The developers of Mailspring have released what they describe as the largest update in years for their free email client. Version 1.17.0 delivers a long list of bug fixes, significantly improved synchronization, and major security enhancements that make everyday email handling smoother and more reliable.
Mailspring remains a fast and clean email client across platforms
Mailspring is a fast and user-friendly email client available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The application focuses on a clean interface, intuitive controls, and a clutter-free experience while offering customizable themes for users who like to tweak their setup.
Mailspring is available as a free and open-source application under the GPL license. A paid Pro version unlocks additional features for a monthly fee, but native support for Microsoft Exchange accounts is still missing, which means Thunderbird remains a better option for Exchange users.
The update delivers stability and security overhaul
The new version fixes multiple memory leaks, race conditions, and potential deadlocks after an extensive automated code review. Several long-standing synchronization issues have been eliminated, including CardDAV bugs that previously forced full address book re-detection during sync operations.
Additional fixes address SMTP EHLO and HELO problems with IPv6 on Linux systems and resolve issues related to empty IMAP responses from Outlook.com servers. A notorious infinite synchronization bug affecting iCloud accounts has also been eliminated, improving reliability for affected users.
The developers have also applied numerous under-the-hood fixes to Mailcore and libetpan to further stabilize email synchronization across providers.
Mailspring receives major engine and dependency upgrades.
Many internal components have been updated to improve performance, security, and compatibility. On Linux systems, Mailspring now relies on system-integrated libraries for sasl2, SSL, cryptography, and curl, improving both stability and security.
Depending on the platform, the application now runs on Electron 39, Chromium 140, and Node.js 22. Additional security measures have been added to the attachment preview system to reduce potential attack vectors.
Build pipelines for Windows, macOS, and Linux are now fully automated through GitHub Actions. New automated tests verify that Linux builds run correctly on Ubuntu, Fedora, and Arch Linux, while numerous third-party dependencies have been updated to resolve npm validation and security issues.
Features and platform-specific improvements
The calendar preview now includes a full monthly view with smooth navigation between days, weeks, and months. Users can search for events directly within the calendar and adjust event timing easily by dragging entries.
CalDAV synchronization has been expanded to support calendar colors, recurring events with exceptions, and intelligent rate limiting when servers respond with too many requests. The synchronization logic now avoids unnecessary updates when calendar data remains unchanged.
Linux users benefit from an updated interface based on the latest Electron version, which introduces native Wayland support, including in the Snap package. The tray icon behavior on Linux has also been corrected to avoid conflicts with other Electron-based applications.
On Windows, Start menu integration for Windows 11 has been redesigned, and the default email client option now links directly to Mailspring’s settings page. Spell checking on Windows has also been restored and should function correctly again.
macOS users gain improved notification handling that respects system-wide Do Not Disturb settings. The application can now reliably create and remove LaunchAgent files to control automatic startup behavior.
A complete breakdown of all changes is available in the official release notes.
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