Google acquires Sparrow (Email client for OS X and iOS)

By +Frank B.
in Back Page News

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

+Frank B. Subscriber²

Posted
  • Subscriber²
Posted

Google acquires Sparrow

Third-party email app maker Sparrow just announced that it's been purchased by Google. This morning, Dom Leca posted on the Sparrow blog that the company has been acquired by Google, and that they're joining the Gmail team to "accomplish a bigger vision." The Gmail experience on iOS has been troubled with a rough launch, a limited feature set weaker than its Android brethren, and continued lack of support for multiple accounts, which opened up a space that the Sparrow team took advantage with its excellent iOS app. We've reached out to Google and Sparrow for comment.

capture.png

tumblr_m7gv4fCKQS1qbptnpo1_500_medium.png

Developing...

Source: The Verge

Grand Master

+Frank B. Subscriber²

Posted
  • Author
  • Subscriber²
Posted

April's Fools.

No. Check the Sparrow website: http://sparrowmailapp.com/

Quote from the announcement on the website: 'Now we're joining the Gmail team to accomplish a bigger vision ? one that we think we can better achieve with Google.'

Grand Master

Hurmoth

Posted
Posted

They stated in an updated email sent out a few moments ago, "However, as we?ll be busy with new projects at Google, we do not plan to release new features for the Sparrow apps."

This sucks. Sparrow was a great email app, it was beautiful and, as a Gmail user, it worked perfectly with Gmail. I'm sorry, but these guys appear, to me at least, as sell outs. Google will either ruin this app or bury it. Sparrow doesn't even work with iOS 6 and they promised early last month a fix for it and that's yet to happen, not I wonder if it ever will.

Grand Master

SMELTN

Posted
Posted

Wow the Google haters are out in force already

I am not a Google hater.. Actually I LOVE Google, but whats being said is true, now granted we don't know for sure whats going to happen to the app, but you can pretty much bet that if anything, some of the features will be added into the default Gmail client or something, which still means iOS and OSX users are left without a good replacement mail client. Considering the gmail app for iOS is horrible as well.

Grand Master

BoredBozirini

Posted
Posted

No. Check the Sparrow website: http://sparrowmailapp.com/

Quote from the announcement on the website: 'Now we're joining the Gmail team to accomplish a bigger vision ? one that we think we can better achieve with Google.'

I think its pretty clear its not April too?

Grand Master

BajiRav

Posted
Posted

They stated in an updated email sent out a few moments ago, "However, as we?ll be busy with new projects at Google, we do not plan to release new features for the Sparrow apps."

This sucks. Sparrow was a great email app, it was beautiful and, as a Gmail user, it worked perfectly with Gmail. I'm sorry, but these guys appear, to me at least, as sell outs. Google will either ruin this app or bury it. Sparrow doesn't even work with iOS 6 and they promised early last month a fix for it and that's yet to happen, not I wonder if it ever will.

While I don't use it, I won't expect anything less than a forced G+ integration :p in an email client.

Grand Master

Hurmoth

Posted
Posted

Wow the Google haters are out in force already

Well read the writing on the wall. The developers themselves said they're moving onto other projects. "... we do not plan to release new features for the Sparrow apps."

It isn't about hate, heck, I use Gmail, Google Calendar, Google+, etc. I don't hate Google, but I'm being a realist here.

Grand Master

Hurmoth

Posted
Posted
Nothing really new there. They theorize that there may be a rebranding of sorts of Sparrow to the official Gmail Client, or that Google may force them to focus entirely on Android. Either way, in Google's hands, I have the sinking feeling that the app will suck big fat harry monkey balls. But I hope I'm wrong.
Grand Master

+Frank B. Subscriber²

Posted
  • Author
  • Subscriber²
Posted

Some additional information about the acquisition:

Sources: Google's Sparrow purchase cost under $25 million, will bring 'beauty' to Gmail

Today, Sparrow's Dom Leca announced that his third party email client company had been purchased by Google, and we just talked to sources familiar with the situation. The talks have been ongoing for a while; Sparrow was well known, and our sources say Google recognized that the five-person-team had a "lot of expertise in how to make mail communication really simple." While we couldn't get an exact number, we're told that Sparrow was acquired for under $25 million, and that there wasn't a bidding war surrounding the purchase. While our source couldn't specify a timeline, the goal is to get the Paris-based Sparrow team in-house on the main Mountain View campus in California.

