Clear answers, close at hand.

Connect a Google account

1. Open Northstar Mail and choose Add account.
2. Select Google, then continue to Google sign-in.
3. Choose the account you want to connect in the system browser.
4. Review Google's permission screen and approve only if you agree.
5. Return to Northstar after Google confirms authorization.

Northstar uses the normal Google account chooser. Never enter your Google password into a field inside Northstar itself.

Why Google asks for access

• Identity: labels the connected account.
• Gmail: displays inbox mail, searches messages, and synchronizes read/unread state.
• Calendar: displays primary-calendar events read-only.
• Contacts: displays Google contacts read-only.

Initial sign-in requests identity and Gmail access. Northstar requests Calendar access only from Calendar and Contacts access only from People, after you explicitly choose Grant access for that feature.

See the complete scope disclosure for the permission identifiers and data-handling details.

Google sign-in help

• Confirm the system clock and time zone are correct.
• Finish sign-in in the same browser window Northstar opened.
• Allow the browser to return to the temporary local callback on your PC.
• If access was denied, start again and review the permission screen.
• If a work or school administrator blocks third-party apps, ask that administrator about its policy.

A Google “app is being tested” notice means the OAuth project is still in testing and the Google account must be an approved test user. Public access depends on completion of Google's verification process.

Privacy and security basics

Provider content is processed locally in Northstar and is not uploaded to a TreeByte mail cloud. Local account settings and OAuth credentials are stored in your Windows profile; OAuth tokens are protected with Windows DPAPI.

TreeByte does not use Google user data for ads, sale, or AI training. Do not send passwords, authorization codes, OAuth tokens, or private message content in a support request.

Remote images in messages

When you choose to load remote email images, your PC contacts the sender's or image provider's server directly. That host can receive your IP address, request time, browser-engine information, and tracking identifiers contained in the image URL. Keep images blocked when you do not trust the sender.

WebView2 may cache remote-image responses or accept and send cookies under its browser rules. Removing any configured account clears this shared renderer data; cached images for remaining accounts may be downloaded again. If cleanup is interrupted, Northstar blocks remote images and retries before loading them again.