bytemail
Try free for 7 days
Email MCP for Gemini CLI

Connect Gemini CLI to your email.

One command in Terminal adds bytemail to Gemini CLI for every folder. Then Gemini can search, read and tidy every account in bytemail and draft the replies for you to send.

Set it up Try bytemail free
Gmail iCloud Outlook Microsoft 365 Yahoo Fastmail any IMAP server
Set up

4 steps, a minute or two.

You need bytemail 1.5.5 or later on your Mac. Settings › AI in bytemail has the same commands and config, with the exact path for your copy filled in.

  1. 1

    Turn on bytemail MCP

    In bytemail, open Settings › AI, switch on Turn on bytemail MCP and pick the accounts Gemini CLI may see.

  2. 2

    Add bytemail to Gemini CLI

    Run this once in Terminal. --scope user saves bytemail in ~/.gemini/settings.json, so it works in every folder, not just the current one. 

    gemini mcp add --scope user bytemail \
  /Applications/ByteMail.app/Contents/MacOS/ByteMail -- --mcp
  3. 3

    Check it's connected

    List your servers: bytemail should show as connected. Inside a session, /mcp shows it with its tools. 

    gemini mcp list
  4. 4

    Ask Gemini

    Start gemini in a folder you trust and ask about your mail. Gemini asks before it uses a bytemail tool.

Prefer to edit the config?

Add bytemail under mcpServers in ~/.gemini/settings.json and restart Gemini CLI. 

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bytemail": {
      "command": "/Applications/ByteMail.app/Contents/MacOS/ByteMail",
      "args": ["--mcp"]
    }
  }
}
Then just ask

Try asking Gemini CLI.

You stay in charge

Gemini CLI does the busywork. You make the calls.

Big changes wait for you Sending, sending later, a new rule, removing a label, unsubscribing or blocking: bytemail shows you exactly what's proposed and asks — in bytemail, not in the AI app.
Everything else can be undone Settings › AI › Activity lists what each AI app did, with Undo. Anything touching more than 25 conversations at once asks first.
Only the accounts you pick Share your work account and keep your personal one to yourself. Spam and Trash are never visible, and AI apps can't delete mail.
All 27 tools and safeguards →
Questions

Good to know

Gemini says the server is disabled.

Gemini CLI only starts MCP servers in folders you trust. Answer yes when it asks to trust the folder, or start gemini in one you trusted before.

Does it work in the Gemini app or on gemini.google.com?

Not today: they can't reach an MCP server on your Mac. Gemini CLI runs on your Mac, so it can.

How do I remove it?

Run gemini mcp remove --scope user bytemail, or switch off Turn on bytemail MCP in bytemail to stop every AI app at once.

What is MCP?

The Model Context Protocol is the open standard AI apps use to talk to other software. bytemail includes an MCP server, so any app that speaks MCP can work with your mail through it.

Does it cost extra?

No. It is part of bytemail on every plan, the free trial included — every tool, not just reading.

Does my mail go to bytemail's servers?

No — that hasn't changed. What an AI app reads goes to that app, and to its provider if the model runs in the cloud. Use a local model, in LM Studio for example, and nothing leaves your Mac.

Can it send email without me?

Not unless you say so. Every send asks you in bytemail first; the only exception is addresses you chose to trust for that session.

Can it delete my mail?

No. AI apps can archive, move, mark, flag, snooze and mute — never delete, and never touch Spam or Trash. Removing a label moves its mail back to your inbox; only if you ask does it go to Trash, where you can restore it.

Other AI apps

Bring Gemini CLI to every inbox.

Try bytemail free for 7 days — the MCP server included — then $3.99 a month, or pay once and keep it.

Choose a plan

Mac + iPhone, one licencebytemail for iPhone is in App Store review, coming soon. Included free.

  • 5 devices, one licence
  • Cancel anytime
  • No charge for 7 days
  • Instant key delivery

Claude and Claude Code are trademarks of Anthropic. Codex is a trademark of OpenAI. Gemini is a trademark of Google LLC. VS Code and GitHub Copilot are trademarks of Microsoft. Cursor, LM Studio and Windsurf are trademarks of their owners. bytemail isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.

Support via Discord