Family Email Setup

Our family uses Fastmail as the primary email provider for personal accounts, with Google as a secondary/legacy account.

Quick Reference

Primary Provider: Fastmail Family Accounts:

• Matthew: dratspiker@fastmail.com
• Kandace: kanaussie@fastmail.com
• Violet: queenvi@fastmail.com Web Access: app.fastmail.com Work Email (Matt only): Lark — separate from personal email

How We Have It Set Up

Fastmail (Primary)

Fastmail is our family's primary email platform. It hosts all three family accounts under a family plan. Key features we use:

• Custom domain forwarding: Matt receives email sent to legacy addresses
• Aliases: Multiple addresses route to the primary inbox
• Calendar integration: Fastmail also hosts our family calendar (see Calendar System)
• Strong privacy: No ad tracking, hosted in Australia with European data center options

Google / Gmail (Legacy — Matthew only)

Matthew maintains dratspiker@gmail.com as a legacy address. It is configured for bidirectional sync with Fastmail:

• Email sent to the Gmail address arrives in Fastmail inbox
• Replies sent from Fastmail appear to come from the Gmail address (when appropriate)
• Contacts sync between Google and iCloud via CardDAV

This means Matt effectively has one unified inbox (Fastmail) that handles both addresses.

Work Email (Matthew only)

Matt's work email runs through Lark — ByteDance's enterprise platform. This is completely separate from personal Fastmail:

• Accessed via the Lark app on Mac and iPhone
• Not connected to the Mail app or Fastmail
• Work calendar from Lark is read-only in personal calendar apps (see Calendar System)

How to Access Email

Mail App (iPhone / Mac) — Recommended

All family members access email through the standard Apple Mail app, which is configured to connect to Fastmail.

On iPhone: Open the Mail app → your inbox is there On Mac: Open Mail from the dock or Applications

If Mail app isn't set up yet, settings are in 1Password under Fastmail in the Family vault.

Fastmail Web

Full-featured web access at app.fastmail.com.

Sign in with your Fastmail address and password (stored in 1Password Family vault).

Fastmail Mobile App

Fastmail has its own iOS app — useful for accessing Fastmail-specific features like rules, aliases, and storage. Available in the App Store.

Addresses Summary

Person	Primary Address	Also Receives At
Matthew	dratspiker@fastmail.com	dratspiker@gmail.com
Kandace	kanaussie@fastmail.com	—
Violet	queenvi@fastmail.com	—

Troubleshooting

Not Receiving Email

1. Check your spam/junk folder
2. Check that Mail app is connected (Settings → Mail → Accounts → Fastmail account shows active)
3. Open app.fastmail.com directly to confirm email is in the account
4. If web works but Mail app doesn't: remove and re-add the account in Settings → Mail

Can't Send Email

1. Check internet connection
2. In Mail app: try again after a moment (SMTP can have brief timeouts)
3. Check that you're not using a different outgoing server — should be smtp.fastmail.com

Password Issues

All passwords are in 1Password → Family vault → Fastmail entry. If locked out, text Matt.

Work Email (Matt)

Work email issues are handled via the Lark app — separate from family email. Contact IT if there's a work email problem.