MiniMail for Mac

Quick overview

MiniMail brings your Apple Mail inbox into view without launching the full Mail application. It displays incoming messages in a small floating window on your desktop so you can glance at new mail instantly and act on it from the same mini interface.

Suggested alternative

Mail for Gmail (Free) — a recommended option if you prefer a different client or want an alternative that integrates with Gmail.

Capabilities

• Excellent control over the floating pane size, from a single-line discreet preview to a widescreen layout.
• Assignable keyboard shortcuts let you open the panel or trigger common actions without touching the mouse.
• Reply, forward, and mark-as-junk actions are available directly from the mini-window’s control area.
• Built-in buttons let you check for new messages and compose a new message quickly.
• New mail appears in a hovering window so you don’t need to switch to the full Mail app to see incoming items.

Limitations

MiniMail only surfaces newly received messages; it does not provide a way to navigate or view older emails already in your mailbox.

Recent update

Preliminary support was added for Apple Mail 4.4 (introduced with the OS X 10.6.5 update).