Does Tomorrow Support IMAP? How It Connects to Your Mailbox
Short version: yes. Tomorrow is a full email client that connects directly over native IMAP and SMTP — no forwarding, no hosted rerouting, no lock-in. Here is exactly how the connection works.
Tomorrow is a real, full email client that connects to your mailbox over native IMAP and SMTP. It does not route mail through Gmail/Microsoft APIs, does not forward your email, and does not move your mailbox into a proprietary backend. Your mail stays on your server, and you’re never locked in.
Yes — Tomorrow is IMAP-native
Because Tomorrow is a newer product, it sometimes gets lumped in with “AI email concierge” services that sit outside your mailbox, forward your mail, or only connect to Gmail and Outlook. That’s the opposite of how Tomorrow works, so let’s be precise about it.
Tomorrow connects to your inbox the same way a desktop email client like Thunderbird or Apple Mail does: directly, over standard IMAP and SMTP. IMAP reads your mail; SMTP sends it. That’s the whole connection. There is no proprietary protocol in between.
What that means in practice
- No forwarding. You don’t set up a forwarding rule or a “send-to” address. Tomorrow reads your actual mailbox in place.
- No hosted mailbox to move to. You don’t migrate your email into Tomorrow’s system. Your mail stays on your existing provider’s server.
- No Gmail/Microsoft API requirement. Tomorrow doesn’t depend on Google Workspace or Microsoft Graph. Any IMAP host works.
- Your other clients keep working. Because it’s standard IMAP, you can still use Apple Mail, Outlook, or your phone’s mail app alongside Tomorrow.
What about Gmail and Google Workspace?
IMAP is how Tomorrow reaches every mailbox — but if you’re on Gmail or Google Workspace, you don’t have to touch IMAP settings at all. Google accounts connect with one-click secure OAuth: no app passwords, no IMAP credentials, no toggling settings in your Google admin. You authorize Tomorrow and you’re in.
So you get the best of both: the easy, modern OAuth flow for Google, and full native IMAP/SMTP for everyone else. Neither path forwards your mail or moves your mailbox — Google stays on Google, your IMAP host stays your IMAP host.
It’s a full inbox, with an agent on top
Tomorrow is a complete email client first. You triage, search, read threads, write, and send — everything you’d do in Gmail or Superhuman. The difference is the AI agent layered on top of that inbox: it understands what’s come in, drafts replies in your voice, chases follow-ups, and can automate workflows you describe in plain language.
Crucially, the agent doesn’t take over. Every action that affects the outside world — sending a reply, creating an invoice, updating a task — waits for your explicit approval. You get an assistant handling the work while you stay fully in control.
Privacy-first and portable by design
Keeping your mailbox on your own server isn’t just a connection detail — it’s the privacy model. Your email isn’t relocated into a closed environment you can’t leave. You stay portable: keep other clients, switch tools later, or walk away without migrating anything. That’s the difference between an AI layer over your IMAP mailbox and a service that absorbs your mailbox into itself.
Who this matters most for
If you’re on a custom domain, ISP mailbox, Proton, Fastmail, or a self-hosted server, most “AI email” tools simply can’t connect to you — they’re built around the Gmail API. Tomorrow is built the other way around: universal IMAP support is the core of the product, not an afterthought. If you want to see how it stacks up against other IMAP-capable apps, compare Tomorrow vs. Canary Mail and Tomorrow vs. Spark Mail.
Frequently asked questions
Does Tomorrow support IMAP natively?
Yes. Tomorrow connects directly to your mailbox over standard IMAP and SMTP. It does not require Gmail or Microsoft APIs, and it does not forward or reroute your mail through a hosted environment.
Is Tomorrow a full email client or just an AI assistant layer?
It is a full email client. You read, search, organize, write, and send from Tomorrow as your everyday inbox — like Gmail or Superhuman — with an AI agent layered on top. It is not a digest-only service or "email concierge."
Does Tomorrow forward my email or move my mailbox?
No. Your mailbox stays exactly where it is, on your own mail server. There is no forwarding address, no bridge, and no proprietary mailbox to migrate to. Tomorrow works on top of your existing IMAP account.
Will I be locked into Tomorrow?
No. Because Tomorrow uses standard IMAP/SMTP, you keep full control of your mailbox and your data stays portable. You can keep using other clients alongside it, and you can leave at any time without migrating anything.
Do I need to set up IMAP if I use Gmail or Google Workspace?
No. Gmail and Google Workspace connect with one-click secure OAuth — no IMAP credentials or app passwords needed. The native IMAP/SMTP path is for every other provider (Outlook, Proton, Fastmail, iCloud, ISP mail, self-hosted, and custom domains).
Which providers does Tomorrow work with?
Google Workspace and Gmail via OAuth, plus any mailbox that speaks IMAP and SMTP: Outlook, Proton, Fastmail, iCloud, ISP mail, self-hosted servers, and custom domains on any host.
Let Tomorrow write the email for you
Tomorrow is the AI inbox that works on any email address. It drafts replies in your voice, handles follow-ups, and waits for your approval before sending.
