Is Ham Email free?
Yes. Free on macOS, on Windows (64-bit and 32-bit) and on Linux. The only thing that costs money is the optional callsign address, which is part of QSL World Pro Max and is paid on qslworld.com.
Do I need an account?
A free QSL World profile, the same one Ham Browser and qslworld.com use. The first screen is the sign-in: create a profile there in a minute, or sign in with the account you already have. Then add the mailbox you already have, or get a callsign address.
Which mailboxes work?
Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud, Fastmail, Zoho, Purelymail, and any other host that offers IMAP and SMTP. Pick the provider and the servers are filled in; for anything else they are worked out from your address and can be corrected by hand.
Why does Gmail want an app password?
Google does not accept your normal password from a mail program. An app password is a separate sixteen-character one that Google issues for exactly this, and the setup screen shows you where to get it. Several other providers work the same way.
Where is my mail kept?
In a database on your own computer. Ham Email connects from there straight to your provider over TLS; nothing is routed through any Ham Email or QSL World server, and there is no copy of your mail anywhere but your disk and your provider.
Where is my password kept?
Encrypted on your computer, and sent to nobody but your mail provider, over TLS on the implicit-TLS ports, 993 for IMAP and 465 for sending.
Can senders tell when I open their mail?
Not through Ham Email. Images hosted elsewhere are not fetched until you ask, message by message, so a tracking pixel in a message never loads.
What is a callsign address?
name@CALLSIGN.com: a mailbox on a domain that is your callsign, chosen inside Ham Email and paid for as part of QSL World Pro Max. The domain is registered, a station page is put on it and the mailbox is created automatically, and Ham Email adds it for you.
Does the writing assistant read my mail?
Only what you hand it, and only when you press the button. With your own API key the request goes from your computer to the provider you chose and the key stays on your computer. Without a key, a QSL World profile gives a free metered allowance.
Does it track me?
No. The application contains no analytics and no telemetry. It contacts your mail provider; QSL World, to sign you in and for callsign lookups, the callsign address and the free tier of the writing assistant; hamemail.com, to check for a new version; Gravatar, if sender photos are on; and your own AI provider, if you add a key. That is the list.
Does it work with more than one mailbox?
Yes. Add as many as you have; each keeps its own folders in the same window, and search covers whichever one you are in.
Can Ham Email be my default mail app?
Yes. Choose File, Make Ham Email the Default Mail App. On macOS and Linux that is all it takes. On Windows it opens Settings, Default apps, where you pick Ham Email under Email, because Windows lets only you make that choice. Email links in other programs then open a new message in Ham Email.
