<a name="faq41"></a>
**(41) How can I fix the error 'Handshake failed' ?**

There are several possible causes, so please read to the end of this answer.

The error '*Handshake failed ... WRONG_VERSION_NUMBER*' might mean that you are trying to connect to an IMAP or SMTP server
without an encrypted connection, typically using port 143 (IMAP) and port 25 (SMTP).

Most providers provide encrypted connections using different ports, typically port 993 (IMAP) and port 465/587 (SMTP).

If your provider doesn't support encrypted connections, you should ask to make this possible.
If this isn't an option, you could enable *Allow insecure connections* both in the advanced settings AND the account/identity settings.

See also [this FAQ](#user-content-faq4).

The error '*Handshake failed ... SSLV3_ALERT_ILLEGAL_PARAMETER*' is either caused by a bug in the SSL protocol implementation
or by a too short DH key on the email server and can unfortunately not be fixed by FairEmail.

<br />

<a name="faq42"></a>
**(42) Can you add a new provider to the list of providers?**

If the provider is used by more than a few people, yes, with pleasure.

The following information is needed:

```
<provider
	name="Gmail"
	link="https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7126229" // setup instructions
	type="com.google"> // this is not needed
	<imap
		host="imap.gmail.com"
		port="993"
		starttls="false" />
	<smtp
		host="smtp.gmail.com"
		port="465"
		starttls="false" />
```

Connections *without* [STARTTLS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunistic_TLS) are safer and therefore prefered.

Please make sure receiving and sending messages works properly.

See below about how to contact me.

<br />

<a name="faq43"></a>
**(43) Can you show the original ... ?**

Show original, shows the original message as the sender has sent it, including original margins, styling, etc.
FairEmail does and will not alter this in any way.

<br />

<a name="faq44"></a>
**(44) Can you show contact photos / identicons in the sent folder?**

Contact photos and identicons are always shown for the sender because this is necessary for conversation threads.
Getting contact photos for both the sender and receiver is not really an option because getting contact photo is an expensive operation.

<br />

<a name="faq45"></a>
**(45) How can I fix 'This key is not available. To use it, you must import it as one of your own!' ?**

You'll get the message *This key is not available. To use it, you must import it as one of your own!*
when trying to decrypt a message with a public key. To fix this you'll need to import the private key.

<br />

<a name="faq46"></a>
**(46) Why does the message list keep refreshing?**

If you see a 'spinner' at the top of the message list, the folder is still being synchronized with the remote server.
You can see the progress of the synchronization in the folder list. See the legend about what the icons and numbers mean.

The speed of your device and internet connection and the number of days to synchronize messages for determine how long synchronization will take.
Note that you shouldn't set the number of days to synchronize messages for to more than one day in most cases, see also [this FAQ](#user-content-faq39).

<br />

<a name="faq47"></a>
**(47) How can I solve 'No primary account or no drafts folder' ?**

You'll get the error message *No primary account or no drafts folder* when trying to compose a message
while there is no account set to be the primary account or when there is no drafts folder selected for the primary account.
This can happen for example when you start FairEmail to compose a message from another app.
FairEmail needs to know where to store the draft,
so you'll need to select one account to be the primary account and/or you'll need to select a drafts folder for the primary account.

<br />

<a name="faq48"></a>
**~~(48) How can I solve 'No primary account or no archive folder' ?~~**

~~You'll get the error message *No primary account or no archive folder* when searching for messages from another app.
FairEmail needs to know where to search,
so you'll need to select one account to be the primary account and/or you'll need to select a archive folder for the primary account.~~

<br />

<a name="faq49"></a>
**(49) How can I fix 'An outdated app sent a file path instead of a file stream' ?**

You likely selected or sent an attachment or image with an outdated file manager
or an outdated app which assumes all apps still have storage permissions.
For security and privacy reasons modern apps like FairEmail have no full access to all files anymore.
This can result into the error message *An outdated app sent a file path instead of a file stream*
if a file name instead of a file stream is being shared with FairEmail because FairEmail cannot randomly open files.
You can fix this by switching to an up-to-date file manager or an app designed for recent Android versions.
Alternatively, you can grant FairEmail read access to the storage space on your device in the Android app settings.

See also [question 25](#user-content-faq25)
and [what Google writes about it](https://developer.android.com/training/secure-file-sharing/share-file#RespondToRequest).

