Help

Setting up Zackem and connecting your email accounts

System requirements

Works with	Does not work with
Windows 10 (64-bit, version 1809 or later) and Windows 11, on Intel or AMD processors	Windows 7, 8 and 8.1; 32-bit Windows; Windows on ARM (Snapdragon) — coming later
macOS 11 Big Sur or later, on Apple-chip (M1 and newer) and Intel Macs	macOS 10.15 Catalina and earlier
4 GB of memory (8 GB recommended); 16 GB recommended if you run local AI	Linux, Chromebooks, iPad, Android and phones (not available)
Disk space: about 300 MB for Zackem plus space for your mail (1–10 GB is typical)
An internet connection to download mail and to register; reading and searching work offline

This list is updated as testing continues. If your computer is on the "works with" side and Zackem still does not run, please tell us — we want to know.

Getting started and registration

1. Download Zackem for Windows or Mac from the home page and run the installer.
2. Open Zackem and register: your name, your email address and, if you like, your company. A 6-digit code is sent to that email address; type it in to confirm. Registration is required for every edition, including the free one, and takes under a minute.
3. The setup wizard then asks for your first email account, or offers a Microsoft sign-in button for Microsoft accounts.
4. Zackem recognizes most providers from the address and fills in the server settings. For some providers you need an app password instead of your normal password — see the sections below.
5. Add more accounts at any time from Settings → Accounts → Add account.
6. Your mail downloads in the background. The newest messages appear first; older mail fills in over the next minutes or hours, depending on how much you have.

Microsoft 365, Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live and Exchange

1. Choose Add account → Microsoft.
2. A Microsoft sign-in window opens. Sign in as you normally do, including any two-step verification.
3. Approve the permissions Zackem asks for (reading and sending mail, calendar and contacts).

No app password is needed. If your company's IT department restricts outside apps, the window may say "Need admin approval" — ask your administrator to approve Zackem once for the organization. On-premises Exchange servers that do not use Microsoft's cloud sign-in connect through IMAP instead.

Gmail and Google Workspace

Gmail connects with a Google app password — a separate 16-character password that Google issues for programs like Zackem. It takes about two minutes:

1. Turn on 2-Step Verification for your Google account at myaccount.google.com/security (it must be on before Google will issue app passwords).
2. Go to myaccount.google.com/apppasswords. Type a name such as "Zackem" and click Create.
3. Google shows a 16-character password. Copy it.
4. In Zackem, choose Add account, enter your Gmail address, and paste the app password (not your normal password).

If the app-passwords page says the option is unavailable, 2-Step Verification is not on yet, or — for Google Workspace accounts — your administrator has turned app passwords off. Workspace administrators can allow them under Security → Less secure apps / App passwords in the admin console.

Yahoo Mail and AOL Mail

Yahoo and AOL (which is run by Yahoo) also use app passwords:

1. Sign in at login.yahoo.com (or login.aol.com), open Account info → Account security.
2. Choose Generate app password (sometimes shown as "Other ways to sign in → App passwords").
3. Give it a name such as "Zackem" and click Generate. Copy the password shown.
4. In Zackem, add the account with your Yahoo or AOL address and that app password.

iCloud Mail

Apple issues an app-specific password for outside mail programs; there is no sign-in button for iCloud.

1. Go to account.apple.com, sign in, and open Sign-In and Security → App-Specific Passwords.
2. Click the plus sign, enter a name such as "Zackem", and click Create. Copy the password.
3. In Zackem, add the account with your @icloud.com (or @me.com / @mac.com) address and that app-specific password.

Two-factor authentication must be on for your Apple Account, which it is for almost all accounts today. Your iCloud calendar can be added the same way under Settings → Calendars.

Zoho Mail

1. In Zoho Mail on the web, open Settings → Mail accounts → IMAP access and turn IMAP on.
2. If your Zoho account uses two-factor sign-in, generate an app-specific password under My Account → Security → App passwords; otherwise your normal password works.
3. In Zackem, add the account. Zackem chooses the right servers automatically: imap.zoho.com for free personal accounts, and imappro.zoho.com / smtppro.zoho.com for paid and organization accounts (including Zoho Mail on your own domain). Accounts hosted in Zoho's European, Indian or Australian regions use the matching regional servers.

