These 9 Thunderbird features made me ditch Gmail for good

At the start of this 12 months, I made a decision to ditch Gmail for the primary time in about 15 years. It was not my plan to let down Google’s e mail app, as I’ve all the time loved options comparable to Proofread, Confidential Mode, and Undo Ship ( this one saved me as soon as once I nearly despatched an e mail meant for my spouse to my boss). However that doesn’t imply it’s the best choice for everybody.

Over time, the Gmail app stopped feeling like a instrument for sending and receiving emails and have become like a marketer making an attempt to promote me Google’s companies. From the push for sensible options that I don’t must advertisements and the cluttered, AI-supported interface, checking my emails turned a chore.

So, regardless of my skepticism for the alternate options, I lastly reached my breaking level in February this 12 months and determined to maneuver to Thunderbird on Home windows and Android. I’ve used it for about seven months now, and Gmail not feels the apparent winner. My solely remorse isn’t leaping ship sooner. To zero in on why I prefer it, listed here are the principle the explanation why I could by no means return to Gmail.

Have you ever ever been on a flight, vigorously trying to find a piece e mail you obtained two weeks in the past, solely to search out out you can’t entry it as a result of there’s no web connection? You aren’t alone. That’s the scenario I discovered myself in again in December 2025 whereas touring to Canada. Professionals throughout numerous sectors utilizing Gmail as a standalone e mail app usually face the identical infuriating actuality. The platform prioritizes cloud connectivity over offline performance, leaving customers stranded when there’s no web entry.

Thunderbird, then again, is an e mail consumer with native storage, that means I can retailer emails on my machine, learn them offline, and maintain my workflow versatile. Whether or not it’s working throughout lengthy flights, touring to areas with spotty protection, or coping with community outages, I do not need to depend on a relentless browser session. Whereas Gmail may also allow you to entry your emails with out an web connection, its options are considerably restricted.

To allow this setting in Thunderbird in your PC, click on Account settings on the top-right nook of your display. From right here, choose Synchronization and storage, then examine the Maintain messages for this account on this laptop setting. As soon as full, Thunderbird will obtain all of the messages for the chosen folders so you possibly can entry them offline seamlessly.

You can too obtain and save all of your messages by altering the message retention settings.  Navigate to Settings, click on Account settings, and choose Synchronization and storage. Underneath Message Synchronizing, select Superior and examine all of the folders you need to entry offline. From the identical tab underneath Disk house, choose Synchronize all messages domestically no matter age. Disable Don’t obtain messages bigger than and hit OK.

After that, you’ll get true offline entry. You may entry your messages or e mail historical past from final month or final 12 months with out web connectivity. Simply be aware that giant e mail attachments could take up a whole lot of house in your machine.

 One other notable characteristic of Thunderbird is help for third-party add-ons you could set up to make it extra productive in your PC. Whether or not it’s add-ons for sending messages with end-to-end encryption, importing massive e mail attachments to the cloud, or creating numerous templates, you can find them in Thunderbird. To entry the add-ons in your PC, navigate to Settings, then scroll right down to Add-ons and themes. From right here, you possibly can browse or seek for the add-on you’re searching for after which faucet Add to Thunderbird.

The Android Thunderbird app additionally offers you absolute management over how the inbox seems. You may alter the themes, colour codes for sure emails, and even fonts.  Faucet Settings, then Common settings, and faucet Show. From right here, you possibly can alter the show density: choose Relaxed (to see extra emails rapidly) or Compact (to scale back the variety of emails you possibly can see at a look). You can too enhance the variety of message preview strains to 6. This lets you rapidly examine an e mail and resolve whether or not it’s price studying. The cut up view characteristic, additionally discovered underneath the Show settings, appears like a desktop e mail consumer on a foldable or a bigger telephone.

 Thunderbird is open supply, making it extra interesting to privacy-conscious customers like me who deal with delicate emails. The code is out there for inspection, and anybody can analyze the way it works, counsel enhancements, or, extra importantly, research what it does together with your information. There are not any hidden information mining scripts or trackers within the background.

With Thunderbird, I can sit fairly understanding I’m not buying and selling my information or consideration for a free utility. As well as, Thunderbird additionally has an OpenPGP characteristic that permits me to ship or obtain encrypted emails with out going by way of third-party plugins. To entry the characteristic within the Android app, navigate to Settings, faucet Common Settings, then faucet the e-mail or e mail accounts you need to encrypt. Subsequent, scroll right down to Finish-to-end encryption and toggle on Allow OpenPGP help.

Any more, solely the individual you ship your emails to can learn your emails.

When Google launched its first generative AI characteristic in Gmail, “Assist me write,” in 2023, the app started to really feel like a private assistant quite than a primary e mail consumer. Step by step, the tech large went on so as to add extra AI options to the app, comparable to e mail nudges and advised replies, that generally predict what isn’t even on my thoughts.

Whereas you too can add AI options to Thunderbird through add-ons like Thunder AI, embracing Thunderbird (the essential model) has proven me a greater approach to handle emails. There are not any compelled AI instruments making an attempt to counsel my subsequent reply. I additionally favor to learn and reply to my messages quite than depend on a machine to understand them and counsel canned replies.

