Roadmap
Where Loupe is going
Loupe is built in phases, each with a clear finish line. Here's what's done, what's next, and what is deliberately not on the list.
Today: used every day on Android, with a new Nightly build after every change. The iOS version is prepared and waits for an Apple developer account.
The phases
Shipped
Foundations
The name and licence, the Readable renderer, sync tested against the big providers, the encrypted store and the search parser.
Shipped
Everyday mail
Accounts with automatic setup, the message list with swipes, Readable, Original and Plain views, search, compose with undo send and an Outbox, notifications and dark mode.
Shipped
The power layer
The full search language, Smart Mailboxes, tags, rules and Sieve, identities, View Source and authentication results, three panes and keyboard shortcuts, scheduled send.
Shipped
JMAP
JMAP accounts for Fastmail and Stalwart: search on the server, sending without SMTP, push from the server, and Sieve over JMAP.
Shipped
Encryption
OpenPGP compatible with Thunderbird, with Autocrypt; S/MIME, including certificates installed on the device.
In progress
Public release
Sign in with Google and Microsoft through their verification, a public beta on Google Play, and iOS on TestFlight.
Later, maybe
Plugins
Only if real needs can't be met by built-in features. See below.
Further out
An app lock
Fingerprint or PIN before your mail shows.
Saving and exporting mail
A message as an .eml file, a folder as an mbox archive.
The app in more languages
Today the app itself is in English.
Faster notifications on iOS
iOS doesn't let apps keep a connection open. An optional relay could send content-free "check now" pushes, but only if it can work without ever seeing mail.
Deliberately not planned
Saying no keeps Loupe small, fast and private. These won't happen, and here's why.
- POP3Loupe keeps mail on the server, so every device sees the same mailbox.
- Exchange ActiveSync and EWSMicrosoft 365 works over IMAP with Microsoft sign-in. Loupe sticks to open standards.
- Running Thunderbird add-onsTheir APIs are built around desktop windows, and about half of the popular ones reach into Thunderbird's internals, which a phone app can't offer.
- A server that holds your passwordSome apps keep your login on their servers to fetch your mail. Loupe never will.
- Desktop versionsLoupe is for phones and tablets; your computer already has good mail clients.
Plugins, if they're ever needed
Most popular desktop add-ons fill gaps that Loupe covers natively: better search, conversations, scheduled send, authentication results, rules. If outside extensions ever become necessary, they'll run in a locked-down sandbox, with permissions you approve and no code downloaded from the internet.
How priorities are set
Each phase has a finish line, and nothing from the next phase sneaks in early. Bugs come first, then what people ask for in Discussions. Donations buy the time for both.