<br />

<a name="faq50"></a>
**(50) Can you add an option to synchronize all messages?**

A synchronize all (download all) messages will not be added
because it can easily result in out of memory errors and the available storage space filling up.
It can also easily result in a lot of battery and data usage.
Mobile devices are just not very suitable to download and store years of messages.
You can better use the search on server function (see [question 13](#user-content-faq13)), which is faster and more efficient.
Note that searching through a lot of messages stored locally would only delay searching and use extra battery power.

<br />

<a name="faq51"></a>
**(51) How are folders sorted?**

Folders are sorted with special, system folders on top, followed by folders set to synchronize.
Within each category the folders are sorted on name.

Some providers prefix some folders with INBOX, but these folders are in fact just user folders, so they are sorted below the special, system folders.
It is not possible to make an exception for this because some other providers prefix all folders with INBOX.

Note that you can give folders a display name by long pressing on a folder name, which can be useful because the display name will be used for sorting.

<br />

<a name="faq52"></a>
**(52) Why does it take some time to reconnect to an account?**

There is no reliable way to know if an account connection was terminated gracefully or forcefully.
Trying to reconnect to an account while the account connection was terminated forcefully too often can result in problems
like [too many simultaneous connections](#user-content-faq23) or even the account being blocked.
To prevent such problems, FairEmail waits 90 seconds until trying to reconnect again.

<br />

<a name="faq53"></a>
**(53) Can you stick the message action bar to the top/bottom?**

The message action bar works on a message and the bottom action bar works on the conversation.
Since there is often more than one message in a conversation, this is not possible.

<br />

<a name="faq54"></a>
**(54) How do I use a namespace prefix?**

A namespace prefix is used to automatically remove the prefix providers sometimes add to folder names.

For example the Gmail spam folder is called:

```
[Gmail]/Spam
```

By setting the namespace prefix to *[Gmail]* FairEmail will automatically remove *[Gmail]/* from all folder names.

<br />

<a name="faq55"></a>
**(55) How can I mark all messages as read / move or delete all messages?**

You can use multiple select for this.
Long press the first message, don't lift your finger and slide down to the last message.
Then use the three dot action button to execute the desired action.

<br />

<a name="faq56"></a>
**(56) Can you add support for JMAP?**

There are almost no providers offering the [JMAP](https://jmap.io/) protocol,
so it is not worth to add support for this to FairEmail.

<br />

<a name="faq57"></a>
**(57) Can I use HTML in signatures?**

Yes, you can use HTML in signatures if you paste HTML formatted text into the signature field or use the *Edit as HTML* button.

See [here](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/44410675/supported-html-tags-on-android-textview) for which HTML tags are supported.

You can for example past this into the signature field:

This is *italic*, this is *bold* and this is [a link](https://example.org).

<br />

<a name="faq58"></a>
**(58) What does an open/closed email icon mean?**

The email icon in the folder list can be open (outlined) or closed (solid):

![External image](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/google/material-design-icons/master/communication/1x_web/ic_mail_outline_black_48dp.png)

Message bodies and attachments are not downloaded by default.

![External image](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/google/material-design-icons/master/communication/1x_web/ic_email_black_48dp.png)

Message bodies and attachments are downloaded by default.

<br />

<a name="faq59"></a>
**(59) Can original messages be opened in the browser?**

For security reasons the files with the original message texts are not accessible to other apps, so this is not possible.
In theory the [Storage Access Framework](https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/providers/document-provider) could be used to share these files,
but even Google's Chrome cannot handle this.

<br />

<a name="faq60"></a>
**(60) Did you know ... ?**

* Did you know that starred messages are always synchronized/kept?
* Did you know that you can long press the 'write message' icon to go to the drafts folder?
* Did you know that you can long press the account name in the navigation menu to go to the inbox of that account?
* Did you know there is an advanced option to mark messages read when they are moved and that archiving and trashing is also moving?
* Did you know that you can select text (or an email address) in any app on recent Android versions and let FairEmail search for it? You'll need to set a primary account and an archive folder for this to work, so FairEmail knows where to search. There will be 'FairEmail' in the menu with copy, cut, etc.
* Did you know that FairEmail has a tablet mode? Rotate your device in landscape mode and conversation threads will be opened in a second column if there is enough screen space.
* Did you know that you can long press a reply template to create a draft message from the template?
* Did you know that you can long press, hold and swipe to select a range of messages?
* Did you know that you can retry sending messages by using pull-down-to-refresh in the outbox?
* Did you know that you can swipe a conversation left or right to go to the next or previous conversation?

