Android

Skiff Mail takes on Gmail with a privacy-focused email platform

In addition to end-to-end encryption, Skiff Mail wants to include crypto and blockchain functionality.

by
Alex Gatewood
May 19, 2022

Image: Skiff

Skiff, a company focused on providing private applications, is now looking to take on Gmail with an encrypted email service. Called Skiff Mail, the service looks to combine end-to-end encryption and crypto functionality.

According to a new report from The Verge, Skiff’s ultimate goal is to develop an entire privacy-based workspace. Think something like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Skill Mail pushes the company closer to that goal.

Additionally, Skiff Mail isn’t the first product that the company has delivered. Skiff Pages is the company’s answer to Google Docs. And it follows a lot of the same principles of privacy, end-to-end encryption, and web3 capabilities.

When it comes to Skiff Mail, there’s nothing special on the surface of the product. It’s available on macOS as well as Android or iOS devices. The design of the app is very similar to Gmail, with folders organized on the left and popout text on the right.

But where Skiff differs from Gmail is its focus on user privacy. Messages are end-to-end encrypted and the code for the entire platform is open-source.

Additionally, Skiff Mail features web3 capabilities, like the ability to sign up using a crypto wallet (the app currently supports MetaMask, with Brave Wallet support coming soon). You can also store your email data on Protocol Labs’ storage network IPFS.

But getting users to move to a new email service will be a tough task for Skiff. Especially considering how Skiff Mail’s privacy features only work with other Skiff Mail domains or users. The company has its work cut out for it if it actually plans to take on Gmail in the email space.

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