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How To Setup Gmail In Thunderbird Using IMAP?

Published by admin on Last Updated On :Dec 17, 2021

Gmail and Thunderbird are absolutely fine with each other. Both the email services are popular among users and have been used for several years. Many users only use Thunderbird, other users have accounts on both Gmail and Thunderbird. Thunderbird is an open-source, cross-platform email service application that allows you to setup Gmail in Thunderbird. 

So if you have been looking for a way to sync your Gmail messages with your local version of Thunderbird, here is the guide for you. Read it step-by-step and you will be able to Setup Thunderbird with Gmail. 

Steps to Configure Gmail Account

Gmail provides free webmail services to users all over the world. It can be synced with other email clients like Thunderbird, Outlook, etc. 

To begin How to setup Gmail in Thunderbird, first, you need to enable IMAP on your Gmail account and fill in the details asked by the server. 

1. Visit Gmail’s official website and sign in to your Gmail account. 
2. From the top-right corner, select the settings/gear icon.
3. Click on Select all settings.
4. Click on the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
5. From the IMAP section, choose Enable IMAP.
6. Save Changes.

IMAP Account Settings for Your Email Client

Once you have enabled the IMAP settings in Gmail, check if you require to set up IMAP settings on your email client side also. If yes, here are the IMAP settings for you:

Incoming Mail (IMAP) Server

1. IMAP Server: imap.gmail.com
2. Port: 993
3. Require SSL: Yes
4. Username: Your Gmail email id/address
5. Password: Your Gmail email password

Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server

1. SMTP Server: smtp.gmail.com
2. Port for SSL: 465
3. Port for TLS/STARTTLS: 587
4. Require SSL: Yes
5. Requires TLS: Yes (if available)
6. Require authentication: Yes
7. Username: Your Gmail email address
8. Password: Your Gmail email password

Steps to Access Gmail With Thunderbird

Now that you have set up a Gmail account, proceed further to configure its settings in thunderbird. It is essential so you can access Gmail with Thunderbird. 

• Launch the application Thunderbird on your system.
• Go to File or press the Alt key.
• Select New and then click on Existing Mail Account.
• In the Set Up an Existing Email Account dialog box

1. 1. Enter your Gmail username
   2. Enter your Gmail account address
   3. And, enter your Gmail account password

• Thunderbird will automatically configure the Gmail connection. 
• Select Continue and the program will fetch the correct server details. 
• Select Done.
• A prompt asking you to log in to your Gmail account will appear.
• Log in with your Gmail credentials. 

Wait until thunderbird downloads your Gmail messages. After it’s done, you can access your Gmail messages on thunderbird easily. 

Organize Gmail Folder in Your Thunderbird Account

As an effect of IMAP implementation, your Gmail labels become thunderbird’s folders. Every time you create a label in your Gmail account, a folder for the same label will also be created and saved in thunderbird. 

But, you can set up a Gmail folder that will display in the thunderbird account. 

1. Launch your thunderbird application.
2. Head to File menu and select subscribe.
3. Uncheck boxes of the folder you don’t want to display in your thunderbird account. 
4. Click OK.

All uncheck folders will be invisible from your Thunderbird account. 

Note: Earlier Mozilla used to manage the thunderbird. However, both have been operating separately now except for some of the thunderbird resources that Mozilla hosts even now. 

Wrapping Up

We hope that with the steps mentioned above, you should have setup Gmail in thunderbird. It’s easier than outlook and other email clients. Further, if you encounter any issue or need technical help, you can connect with our Gmail support technician, who have expertise in resolving all complex issues.

Written By

Admin