In an email to users, Dom Leca explained that Sparrow products won't be receiving new features, and the team will be joining the Gmail team. While some of the work that Sparrow has done on its native iPad app may be seen in future releases from the Gmail team, it's safe to assume that the app won't be released in its Sparrow-branded form. Still, the Sparrow iOS and Mac apps will continue to be available from Apple's App Stores. As far as when we'll start to see some of the Sparrow DNA integrated into Google's products, there's no timeline yet.

Of course, Sparrow is also known first for its Mac client, and the Google purchase makes a native Mac Gmail client more of a reality. We heard that the acquisition is less about "building for a specific platform," and that Sparrow's experience at building simple and powerful email clients will be helpful in bringing consistency to the Gmail ecosystem. Our sources also noted that Google isn't ruling out native Gmail clients for platforms beyond iOS and Android, and emphasized that Google wants to bring polish, "beauty," and ease of use to all of its Gmail experiences across platforms (a suggestion that a native client for Mac and PC might be in the offing). Sparrow, apparently, is a way to get there.

Source: The Verge

Grand Master

SMELTN

Posted
Posted

you know what I just thought of... Kevin Rose was hired as a venture partner at Google, which means he helps Google buy up things that are up and coming right? Rose also LOVES his Apple hardware and always uses macbooks, iphones, etc. I be this was his doing!!! LOL

Grand Master

Ryoken

Posted
Posted

I think you don't understand what April Fool's day is.

Or when..

I hope it's the beginning of a Google version of Outlook.. I don't see them buying the whole company, just to have them basically consult on the UI for GMail..

Grand Master

Hurmoth

Posted
Posted

Or when..

I hope it's the beginning of a Google version of Outlook.. I don't see them buying the whole company, just to have them basically consult on the UI for GMail..

What do you mean? Google has acquired the entire company. They're even moving from Paris to Mountain View to be at the Google HQ.

Google wouldn't pay nearly $25 million for a team of 5 to "consult" on Gmail.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Posts

    • Waymo recalls self-driving software after cars enter closed freeway work zones

      By zikalify · Posted

      Waymo recalls self-driving software after cars enter closed freeway work zones by Paul Hill Waymo, the self-driving car maker owned by Alphabet – the parent company of Google –, has recalled some of its fifth-generation Automated Driving Systems (ADS). It did so after some of its cars drove through closed construction zones. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the affected vehicles were capable of driving through a closed freeway construction zone and continuing to drive at speed. The listing on the NHTSA website says that Waymo is currently developing a solution to fix this issue, but in the meantime, freeway driving is being restricted. Waymo will update its ADS software so that vehicles can detect when they can avoid entering construction zones. According to the Safety Recall Report, on April 20, 2026, Waymo’s Field Safety Committee began meetings reviewing an event from April 11, 2026, and five events from April 19, 2026, where Waymo’s autonomous vehicles didn’t recognize and drove past ramp closure signs into the pre-planned freeway construction zones. This took place in Phoenix, Arizona. Separately, on May 18, 2026, seven Waymo vehicles entered freeway lanes with active construction in the San Francisco Bay Area by driving between cones that were placed to show the lane was closed. On the back of both of these events, Waymo restricted freeway driving until it could address the issue. In June, Waymo’s Safety Board reviewed the issue and additional information related to ADS performances around construction zones; then, as a result, it decided to conduct a recall. This development is not good for Waymo as it adds to a growing list of technical hiccups its cars have experienced. Ultimately, it will lead to more scrutiny from lawmakers around the world who will be more cautious about letting autonomous vehicles on their roads without tighter regulation. For readers in areas where Waymo operates, does this news make you more wary about stepping into one of these vehicles?
    • Microsoft confirms Recycle Bin bug across all versions of Windows

