Launching today
Orbit for Mac
Every Google account, in a single window
50 followers
Every Google account, in a single window
50 followers
Every Google account in its own room on your Mac, fully isolated. Each one is the real Gmail web UI, with Calendar, Drive, Meet, and Gemini. No server, no subscription: pay once ($19 launch price, $89 after). Switch with ⌘1-9. Native Swift, a 12 MB app. 14-day free trial, no card needed.
Orbit for Mac
@andrewbuilds per-account notification rules!
Orbit for Mac
@grace_knowhow Yes, exactly. Orbit keeps each account visually separate, with its own badge and notification mute control, so work and personal don’t blur together.
love the no-infrastructure framing, that's a rare thing to see actually followed through on rather than just marketing copy. one thing I'm curious about long term: since each account renders through system WebKit instead of a Chromium build you control, what happens when Google ships one of their periodic Gmail UI overhauls? Chromium-based tools get patched by the browser vendor on their own timeline, but WebKit compatibility with Gmail's web app specifically feels like something only you can fix, and only after it breaks for users first. is that something you're watching for or has it not been an issue yet
Orbit for Mac
@galdayan Great question, and yes, this is exactly the failure mode I worry about.
Orbit does not clone Gmail or use private Gmail APIs. Each account is the real Gmail web app running in a WKWebView, using the same WebKit family Gmail already supports through Safari. So if Gmail keeps working in Safari, the main Gmail experience should keep working in Orbit too.
The parts I own are the native layer around it: account containers, switching, badges, avatar/name refresh, notification mute state, and service shortcuts. Those are designed to fail soft. If Google changes a DOM detail, Gmail still works; worst case a badge/avatar/helper gets stale until I patch it.
It has not been an issue for the core experience so far, but I do watch it. The upside of no infrastructure is that a backend change on my side cannot log everyone out at once.
The "nearly replied from my personal address" moment is the real hook here, that near-miss is universal for anyone running several accounts. One thing that'd make it a stronger buy for me: carry the account's color or identity into the compose and reply window itself, not just the app chrome. The wrong-account send happens the instant you hit send, so, the reminder needs to be right there while you're typing, not one glance away.
Orbit for Mac
@syed_noor4 You just described the roadmap item I care about most. Today Orbit keeps the identity at the frame level: the account's avatar and color stay in view, and compose always opens inside that account's own room, never a shared one. But you are right that the strongest reminder belongs inside the compose window itself, right where you are typing. A per-account tint on the compose surface is doable with the same light styling layer I already use for badges, so it goes on the shortlist for the next update. This is exactly the kind of comment that decides what v1.1 looks like. Thank you, Syed.
A great idea, and something I badly need, but the app keeps crashing when I press the “Add Account” button.
Orbit for Mac
@cronberry Thank you for flagging this, Jonathan. That should not happen.
Could you email me at support@orbitformac.com with your macOS version and what you see right before the crash? I’m checking the Add Account path right now and will prioritize a fix.
@andrewbuilds Done!
Orbit for Mac
@cronberry Thank you, Jonathan. Your recording helped me find it.
It was a first-run Add Account crash before the Google sign-in window opened. I just pushed a hotfix to the same download link: https://orbitformac.com/download
Please download it again, replace the app, and try Add Account once more. I also replied by email.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
this makes the accounts much clearer, good idea
Orbit for Mac
@busmark_w_nika Thank you Nika! That was exactly the pain I wanted to remove. Not just many accounts, but knowing instantly which account you’re in before you send anything. Each account stays in its own room, so work, personal, and client contexts don’t blur together.