Desktop notifications

On Mac, Windows and Linux, Heron lets you know when new messages arrive. You choose, computer by computer, which accounts can interrupt you: work on the office laptop, personal at home.

Set up notifications

Open Settings → On This Computer. These settings belong to this computer and are not synced with your other devices.

• Notifications on this computer: the main switch (new messages and accounts with errors).
• The account table, with two columns:
  • Notifications: does this account notify you here?
  • All Inboxes: does this account show up in “All Inboxes” and its counts, on this computer?

Accounts added later are turned on by default. You’ll find the same options in each account’s settings (Notifications on this computer, In All Inboxes on this computer).

Check that it works

Click Send a Test Notification. If nothing shows up, your system may be blocking Heron: Heron then opens the system settings so you can allow it.

• macOS: System Settings → Notifications → Heron. Pick the “Alerts” style if you want them to stay on screen.
• Windows: Settings → System → Notifications, then Heron. Also check that Do Not Disturb (Focus) is off.
• Linux: depending on your desktop, in the notification settings.

Stay reachable

Also in On This Computer:

• Open Heron when your computer starts: Heron opens in the background (in the Dock on Mac, icon next to the clock on Windows and Linux) so notifications arrive from the moment you log in.
• Unread count on the app icon: shows a badge with the number of unread messages on the Heron icon.

Good to know: on Windows and Linux, closing the window doesn’t quit Heron: the app stays in the notification area, next to the clock, to keep notifying you. To really quit, right-click the icon → Quit, or use the File menu.

What triggers a notification

Besides new messages: an account with an error, a snoozed email coming back, a no-reply reminder, a scheduled send that fails, or an AI agent asking to send an email.

To avoid being interrupted by newsletters and automated notifications, see People-only badges.