Gmail Growl Alternatives: Modern Notification Tools Compared

Gmail Growl: How to Get Desktop Notifications for New Mail

What it is

Gmail Growl (often called Gmail+Growl) is a macOS plugin/extension that connects a Gmail notifier to Growl — a third-party macOS notification system — so new Gmail messages trigger Growl desktop alerts.

How it works (high-level)

• A Gmail notifier checks your Gmail account for new messages.
• When new mail arrives, the notifier sends a notification to Growl.
• Growl displays a customizable desktop alert (style, sound, duration).

Setup (presume macOS + reasonable defaults)

1. Install Growl (latest compatible version) and enable “Start at login” in Growl preferences.
2. Install a Gmail notifier that supports Growl (look for “Gmail+Growl” or a Gmail Notifier with Growl plugin).
3. Open the Gmail notifier and sign in to the Gmail account you want monitored.
4. Enable the Gmail+Growl plugin in the notifier (or install the Gmail+Growl bundle into the notifier’s plugins folder).
5. In Growl’s preference pane, allow notifications from the Gmail notifier and choose a display style and sound.
6. Test using the notifier’s “Send test notification” (or send yourself an email).

Troubleshooting — quick fixes

• Make sure Growl is running and allowed to start at login.
• Confirm the notifier is signed in and polling (check its status/menu).
• In Growl preferences, ensure the Gmail notifier is not set to “Hide” or blocked.
• If notifications stopped after OS updates, install updated Growl/notifier