<br />

<a name="faq61"></a>
**(61) Why are some messages shown dimmed?**

Messages shown dimmed are locally moved messages for which the move is not confirmed by the server yet.
This can happen when the folder is set to not synchronize, when there is no connection to the server or when the messages are too old to be synchronized.
Eventually, these messages will be synchronized when the connection to the server is restored or will be deleted if they are too old to be synchronized.

You can view these messages, but you cannot move these messages again until the previous move has been confirmed by the server.

Some providers don't keep track of sent messages or you might be using an SMTP server not related to the provider.
This will result in messages in the sent folder never to be synchronized.
In these cases you should enable the advanced identity setting *Store sent messages*.

<br />

<a name="faq62"></a>
**(62) Which authentication methods are supported?**

The following authentication methods are supported and used in this order:

* LOGIN
* PLAIN
* NTLM (untested)
* XOAUTH2 (used when an account was selected)

SASL authentication methods, like CRAM-MD5, are not supported
because [JavaMail for Android](https://javaee.github.io/javamail/Android) does not support SASL authentication.
If using secure connections, a must today, there is little value in using CRAM-MD5 anyway.

If your provider requires an unsupported authentication method, you'll likely get the error message *authentication failed*.

<br />

<a name="faq63"></a>
**(63) How are images resized for displaying on screens?**

Large inline or attached [PNG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_Network_Graphics) and [JPEG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JPEG) images
will automatically be resized for displaying on screens.
This is because email messages are limited in size, depending on the provider mostly between 10 and 50 MB.
Image will be resized to a maximum width and height of about 1280 pixels and saved with a compression ratio of 90 out of 100.
Images are scaled down using whole number factors to reduce memory usage and to retain image quality.
There is an advanced option to disable automatically resizing of image attachments.

<br />

<a name="faq64"></a>
**(64) Can you add custom actions for swipe left/right?**

The most natural thing to do when swiping a list entry left or right is to remove the entry from the list.
The most natural action in the context of an email app is moving the message out of the folder to another folder.
You can select the folder to move to in the account settings.
Other actions, like marking messages read and adding stars to messages are available via multiple selection.

<br />

<a name="faq65"></a>
**(65) Why are some attachments shown dimmed?**

Inline (image) attachments are shown dimmed.
[Inline attachments](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2183) are supposed to be downloaded and shown automatically,
but since FairEmail doesn't always download attachments automatically, see also [this FAQ](#user-content-faq40),
FairEmail shows all attachment types. To distinguish inline and regular attachments, inline attachments are shown dimmed.

<br />

<a name="faq66"></a>
**(66) Is FairEmail available in the Google Play Family Library?**

There are [too many fees and taxes](#user-content-faq19), Google alone already takes 30 %,
to justify making FairEmail available in the [Google Play Family Library](https://support.google.com/googleone/answer/7007852).

<br />

<a name="faq67"></a>
**(67) How can I snooze conversations?**

Multiple select one of more conversations (long press to start multiple selecting), tap the three dot button and select *Snooze ...*.
Select the time the conversation(s) should snooze and confirm by tapping OK.
The conversations will be hidden for the selected time and shown again afterwards.
You will receive a new message notification as reminder.

You can show snoozed messages by using the *Snoozed* item in the three dot overflow menu.

You can tap on the small snooze icon to see until when a conversation is snoozed.

By selecting a zero snooze duration you can cancel snoozing.

<br />

<a name="faq68"></a>
**(68) Why can Adobe Acrobat reader not open PDF attachments?**

Adobe Acrobat reader still expects full access to all stored files,
while apps should use the [Storage Access Framework](https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/providers/document-provider) since Android KitKat (2013)
to have access to actively shared files only. This is for privacy and security reasons.

You can workaround this by saving the attachment and opening it from the Adobe Acrobat reader,
but you are advised to install an up-to-date and preferably open source PDF reader,
for example one listed [here](https://github.com/offa/android-foss#-document--pdf-viewer).

<br />

<a name="faq69"></a>
**(69) Can you add auto scroll up on new message?**

The message list is automatically scrolled up when navigating from a new message notification.
Always automatically scrolling up on arrival of new messages would interfere with your own navigation and scrolling.

