How to Add Gmail to Thunderbird Effortlessly in 2024?

Justin Cener ~ Modified: October 15th, 2024 ~ Import ~ 7 Minutes Reading

Hey there! Ever wondered how to add Gmail to Thunderbird? You tre not alone. Many people face this challenge, but we will guide you to the solutions which can easily set up your Gmail account to Thunderbird. So, dive into the blog and find out the benefits of exporting your Gmail emails.

Gmail, a widely used email client, offers the best email service to their user base. It is a webmail program that allows you to access your account from any platform or device. Gmail is a free program providing many features including spam filters, 15 GB of free storage space, email filtering ability to organize your emails, and many more. But despite these benefits, still some users are who want to migrate their Gmail emails to Thunderbird.

Mozilla Thunderbird, another email application for desktop, is available for Windows, Mac and Linux OS. It is also a free open source software that offers functions such as multiple account support, message filters, free add-ons and extensions, etc. Hence, importing Gmail emails into Thunderbird gives you many benefits which we will explain below.

Benefits to Add Gmail to Thunderbird

Importing your Gmail account to Thunderbird has numerous perks. Some of them are discussed below.

Offline Access: Thunderbird is a desktop application, which allows you to view your Gmail emails without the internet using the MBOX file.
Unified Inbox: As the Thunderbird has an option to add their account, you can easily manage multiple email accounts in one place.
Data Backup: Having your email in Thunderbird will act as backup to save your important emails.
Export Option: Thunderbird has an export option to save and export their data in several file formats like EML and MBOX.

These are the advantages you will get when you save your Gmail emails in the Thunderbird account. Now, we will explain the methods that we have found from the internet.

Manually Add Gmail to Thunderbird

For the manual technique, we will take the help of the IMAP server. As the IMAP server is used to connect your email account with another. Therefore, users have to enable the IMAP option from Gmail. Then, connect their IMAP enabled Gmail to your Thunderbird. So, we have two primary steps you need to accomplish the task manually.

Prep your Gmail Account
Set up Thunderbird

From these steps, there are further substeps include which we will discuss as we move further in the article.

Step 1: Preparing Your Gmail Account

Before you add Gmail to Thunderbird, you need to tweak a few settings in your Google Mail account. So, that you will be ready to set up your Gmail account. Below are the steps to enable the IMAP.

Open Gmail.
Click on the gear icon in the top right corner.
Select “See all settings”.
Go to the “Forwarding and POP/IMAP” tab.
In the “IMAP Access” section, select “Enable IMAP”.
Click “Save Changes”.

Boom! IMAP is enabled. Next, adjust your Google account’s security settings to migrate your emails. if your Google flags “Less Secure App”. then, go to the “Google Account Security Page” and in the Less secure app access section click “Allow less secure apps”. Now, you’re ready to connect Gmail to Thunderbird.

Step 2: Setting Up Thunderbird

Got Thunderbird installed? Great! If not, download and install it first. Now, let’s add Google Mail to Thunderbird.

Open Thunderbird.
On the Menu bar, click on the “Tools” >> “Account Settings” option.
Select “Account Action” and then “Add Mail Account”. A new window will pop up, asking for your account details.
Enter your name, Gmail address, and password.
Click “Continue”. Thunderbird will automatically detect the Gmail settings. You’ll see options for IMAP and POP3. We want IMAP.
Ensure IMAP is selected and click “Done”.

Thunderbird will connect to your Gmail account and now you can start downloading your emails. This might take a few minutes, so grab a coffee while you wait.

Common Issues of Manual Method

Even with the best instructions, things can sometimes go wrong with the manual solutions. Here are a few common issues you may face.

After following proper steps, if you cannot connect Gmail to Thunderbird. So, check if your Gmail settings enabled IMAP.
When finally your account is configured with the Thunderbird, but your emails are not syncing. This can happen due to issues in server settings.
During the process, you are getting an authentication error. It might be because of the incorrect App Password.

These problems can happen to anyone, if you have also faced them. Then ditch the manual method and use a professional solution. If you are thinking how this method will help you then get ready to see the expert way to add Gmail to Thunderbird.

Import Gmail Emails to Thunderbird with Secured Method

To effortlessly move your Gmail emails in your Thunderbird account the Corbett Gmail Migration Tool will help you. This utility offers a reliable solution to your migrating Gmail data problem. Using the software you can easily and securely save and export your Gmail emails, contacts, calendars, attachments to any other email client. In addition to that, the software is compatible with all Windows OS versions. The best part of the utility is that you can directly import Gmail to Thunderbird without any issues. So, below are the steps you can use to download your emails.

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Steps to Add Gmail to Thunderbird Effortlessly

Download and Launch the Gmail Backup Utility on your Windows computer.
Then, click on “Open” >> “Email Accounts” >> “Add Accounts”.
Next, enter your Gmail account credentials (username & app password) to add your Gmail account to the software.
Upon doing so, the tool will automatically load your Gmail mailbox, then you can preview your data before exporting it.
Once you preview your emails, click the “Export” tab and select the “Thunderbird” option from the dropdown list.
Lastly, click on the “Save” button and the tool will start the import process.

That’s it! That’s all the steps to successfully importing MBOX to Thunderbird account. Now, let us move ahead and take a look at some commonly asked queries asked by users regarding this topic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Can I Add Multiple Gmail Accounts to Thunderbird?

Absolutely! You can add multiple Gmail accounts to Thunderbird by repeating the setup process for each account.

Q2: Is Thunderbird Safe to Use with Gmail?

Yes, Thunderbird is safe to use with Google Mail. Just make sure to keep Thunderbird updated and follow the security steps.

Q3: What If I Use Two-Factor Authentication?

If you use two-factor authentication, you’ll need to generate an app password for Thunderbird. Follow the steps in the “Authentication Error” section above.

Q4: Can I Use Thunderbird on Multiple Devices?

Yes, you can use Thunderbird on multiple devices. Just set up your Gmail account on each device using the methods mentioned above.

Q5: How Do I Backup My Emails in Thunderbird?

To back up your emails:

Go to Tools in the Thunderbird menu.
Select Export.
Choose the folders you want to back up and save them to your desired location.

This ensures your emails are safe, even if something goes wrong.

Q6: How Do I Unsubscribe from Folders in Thunderbird?

To unsubscribe from folders:

Right-click on your Gmail account in Thunderbird.
Select Subscribe.
Uncheck the folders you no longer want to sync.
Click Unsubscribe and then OK.

This keeps your Thunderbird clean and organized.

Final Thoughts

Adding Gmail to Thunderbird is a game-changer for email management. It brings convenience, customization, and offline access to your fingertips. By following this guide, you’ve got everything you need to make the switch smoothly. Choose either of the solutions in accordance to your requirements.

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