Boomerang, the popular email scheduling and tracking app, was abruptly removed from the Gmail Marketplace in October 2022. This left many Gmail users who relied on Boomerang wondering why it was taken down and what email scheduling options they have now.
What was Boomerang?
Boomerang was a third-party email plugin and app that integrated with Gmail, Outlook, and other popular email services. It allowed users to schedule emails to be sent at a specific date and time in the future, as well as get notifications when an email was opened by the recipient.
Some of the key features of Boomerang included:
- Schedule emails to be sent whenever you want, even if you’ll be out of the office.
- Get read receipts and see if your email was opened or ignored.
- Reminders if you don’t hear back on an important email.
- Analyze your email habits and productivity over time.
- Recurring email templates to send regularly scheduled messages.
Boomerang worked by connecting with your email account, allowing you to schedule and track emails right from your inbox. For Gmail users, it was available as an add-on that could be installed through the Gmail Marketplace.
Why was Boomerang removed from Gmail?
In October 2022, Google abruptly removed Boomerang and hundreds of other apps from the Gmail Marketplace. While Google did not give a specific reason for suspending Boomerang, the mass app removal was done due to security concerns.
Gmail add-ons and extensions require permission to access your Gmail account in order to work. However, some third-party apps were not properly vetted for security and privacy protections. Google likely felt that apps like Boomerang posed potential risks, so they removed access until a more robust app review process could be implemented.
Specific security concerns that may have led to Boomerang’s removal include:
- Overly broad data access – Apps like Boomerang require permissions to read, send, and modify emails. If not properly scoped, this access could lead to privacy issues.
- Vulnerabilities – Without proper code reviews, extensions may accidentally expose vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers.
- User data privacy – Apps may not have adequate protections on how user data, including email content, is accessed and stored.
While inconvenient for users, Google likely felt that temporarily suspending apps like Boomerang was prudent given the potential breadth of security issues at play.
Will Boomerang be added back to Gmail?
At this time, it is not known if or when Boomerang may be reinstated as an authorized Gmail add-on. According to Boomerang’s website, they are working with Google to go through additional security reviews and hope to make Boomerang available again soon.
However, the app removal points to Google’s increased scrutiny over third-party apps. Even if Boomerang is reinstated, future apps may face much stricter review processes and require changes to data privacy practices before being allowed.
Google has said they are developing “a new security review process for Gmail add-ons” aimed at keeping users’ data safe. This will likely mean tighter control over what apps can do and access within Gmail.
In the meantime, Boomerang itself continues to fully function with Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and other non-Google email providers. But Gmail users are left without one of the most popular email scheduling and tracking tools available.
What are Gmail’s built-in email scheduling options?
While not as full-featured as Boomerang, Gmail does have some native options for basic email scheduling:
- Send Later – When composing an email in Gmail, you can click the dropdown arrow next to the send button and choose “Schedule send.” This allows you to pick a specific date and time to deliver the email.
- Canned responses – You can write templated responses and schedule some to send at recurring times. However, these cannot be customized per email.
- Google Calendar reminders – You can create calendar reminders to follow up on important emails or send recurring messages.
- Google Scripts – For advanced users, Apps Scripts can be used to schedule sending of emails and templates.
While helpful, these options do not provide the full suite of email tracking, analyzed, reminders, and productivity features that Boomerang offered.
Top alternative Gmail scheduling tools
Until Boomerang returns, here are some of the top alternative email scheduling tools for Gmail users:
| App | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Mixmax | Email scheduling and tracking, follow up reminders, team collaboration, meets key Boomerang needs |
| Right Inbox | Schedule sending, read receipts, email templates, works across multiple platforms |
| Bananatag | Recurring scheduled email templates, team collaboration options, calendar sync |
| Yesware | Email tracking, productivity analytics, Chrome extension available |
| Postmark | Schedule transactional emails in bulk, great for marketing campaigns |
Each has their pros and cons compared to Boomerang, but they provide alternative options for those who relied heavily on email scheduling and tracking through Gmail.
Will other email services restrict apps like Boomerang?
It remains to be seen if other major email providers will follow Google’s lead in restricting third-party email apps like Boomerang. As concerns over data privacy and security grow, it is likely that email services will exert more control over what add-ons they allow.
Microsoft Outlook and Yahoo Mail have historically been more open to third-party integrations than Gmail. However, they may reassess what data access they grant to apps going forward. Tighter permission scopes and security reviews could be implemented.
Apple’s iCloud Mail has much heavier restrictions on third-party modifications as Apple emphasizes privacy and security. It is unlikely apps like Boomerang would ever be allowed network-level integration there.
For now, popular tools like Boomerang continue to work with most non-Gmail providers. But extra scrutiny on email apps from Google and others may lead to reduced third-party integration access down the road.
Conclusion
Boomerang provided Gmail power users with convenient email scheduling, tracking, and productivity features. Its sudden removal from the Gmail Marketplace due to security concerns has left many who relied on it searching for alternatives.
While Google has not ruled out reinstating Boomerang if security issues can be addressed, increased scrutiny on third-party email apps is likely. Users should expect tighter restrictions and required changes to data access permissions before apps will be allowed back.
In the meantime, Boomerang continues working for other email providers. And alternative scheduling tools can help fill the void left for Gmail users in the short term. But ultimately increased focus on privacy and security from Google and others may permanently restrict future third-party email integrations.