<br />

<a name="faq70"></a>
**(70) When will messages be auto expanded?**

When navigation to a conversation one message will be expanded if:

* There is just one message in the conversation
* There is exactly one unread message in the conversation

There is one exception: the message body text was not downloaded yet
and the message body text is too large to download automatically on a metered connection.

Duplicate (archived) messages, trashed messages and draft messages are not counted.

<br />

<a name="faq71"></a>
**(71) How do I use filter rules?**

You can edit filter rules by long pressing a folder in the folder list.
The rules will be applied to new messages received in the folder, not to existing messages.

You'll need to give a rule a name and you'll need to define the order in which a rule should be executed relative to other rules.

You can disable a rule and you can stop processing other rules after a rule has been executed.

All the conditions of a rule need to be true for a filter rule to be executed.
Conditions are optional, but there needs to be at least one condition.
Matching is not case sensitive, unless you use [regular expressions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_expression).

You can select one of these actions to apply to matching messages:

* Mark as read
* Mark as unread
* Move
* Reply template

Filter rules are applied direct after the message header has been fetched, before the message text has been downloaded,
so it is not possible to apply filter rules to the message text.
Note that large message texts are downloaded on demand on a metered connection to save data.

To debug rules you can long press *Operations* to see logging about the evaluation of rule conditions.
Since message headers are not downloaded and stored by default to save on battery and data usage and to save storage space
it is not possible to preview which messages would match the rule conditions.

Using filter rules is a pro feature.

<br />

<a name="faq72"></a>
**(72) What are primary accounts/identities?**

The primary account is used when the account is ambiguous, for example when starting a new draft from the unified inbox.

Similarly, the primary identity of an account is used when the identity is ambiguous.

There can be just one primary account and there can be just one primary identity per account.

<br />

<a name="faq73"></a>
**(73) Is moving messages across accounts safe/efficient?**

Moving messages across accounts is safe because the raw, original messages will be downloaded and moved
and because the source messages will be deleted only after the target messages have been added

Batch moving messages across accounts is efficient if both the source folder and target folder are set to synchronize,
else FairEmail needs to connect to the folder(s) for each message.

<br />

<a name="faq74"></a>
**(74) Why do I see duplicate messages?**

Some providers, notably Gmail, list all messages in all folders, except trashed messages, in the archive (all messages) folder too.
FairEmail shows all these messages, except for one, dimmed, to indicate that these messages are in fact the same message.

Gmail allows one message to have multiple labels, which are presented to FairEmail as folders.
This means that messages with multiple labels will be shown multiple times as well.

Since there is not really an original message because it is in fact just the same message, it is not really possible to show just one message.

<br />

<a name="faq75"></a>
**(75) Can you make an iOS, Windows, etc version?**

I develop apps for Android only.

<br />

<a name="faq76"></a>
**(76) What does 'Clear local messages' ?**

The folder menu *Clear local messages* removes messages from the device which are present on the server too.
It does not delete messages from the server.
This can be useful after changing the folder settings to not download the message content (text and attachments), for example to save space.

<br />

<a name="faq77"></a>
**(77) Why are messages sometimes shown with a small delay?**

Depending on the speed of your device (processor speed and maybe even more memory speed) messages might be displayed with a small delay.
FairEmail is designed to dynamically handle a large number of messages without running out of memory.
This means that messages needs to be read from a database and that this database needs to be watched for changes, both of which might cause small delays.

Some convenience features, like grouping messages to display conversation threads and determining the previous/next message, take a little extra time.
Note that there is no *the* next message because in the meantime a new message might have been arrived.

When comparing the speed of FairEmail with similar apps this should be part of the comparison.
It is easy to write a similar, faster app which just displays a lineair list of messages while possible using too much memory,
but it is not so easy to properly manage resource usage and to offer more advanced features like conversation threading.

FairEmail is based on the state-of-the-art [Android architecture components](https://developer.android.com/topic/libraries/architecture/),
so there is little room for performance improvements.

<br />

## Support

If you have another question, want to request a feature or report a bug, you can use [this forum](https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/source-email-t3824168).
Registration is free.

If you are a supporter of the project, you can get limited personal support by using [this form](https://contact.faircode.eu/?product=fairemail%2B).