      By snowy owl · Posted

      I'm still on Windows 10 22H2 because I didn't want to deal with all the issues in Windows 11, so I waited almost a week before installing the latest Patch Tuesday update (KB5094127), I went ahead and did it, and it was a huge mistake—ever since then, my File Explorer has seen a performance drop of about 30% when transferring large files... Once again, Microsoft has outdone itself! This update cannot be uninstalled, either through the Control Panel (via Settings) or by accessing Advanced Startup Options. The only possible alternative would be to use system restore points, but I’d have to reinstall all app and driver updates (and there’s no guarantee it would work). Or there’s the “nuclear option” of a in-place repair without losing files or apps, but even then, all my customizations would be lost! Microsoft just can’t help but mess everything up! Way to go, Microsoft! But I still don’t want your c****y Windows 11!
    • Microsoft: Windows 11 could finally solve a major issue across AMD, Nvidia, and Intel GPUs

      By hellowalkman · Posted

      Microsoft: Windows 11 could finally solve a major issue across AMD, Nvidia, and Intel GPUs by Sayan Sen While Microsoft has been trying to improve it, Windows 11 is definitely not flawless, as even today some issues are taking a year to publicly acknowledge. However, one area of trouble that may finally see much better results soon is graphics driver crashes. Work on graphics driver timeouts, also called Timeout and Detection Recovery (TDR), is not new as the latest WDDM 3.2 also has specific improvements regarding it. Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) version 3.2 is supported on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2. However, with the upcoming version 26H2, TDR crash diagnosis could go to the next level as Microsoft is introducing a new DirectX 12 API feature called "DirectX Dump Files". Similar to how system memory dump files work when a system crashes or freezes or encounters any such major issue, DirectX Dump Files (DDF) will essentially record a snapshot of the GPU execution right at the moment a graphics-related crash or hang or freeze occurs, so that developers can better understand and diagnoze these TDR and timeout detection errors. The dump will be available as a .dxdmp file for analysis and it will be a comprehensive dump file generated with detailed insights about the hardware, drivers, Windows, as well as the affected application. This should be another welcome change in this department. Earlier at GDC 2026, when the technology was first debuted, Microsoft had shared more details regarding it. The company had explained how DDF is designed to gather data from every layer of the graphics stack into a single file, eliminating the need for developers to manually correlate logs from multiple tools. As mentioned above, the dump can contain a lot of useful details like GPU hardware state information such as register values, shader program counters, page fault virtual addresses, shader memory data, and command buffers. Alongside that, it also captures DirectX runtime and kernel information, including D3D objects, pipeline state objects, device error data, adapter details, and CPU call stacks. Microsoft says the feature has been built around two primary use cases: retail device removals and local device removals. The former allows developers to collect crash information from end users' systems in the field, while the latter helps QA teams and developers investigate issues on test machines. Developers will also be able to include up to 2 MB of custom application data through new D3D12 APIs, providing additional context for troubleshooting. In addition, Microsoft is introducing three dump collection modes ranging from zero-overhead capture, which has no runtime performance impact on supported hardware, to higher-detail modes that collect more vendor-specific debugging data. On compatible Tier 2 hardware, zero-overhead dumps will be enabled by default, meaning developers may begin receiving useful crash diagnostics without making any code changes. The table below explains the three tiers: Tier Description NO_OVERHEAD Enables crash capture with no runtime cost and is suitable for broad deployment MEDIUM_OVERHEAD Provides a balance, capturing additional diagnostic data with moderate impact HIGH_OVERHEAD Collects the most detailed GPU and driver state available, enabling deeper investigation at the cost of higher runtime overhead In terms of availability, the company expects broader release to be around the fall of 2026, which should be right around the time when Windows 11 version 26H2 lands. Right now, DirectX Dump Files are available as a preview and currently, only AMD has the compatible AgilitySDK Developer Preview driver version 26.10.07.02. You can find the official announcement post here on Microsoft's website.
    • My favorite file manager for Windows 11 finally gets a long-requested feature

      By Malisk · Posted

      And with SO much better perf than the laggy mess that is Files.
    • The official Funny Pictures thread

      By Steven P. · Posted

  • Recent Achievements

    • One Month Later
      Sharbel earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • First Post
      BizSAR earned a badge
      First Post
    • Week One Done
      Jordan Smith earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Reacting Well
      BizSAR earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • First Post
      AndreaB earned a badge
      First Post

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      598
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      190
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      79
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      76
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      70
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!