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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Aerion.

General​

Is Aerion free?​

Yes. Aerion is open source software released under the Apache License 2.0. You can use it for free, modify it, and distribute it.

Where is my data stored?​

All your data is stored locally on your computer. Aerion does not operate any cloud servers. Your emails, credentials, and settings stay on your device.

Does Aerion sync to the cloud?​

No. Aerion connects directly to your email provider's servers via IMAP/SMTP. There is no Aerion cloud service. Your emails are stored both on your email provider's servers and cached locally on your computer.

What makes Aerion lightweight?​

Aerion was designed from the ground up with being "lightweight" in mind. It is built with Wails, a lightweight and fast Electron alternative for Go. This means it gets the performance of Go and gives the flexibility to the developer to choose whichever JS/TS framework for frontend development. Wails uses native system components for rendering instead of bundling a full Chromium browser, resulting in significantly lower memory usage and faster startup. For the frontend, Svelte was chosen as the compiler plays a huge role in optimizing TS performance.

Is Aerion safe to use?​

Aerion is open source, so you can decide for yourself by reviewing the source code. It doesn't collect telemetry, doesn't phone home, and stores all data locally.

Accounts​

Can I use multiple email accounts?​

Yes. You can reasonably add as many email accounts as you want from different providers. All accounts appear in the sidebar, and the Unified Inbox shows messages from all accounts combined. Aerion is mostly tested with around 10 accounts added to it.

Why do I need to re-authorize my Gmail/Outlook account?​

OAuth tokens expire periodically for security reasons. When they expire, you'll need to re-authorize to get a new token. This is normal behavior for OAuth-based authentication.

What's the difference between OAuth and App Password?​

  • OAuth - You sign in through your provider's website (Google, Microsoft) and grant Aerion permission. More secure, easier to set up, but tokens expire.
  • App Password - You generate a special password in your provider's settings and enter it in Aerion. Works when OAuth isn't available or in restricted environments.

Can I use work/corporate email accounts?​

Yes, if your organization allows third-party email clients:

  • Microsoft 365/Office 365 - Works with OAuth if your admin has approved third-party apps
  • Google Workspace - Works with OAuth if your admin allows it
  • Generic IMAP/SMTP - Works with any corporate email server that supports IMAP

Gmail & Outlook​

Why does Google show a security warning?​

Google displays "This app isn't verified" because Aerion hasn't gone through Google's app verification process (which is designed for cloud services, not local applications).

Aerion is safe - it's open source and runs entirely on your computer. To proceed, click "Advanced" and then "Go to Aerion (unsafe)."

How do I create a Google App Password?​

  1. Go to your Google Account Security
  2. Enable 2-Step Verification if not already enabled
  3. Under 2-Step Verification, click "App passwords"
  4. Select "Mail" and give it a name like "Aerion"
  5. Copy the 16-character password and use it in Aerion

Does Aerion read my emails on a server?​

No. Aerion runs entirely on your computer. When it accesses your email, it connects directly to your email provider (Gmail, Outlook, etc.). Aerion's developers never see your emails.

Can I use Aerion with Gmail labels?​

Gmail labels appear as folders in Aerion. You can view mail by label and move messages to labels. However, Gmail's label-specific features (like applying multiple labels to one email) are not fully supported in the standard IMAP interface.

Features​

Can I use Aerion offline?​

Partially. You can read emails that have been cached locally, but you cannot send emails or sync new messages without an internet connection. However, you can save drafts locally which will sync to the provider draft folder after once it's back online.

How do I set Aerion as my default email app?​

This depends on your operating system:

Linux (GNOME):

xdg-settings set default-url-scheme-handler mailto aerion.desktop

Linux (KDE): Set in System Settings → Applications → Default Applications

macOS: Open Mail.app → Preferences → Default email reader → Select Aerion

Windows: Settings → Apps → Default apps → Email → Select Aerion

Can I import emails from Thunderbird?​

Not currently. Aerion syncs emails from your email servers via IMAP. If your emails are on the server, they'll appear in Aerion once you add your account.

Does Aerion support PGP encryption?​

Not yet. PGP support is on the roadmap for a future release.

Can I set up email filters/rules?​

No. Aerion doesn't currently support client-side email filtering. Set up rules through your email provider's web interface instead.

Does Aerion support calendar integration?​

Not currently. Calendar integration is being considered for future versions.

Where can I see my synced contacts?​

There's currently no way to see the synced contacts in the UI. The purpose of the sync is solely for auto-completing the to/cc/bcc fields in the composer. The assumption is you will manage your contacts via another contacts specific app.

Technical​

What platforms does Aerion support?​

  • Linux (AppImage, amd64, arm64)
  • macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon)
  • Windows (amd64, arm64)

What are the system requirements?​

Aerion is lightweight and runs on most modern systems:

  • 2 GB RAM (4 GB recommended)
  • 100 MB disk space (plus space for cached emails)
  • Internet connection for email sync

Linux: Requires WebKit2GTK 4.1

How do I completely uninstall Aerion?​

  1. Remove the application
  2. Delete the configuration directory:
    • Linux: ~/.config/aerion/
    • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/aerion/
    • Windows: %APPDATA%\aerion\
  3. Remove the data directory:
    • Linux: ~/.local/share/aerion/
    • macOS: ~/Libary/Application Support/aerion
    • Windows: %APPDATA%\Aerion
  4. Remove the cache directory:
    • Linux: ~/.cache/aerion/
    • macOS: ~/Library/caches/Aerion/
    • Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Aerion\Cache

Support​

Where do I report bugs?​

Report bugs on GitHub Issues.

How can I contribute?​

Aerion welcomes contributions! Check the GitHub repository for:

  • Bug reports and feature requests
  • Pull requests for bug fixes and features
  • Documentation improvements

Is there commercial support?​

There's no official commercial support program, but we're open to discussing arrangements for organizations with specific needs. Reach out to [email protected] to start a conversation.

For community help, use GitHub Issues.