Foxmail Review

very good
key review info
application features
  • Create and manage multiple accounts
  • (9 more, see all...)

Although the most accessible way to access our email accounts from any platform is by using the provider's website, desktop clients have their own one-of-a-kind advantages. The most important one is probably the ability to manage multiple accounts from different mail providers in a single place.

Microsoft Outlook and Mozilla Thunderbird are some of the popular names in this category but not necessarily better. For instance, many users (especially the non-tech-savvy ones) find it difficult to get accustomed to how the options are arranged or what all of them are actually good for.

Foxmail is an email client capable of handling multiple accounts simultaneously. It offers support for POP3, IMAP and Exchange server types, and includes a wide array of useful options to manage emails easier, such as a calendar, duplicate mail finder, alarms and mouse gestures. The utility is wrapped in a pleasant and intuitive environment that should be satisfactory for all types of PC users, novices and experienced ones alike.

NOTE: Foxmail was tested on an Intel Core i5-3470 with CPU @3.20GHz and 12GB RAM, running Windows 8.1 Pro.

Installation and interface

The setup procedure is rapid and does not require configuration. At the first run, it is necessary to create en email account. Everything is simple enough, but the only problem is that Foxmail is, by default, in Chinese (its setup pack too). Non-speaking users of this language are most likely to have a hard time and maybe even give up on the tool before finding the Options panel with the English option.

Showing the interface in Foxmail
Foxmail's pleasant and user-friendly interfaceAs far as looks are concerned, the interface is a reminder of the Metro UI of Windows 8. The buttons are not exactly flat but the application is indeed very clean, and its options are quite easy to find. It creates an icon in the system tray area when launching the app, and it is possible to minimize it there.

Account configuration

Worth mentioning is that Foxmail automatically detects the server configuration based on the specified email address and password. It does not automatically apply these settings, however, but lets the user make any changes if necessary. It is possible to edit the account display name, sender name (email address by default), along with frequency for new email checkups.

The server details are prone to modifications as well, and these revolve around the incoming and outgoing server addresses, SSL activation and port numbers, STARTTLS (if supported by the server), local backups (keep or delete) and SMTP authentication mode. What's more, the selected email account can be turned off and re-enabled at a later time.

Showing the account settings in Foxmail
Configure account settingsSeveral advanced options are available as well. Users can request a reading receipt for every email, specify addresses to automatically send emails via Cc and Bcc, as well pick one of the given stationary sets (background images) to apply in every email.

Multiple email accounts can be created to monitor at the same time, deleted, as well as imported from Foxmail older versions, Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express files. For each account the tool can show total emails and disk space for each folder.

Mail folders, list and preview

Users may access all folders belonging to each email account, along with a common folder which contains all unread, sticky and labeled messages from all accounts (it can be hidden). Although it is possible to retrieve all messages for an account from the server, Foxmail may be asked to obtain only the most recent ones, based on the number of items defined by the user. All messages from a folder can be marked as read via the context menu, added to the favorites list, or automatically sorted by the program. New directories can be created (local or remote) while existing ones can be renamed or deleted.

Showing the email folders in Foxmail
Showing the mail list in Foxmail
Set options for the mail folders and listThe mail list can be sorted by various criteria such as data, sender, attachments, priority, size and label, in either ascending or descending order. Just like expected from an advanced email client, it is possible to reply to one or all senders from an email, forward messages normally or as attachments, mark them as unread or spam, as well as make important ones sticky, in order to look into them at a later time. Labels can be assigned and edited, while the emails can be deleted from the server, moved or copied to other folders (in the same or different account).

Moreover, messages can be printed, added to notes and exported to file (EML or TXT format). Operations can be performed for multiple selected emails in batch mode as well, such as making them as unread or unsticky, syncing them to the server, adding senders and recipients to the address book, and sending a message to all senders. Foxmail can be set to always transfers mails from a selected sender to a folder. It is possible to schedule alarms to run once or on a regular basis, add comments, view source codes, and edit subjects only.

Showing the in Foxmail
Showing the sidebar in Foxmail
Set options for viewing mail contents and display a sidebar with related messages and attachmentsThe interface layout can be altered to show the mail list only, or to move the preview panel to the right or bottom part of the screen. Similarly to the Gmail browser client, quick emails can be sent by just entering a couple of lines and clicking a button. Plus, messages can be edited as new to re-send them. The font size of the email content may be increased or decreased, and it is also possible to zoom in and out. An important aspect worth mentioning is that a sidebar can be made visible to display all mails and attachments related to the current message.