Thunderbird’s normal model is totally free; there are not any limitations or paid licenses. Not like Gmail, the place sponsored banners, refined nudges, and paid subscriptions are the order of the day, Thunderbird solely exhibits you what’s necessary: your emails, freed from cost. For a small enterprise proprietor like me with a restricted finances, this implies I can seamlessly obtain, set up, and configure the e-mail consumer with out breaking the financial institution.

Whereas Gmail is technically free, the comfort comes at a value. Google depends closely on consumer information. Google might not be scanning emails to tailor advertisements, however it collects a heap of knowledge to craft a profile for advert focusing on throughout the Google companies you have got signed up for.

The character of my work requires me to make use of completely different working techniques and gadgets. I exploit Logic Professional on my MacBook Professional to assist a pal edit songs, an HP ZBook for analysis, and my Samsung Galaxy A70 for testing and debugging Android apps. Thunderbird makes it seamless for me to entry my messages on any machine, as it’s suitable with all these platforms.

In case you are utilizing a laptop computer, whether or not Home windows or macOS, and need to change to Android, you possibly can immediately sync the setup together with your Android telephone utilizing a QR code and use it to entry your messages. In your desktop e mail consumer, click on Settings and choose Export for cell. A QR code ought to seem.  Subsequent, launch the app in your telephone, navigate to Settings, faucet Import settings, and choose Scan QR code. Scan the code in your PC and faucet Import.

After you full the method, you must be capable to entry your e mail in your telephone simply as you do in your laptop computer or PC.

It isn’t as soon as nor twice that I’ve had issues with how the Gmail app generally handles notifications on Android. In some circumstances, they could pop up hours or days later, or worse, not arrive in any respect. You’ll be sitting someplace ready for suggestions from a consumer, and assume they haven’t responded, but they did so a day or two in the past.

I attempted fixing the difficulty with out a lot success. The one choice I had was to maintain on refreshing my e mail at any time when I used to be anticipating an necessary e mail. Nevertheless, after switching to Thunderbird, that’s not the case. Notifications arrive promptly every time.  The characteristic comes enabled by default, however you possibly can nonetheless allow it your self if it isn’t. Open the Thunderbird app, faucet Settings, after which underneath Accounts, faucet the emails you need to allow notifications for. Subsequent, faucet Notifications and examine New mail notifications.

Upon doing this, you’ll get notifications nearly instantly if you obtain an e mail.

I’ve a number of e mail addresses from numerous suppliers, and protecting tabs on them might be overwhelming.  Thunderbird considerably reduces this downside by permitting me so as to add as many emails as doable. Whether or not it’s Yahoo, Gmail, or Outlook, I can use all of them from a single app or view. Whereas Gmail additionally has this characteristic, it isn’t designed to deal with numerous addresses. Just a few will work; many gained’t. To entry the characteristic, in your Thunderbird app, faucet the Predominant menu within the top-left nook, then choose Add account. Add the e-mail deal with and faucet Subsequent. Relying in your safety settings, it’s possible you’ll be required to substantiate the addition from the e-mail you’re including.

Nevertheless, be aware that by default, messages from completely different e mail accounts are saved in separate folders. You may alter the settings to a unified view that exhibits all emails from all of your accounts. Faucet the Predominant menu (three straight strains) within the top-left nook of your Thunderbird app, then choose Unified Account.

From right here, you must be capable to see all of your emails no matter which e mail account they’re in. The perfect half? Every e mail is coded by e mail account, making it simple to find out which e mail comes from which account.

Thunderbird comes with a dependable spam filtering characteristic that lets customers configure which messages go to the spam folder. While you mark a message as junk, it teaches the e-mail consumer to funnel such emails to the spam folder.  To do that within the Android app, long-press the e-mail in query, faucet the three dots on the top-right-hand nook, and choose Spam. The e-mail will likely be moved to the spam folder.

You can too do the identical for different emails. For instance, you possibly can transfer promotional or publication emails to a particular folder for seamless group. Within the Thunderbird app, choose the messages you need to transfer by long-pressing one in all them to focus on it. Then faucet some other messages you need to transfer, and choose the three dots within the top-right nook. From the drop-down menu, choose Transfer after which select the folder you need to transfer the messages to.

The chosen messages will immediately transfer to the folder you’ve chosen, making them simpler to search out.

If you happen to use Gmail, you’re probably additionally utilizing Google Drive or Calendar. Whereas that may be a bonus for some, because it makes duties like collaboration and e mail scheduling seamless, for some like me, it’s pointless. It isn’t that I don’t just like the options, however they make me really feel as if all my conversations are linked to Google’s ecosystem, whether or not I would like them to be or not.

I’m wonderful with Thunderbird as a primary e mail consumer. It doesn’t attempt to be a purchasing tracker or a productiveness dashboard in my e mail. It additionally offers me a transparent boundary between my messages and different duties  I do on-line, making it much less intrusive. The consumer interface can also be minimal and easy, making it perfect for customers who need to keep away from distractions or vendor lock-in.

These are a few of Thunderbird’s distinctive options that serve me effectively. My e mail interface is much less cluttered and appears like a instrument once more! As Gmail continues to undertake a number of AI-driven options that I take into account pointless or noisy, Thunderbird is proof sufficient that an e mail app needn’t be difficult or sensible to be potent. It solely wants to supply strong customization capabilities, be easy, and be personal.

In case you are bored with the litter and able to break away from Google, the change to Thunderbird isn’t as exhausting because it appears.