Download Herald for Mac - Notification plugin for Mail.app. MacUpdate Mac Email Software Downloads

Herald is a notification plugin for Mail.app, Apple's Mac OS X email client. Inspired by the excellent Mail.appetizer plugin, Herald shows you popup notifications whenever you receive new Mail. It also allows you to perform common actions directly from within the notification window, including deleting messages, initiating replies, viewing messages in Mail, or marking messages as read.

Herald's appearance is highly customizable, allowing you to change the background color, text color, size, shadow, transparency, and position of the window. Herald even provides a scrolling text view so you can read full messages without having to switch back to Mail.

Herald is a free download and requires Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.

Note: Mail plugins are not officially supported by Apple. While Herald has been thoroughly tested, it's possible it may cause unintented conflicts with Mail or with other unofficial Mail plugins, especially after OS updates. It's recommended that you backup your computer before installing Herald or any other Mail plugin, and always before installing any updates to Mail or OS X.

Version 1.1:

Added a button for marking a message as junk
Added option for showing notification window on all spaces
Added option for changing font size
Option-clicking the reply button now initiates a reply-all
Fixed a bug where window was not remembering its size after quitting Mail
Fixed some bugs relating to replying
Added support for Mac OS X 10.6.2

OTHER PEOPLE SUGGEST

Growl (votes: 4 )
Mail.appetizer (votes: 3 )
MiniMail (votes: 1 )

Suggest something else:

WAJISIN I've been using Herald for a couple of days now. I'm happy to say that I no longer miss mail.appetizer, and I was happy to make a donation - a price I paid for the quick update to 10.6.2. I like the font used, and the little dark window sits nicely in the lower left hand corner on my 24 inch LED Cinema Display. I had no trouble installing, or setting the applications preferences. Also, Herald is a nice little name - all we need now is small trumpet alert sound! Thank you Erik.
(Version 1.1)

SHADYMAC Absolutely brilliant, after finally getting it to work, thanks to the developer who took the time to help out and provide some pointers was very fast with the support too! I will be definitely making a donation when I get paid next week!

This is something I need since I have some visual impairment this app makes things smooth and easier to read, I highly recommend it works pretty fast and alerts me to emails immediately!

Thanks to dev for the support, much appreciated!
(Version 1.1)

RANDYHARRIS I had been using Mail.Appetizer for several years and was always frustrated by how slow it was modified to work with system/Mail updates. When 10.6.2 came out the other day and Mail.Appetizer broke again without a fix I started to search to see if there may be something else that was similar. Luckily I discovered Herald.

For me, Growl isn't the best Mail notification system, it can pound your screen with a ton of notices when you first log into Mail and you don't really get a chance to view them, additionally you can't mark a mail as junk, delete, etc. from the Growl notification. Herald does all of this and with a really nice translucent window, Additionally it's great having the avatar show up, I'm a visual person and instantly know who an email is from by the avatar that shows up, it's nice to not have to read who it is from even though that information is also displayed.

I won't miss the old notification that I used to use. In fact I'm so tickled pink with this that I happily made a donation for the great work. It's something that I appreciate every single day I use my computer, and for that nicety I'm happy to spread a little love.
(Version 1.1)

ERIC DURBROW Does anyone know if this works with the new 10.6.2 Snow Leopard upgrade? Is it an alternative to GrowlMail?
(Version 1.1)

Replies:

Nov 10 2009

RANDYHARRIS version 1.1 is working fine for me on 10.6.2
(Version 1.1)

SHERMAN WILCOX Great utility, does what it says, gorgeous design. Now compatible with 10.6.2 and new features to boot. Still free!
(Version 1.1)

JEFFISHERETOO Works as advertised!

This does what it's designed to do and does it well!
(Version 1.1)

SHADYMAC I have tried to install this app several times but the installer keeps telling me it fails to install. I have no idea why it will ot install, any hints or pointers will be welcome.

I do shut down Mail.app when installing other than that there is nothing I cna figure that prevents this app from installing???
(Version 1.1)

Replies:

Nov 10 2009

ERIK HINTERBICHLER Hi Shadymac,

Can you check out the FAQ and see if your problem is answered there?

http://erikhinterbichler.com/software/herald/#faq

If not, feel free to send me an email and we can work it out (my address is on that page).

Erik
(Version 1.1)

ZX A bit useless since its only showing when mailapp is in the backround + the "added bonus" of bringing mailapp to the front!

Got potential but useless for now.
(Version 1.1)

Replies:

Nov 9 2009

JEFFISHERETOO It's an abuse of the rating system to ding a developer for something the application is NOT meant to do while ignoring what it does do. The developer has commented on the foreground vs. background scenario below. Your "two star" review should have been a comment and NOT a review. I think I'll go now and review FileMaker giving it one star for an inability to edit video. Carry on!
(Version 1.1)

Nov 9 2009

ZX Abuse??? I am sorry that you disagree but that's exactly how i value the functionality of this app (2-Stars). And you can disagree but please don't lecture me!
(Version 1.1)

Nov 9 2009

JEFFISHERETOO Your review of two stars was an abuse of the rating system, offering up issues the application is not meant to perform, no matter how you try to spin it is wrong. AGAIN, what you wrote should have been a "Comment" and not a review. At the risk of lecturing you, I would offer that you heed the words of Ben Franklin who said it's one thing to be have an idle mind but quite another to open your mouth and confirm it.
(Version 1.1)

-1

Nov 9 2009

ZX Wow! you are on a roll. In my opinion, the developer is wrong to not include these functionalities. and thats why the app is worth 2-stars..for now. The whole concept is flawed.
(Version 1.1)

-1

Nov 9 2009

SHERMAN WILCOX Ding! Nope, ZX, you're just wrong. The whole point of this nifty utility is to show you what's going on in Mail when it's in the background, or, as I use it, when I'm in a different Space than Mail.
(Version 1.1)

Nov 9 2009

ZX @HERMAN WILCOX Right..and than it just bugs you by jumping to the front. I really don't want to see mailapp unless i really need to respond ASAP!
(Version 1.1)

-1

Nov 9 2009

SHERMAN WILCOX So you don't want to see notifications if Mail is in the background (what this utility is designed to do), and you only want to see Mail if you need to reply ASAP (and Herald is supposed to read your mind about this?). You sir make no sense whatsoever.
(Version 1.1)

Nov 10 2009

ERIK HINTERBICHLER Hi ZX,

Take a look at the FAQ, I think your questions are answered there.

http://erikhinterbichler.com/software/herald/#faq

The reason Mail comes to the front is because it's hidden. If you close the Mail window or minimize it then this won't happen. This is a limitation with the Mail plugin system that's very hard to fix, though I will try to find a solution in the future. If your workflow requires hiding Mail then I agree that Herald probably won't work for you. But for people who just close or minimize Mail, then it will work fine.

Thanks,

Erik
(Version 1.1)

STEVE45 Great app. Doesn't appear to work with Spaces though
(Version 1.0)

JY BR Great! Perfect job. Thanks
(Version 1.0)