Hiver and Gmail: what syncs, what doesn't, and how to set it up
Hiver in Gmail is a Chrome extension that turns Gmail addresses like support@ into shared inboxes. Mail syncs in and replies go out through Gmail. It needs Chrome and Google Workspace, and new teammates get 90 days of history.
- Connector
- Chrome extension built by Hiver, paid per user, installed from the Chrome Web Store or Google Workspace Marketplace
- Sync direction
- Two-way: Gmail mail flows into Hiver shared inboxes; replies, send-as settings and filters flow back to Gmail
- Setup time
- About 10 minutes to connect a first shared inbox, per Hiver; Gmail's send-as setup for Google Groups can take longer
- Availability
- Growth, Pro and Elite plans, plus a 7-day trial; requires Google Workspace and Chrome. Personal Gmail is not supported
- Our rating
- 4 out of 5. Shared inbox email moves both ways on every paid plan; it needs Chrome and Google Workspace, and new teammates get 90 days of history.
| What | Direction | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Incoming shared-inbox email | Gmail → Hiver | Email sent to a connected Gmail account, Google Group or alias appears in the Hiver shared inbox. A Google Group needs External posting and the each-email subscription setting. |
| Existing email at connection | Gmail → Hiver | When you connect a Google Workspace account, Hiver offers to import the last 100 emails. They appear as open and unassigned. |
| History for new teammates | Gmail → Hiver | Adding a teammate to a shared inbox syncs unresolved conversations and Closed emails from the last 90 days. The cap is 90 days or 10,000 emails, whichever comes first. |
| Shared Labels | Gmail → Hiver | New and old emails sync independently. An admin can switch old-email sync on or off per Shared Label in the Admin Panel. |
| Replies and new messages | Hiver → Gmail | Send from your personal address, the shared inbox address or an alias. Growth allows 1 alias per shared inbox; Pro and Elite allow unlimited. |
| Send-as, forwarding and filters | Hiver → Gmail | Hiver's second Google permission lets it edit Gmail settings and filters. A Google Group address appears under Send mail as after a one-time Gmail setup. |
| Thread splitting | Hiver → Gmail | Hiver's first Google permission includes deleting emails when it splits a conversation thread between inboxes. |
| Personal inbox to shared inbox rules | Gmail → Hiver | Rules move matching emails from personal inboxes into shared inboxes. Elite plan only. |
Setting it up
- Confirm every user has a Google Workspace account, uses the latest Chrome, and has Gmail in standard view with Conversation view on.
- Install the Hiver extension from hiverhq.com (Start Free Trial), the Chrome Web Store or the Google Workspace Marketplace. Anyone can install it.
- Open Gmail, click the Hiver icon, choose Login to Hiver, and approve both Google permission requests.
- For a Google Group address, first set posting to External and subscription to each email in Google Groups.
- In Gmail, open the Hiver settings icon, then Admin Panel, then Shared Inboxes, and click Create Shared Inbox. Choose Email as the channel.
- Name the inbox, then sign in with a Gmail account or enter the Google Group address. Choose whether to import the last 100 emails.
- Invite teammates and add each one to the inbox. They must register with Hiver before you can assign email to them.
Where the integration stops
- Chrome and Google Workspace only. Hiver supports the latest stable Chrome, not Firefox, Safari or Edge, and it does not work with personal Gmail accounts. Hiver Omni is the standalone product for other email providers.
- New teammates get 90 days or 10,000 emails. Older mail needs an extended-sync add-on, which you request from Hiver support.
- Google Group inboxes depend on one person. Sync runs through the primary user who created the connection. It breaks if that person leaves the group, changes subscription or posting settings, or has a filter that diverts the mail.
- Gmail must use standard view with Conversation view on. Assignments, notes and status updates do not work properly otherwise.
- Plan caps apply to inboxes and users. Growth includes 2 shared inboxes and 10 users, Pro includes 5 inboxes, and Elite is unlimited. Every plan starts at 2 seats.
- The Google permissions are broad. Hiver asks to read, send and permanently delete email and to change settings and filters. Review them with your security owner before rollout.
Hiver in Gmail is a Chrome extension that turns addresses like support@ or info@ into shared inboxes inside Gmail. It suits teams on Google Workspace that handle customer email together. Hiver builds the extension and charges per user, as the pricing page shows.
The requirement that most often surprises teams is the account type. Hiver works only with Google Workspace accounts, not personal Gmail, and only in Chrome. Teams on Outlook or Firefox need Hiver Omni instead, which is a separate product.
The connector covers the Gmail side of email support. It does not sync contacts or deals. CRM context (Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive and others) comes through separate Hiver integrations, which the pricing page places on the Pro plan and above.
Mail moves both ways, but only for addresses you connect
Hiver reads mail sent to the Gmail account, Google Group or alias you connect. It shows that mail in the shared inbox. Replies leave through Gmail, and the sender can be a personal address, the shared address or an alias.
Hiver also changes Gmail on your behalf. Its permissions let it set up forwarding, filters and send-as addresses. They also let it delete emails when it splits a thread between inboxes.
The docs I read don't say where assignments, notes and status are stored. Check that with Hiver before you rely on Gmail search for them.
History stops at 90 days for new teammates
When you connect a Workspace account, Hiver offers to import the last 100 emails. When you add a teammate to a shared inbox, Hiver syncs unresolved conversations and Closed emails from the last 90 days. The ceiling is 90 days or 10,000 emails, whichever comes first.
Older mail needs an add-on from Hiver support. Plan for this if you migrate a busy inbox.
Google Group inboxes hang on one mailbox
A Google Group inbox syncs through the primary user who created the connection. If that person leaves the company, changes group settings or adds a filter that archives mail, sync stops.
Pick a stable account for the connection and write down who it is. The Admin Panel highlights the primary user in the Participants tab. Before connecting a group, set posting to External and subscription to each email.
Plan limits shape the rollout
Every paid plan includes the Gmail connection, and the pricing page lists no free plan. Growth caps you at 2 shared inboxes, 10 users and 1 alias per inbox. Pro raises that to 5 inboxes and unlimited users. Rules that move email from personal inboxes into shared inboxes need Elite.
The trial gives you Elite features for 7 days, so test those rules before you pick a plan.