Mail composition, managers for signatures and mail templates

When composing a new email, it is possible to attach files, embed pictures (GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, BMP), as well as capture the screen and edit the photo. Standard formatting options are available, such as text color customization, strikethrough, bullet points, numbered lists, alignment, emoticons, hyperlinks, tables and HTML code.

The signature manager can hold multiple signatures to attach to emails, depending on the account used. It features basic formatting settings and has a default signature, which is automatically inserted into each new message, while also allowing users to quickly replace them with new ones into the context menu. Unfortunately, Foxmail cannot import ready signatures from external text files.

Showing the signature manager in Foxmail
Showing the template manager in Foxmail
Manage signatures and email templatesThe application includes one email template which permits users to request a new meeting. It is possible to set a date and time, duration, recurrence mode, location and alarm. However, Foxmail also implements a template manager that, as the name suggests, lets users create their own email templates with customized settings in order to swiftly send multipurpose messages. Templates can be set as default for any account when composing, replying or forwarding messages.

Address book, calendar

Apart from the fact that the address book gathers all contacts, it is also the place where users may find all emails sent by a specific person/organization. Contacts can be organized into multiple groups, sorted by name or group in ascending or descending order, looked up by first letter, as well as edited in terms of photo caption, name, display name, personal information, notions, and so on. Furthermore, they can be merged, synchronized for all accounts, as well as imported and exported from and to CSV, Business Cards (vCard format) and Foxmail Folder format (CSV).

Showing the in Foxmail
Showing the in Foxmail
Manage the address book and calendarThe calendar can be used to keep track of upcoming meetings, appointments and any notes. Aside from adding new entries, it is possible to edit and delete them, toggle between day, week, month and current day view, print the calendar, as well as synchronize it with a preferred email account.

Feed reader, other tools

The feed reader is very simple to use, since it contains only basic options. Foxmail features a list with recommended channels and lets users add new ones by just inputting the feed address. Just like in the address book section, channels can be classified into various categories. It is possible to mark favorites to quickly access them later from a special folder, view extended content in a built-in browser instead of launching an external app, import and export files from and to OPML format, as well as to re-arrange the RSS layout and modify the font size (like with emails). Plus, important news can be immediately forwarded via email.

Showing the feed reader in Foxmail
Showing the attachment manager in Foxmail
Manage RSS feeds and file attachmentsOther tools include a filter manager that gives users the possibility of customizing the run time, conditions and actions when filtering emails, a tag manager to easily spot messages by assigning labels, together with an attachment manager to quickly locate file attachments by account and extension (documents, compressed, images, user-defined). Simple notes can be organized in a todo list, emails from one or all accounts can be automatically archived by taking into account the date range indicated by the user, Outlook PST files may be opened for viewing purposes, while duplicate emails can be automatically identified by Foxmail, in order to delete them and free up storage space. In order to use the notes manager and another tool for inserting large attachments, it is necessary to log in with a Tencent Mail account.

Program settings

For each account, it is possible to switch from no proxy settings to the Foxmail system, Internet Explorer options or customized properties. In addition, the utility features an antispam system to filter emails. By default it uses the Bayes mode, and it can be exchanged for the Foxmail spam samples (currently in beta development stage). Moreover, users may create a black list and white list with senders and addresses whose emails to ban and allow, respectively.

Showing the common and advanced settings in Foxmail
Configure common and advanced settings for FoxmailThe add-ins can be disabled and re-enabled with one click, while the spam and trash boxes can be automatically emptied at every Foxmail exit. Hotkeys are supported for most important features, and they can be remapped as well as reset to default. Mouse gestures are also supported but only for some simple mail commands only (previous, next, forward, reply, reply all, close).

Foxmail can become the default email client, automatically run at Windows startup, minimize to the system tray area on close, hide notifications or alert via sound on new messages, and so on.


The Good

The application ran smoothly in our evaluation, without hanging, crashing or popping up error messages. CPU and RAM consumption was low.

It is wrapped in a comfortable interface, supports hotkeys and mouse gestures, and it contains a search function for emails and contacts.

The tool is free to use and does not contain third-party applications or advertisements. It is compatible with Windows XP through 8/8.1.

The Bad

The trickiest part is getting past the installation and initial account configuration setup, and finding the options panel to switch to English mode, provided that you're not a Chinese speaker, of course.

Some parts of the interface are not translated into English, and the help documentation available online is in Chinese only.

Foxmail does not integrate an option for importing ready signatures from external files.

The Truth

If you manage to get past the language barrier, Foxmail could become quite surprising. It serves as a great first email client for inexperienced users, but its features might also prove helpful for those looking to change their current application with this purpose.

user interface 4
features 4
ease of use 5
pricing / value 5


final rating 4
Editor's review
very good
 
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