Fastmail

1. In Fastmail, open Settings → Privacy & Security → Integrations (also called Third-party apps) and choose New app password.
2. Select "Mail (IMAP/SMTP)", name it "Zackem", and copy the password.
3. Add the account in Zackem with that password.

Other providers and mail on your own domain

Any account that supports standard IMAP works with Zackem: GMX, Mail.com, Web.de, Comcast/Xfinity, Verizon, Spectrum, Namecheap, GoDaddy, cPanel hosts, company mail servers and many more. Zackem looks up the settings from your address. If it cannot find them, choose Advanced setup and enter the details your provider lists, usually:

Setting	Typical value
Incoming (IMAP) server	imap.yourprovider.com, port 993, SSL/TLS
Outgoing (SMTP) server	smtp.yourprovider.com, port 465 (SSL) or 587 (STARTTLS)
User name	Usually your full email address
Password	Your mailbox password, or an app password if the provider uses them

Some providers require you to turn on IMAP in their web settings first (GMX, Web.de and Mail.com, for example).

Providers that need extra steps

• Proton Mail: works only through Proton's own "Proton Mail Bridge" program, available on paid Proton plans. Install the Bridge, then add the account to Zackem using the local settings the Bridge shows.
• Tutanota / Tuta: does not offer IMAP access, so it cannot be used with Zackem or any other mail program.
• POP-only accounts: Zackem uses IMAP, which keeps your mail in sync across devices. If your provider offers only POP, write to us; POP support is planned.

Turning on AI

AI features are off when you install Zackem. To turn them on, open Settings → AI and choose one option:

• On this computer — Zackem uses a free AI model running on your own computer through Ollama or LM Studio. Nothing leaves your computer. Best with 16 GB of memory or an Apple-chip Mac.
• My own AI account — paste an API key from your own Claude (Anthropic), ChatGPT (OpenAI) or Gemini (Google) account. Only the emails you ask Zackem to process are sent to that provider, and you pay that provider directly.

Whichever you choose, Zackem never sends an email on its own. Drafts and suggestions wait for you to press Send. The AI assistant is a module: free during the 30-day trial, then available for a small fee.

Trial, free edition, Pro and modules

• The first 30 days after registration include every feature and module. After that, Zackem keeps working as the free edition with up to two accounts; nothing is deleted.
• Zackem Pro is a one-time purchase that unlocks unlimited accounts, with free updates for the whole of version 1.
• Modules — Plan My Day, the AI assistant, Calendar, Time & billing, and Case/CRM links — can be added to Free or Pro, each for a small monthly or yearly fee.
• When you buy, the license key arrives by email. Enter it under Settings → License. One key works on Windows and Mac.
• Lost your key? It is tied to your registration — write to [email protected] from the email address you registered with.

Troubleshooting

"Sign-in refused" or "Authentication failed"

• For Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, iCloud and Fastmail, make sure you entered an app password, not your normal password.
• Check that IMAP is turned on in the provider's settings (Zoho, GMX, Web.de, Mail.com).
• For Zoho organization or paid accounts, the servers must be imappro.zoho.com and smtppro.zoho.com; Zackem sets these automatically when you re-add the account.

The registration code never arrives

Check your spam or junk folder for a message from zackem.ai, and make sure the address you typed is correct. You can request a new code from the registration screen after one minute.

Mail is slow to appear

The first download of a large mailbox can take a while. You can keep working; new mail arrives as it comes in. Settings → Accounts lets you limit how many months of old mail are kept on the computer.

Windows says the app is from an unknown publisher

During the beta, Zackem is not yet digitally signed, so Windows SmartScreen may show a warning. Click More info → Run anyway. The released version will be signed.

Mac says the app cannot be opened

During the beta, right-click the Zackem app and choose Open, then confirm. The released version will be notarized by Apple.

Sending us a log

Settings → Help → Show log file opens a text log that records errors but no email content. Attach it to your message to support.

Contact support

Write to [email protected] with your Windows or macOS version, the email provider involved, and what happened. We answer in English, Hebrew and Yiddish.