To change the sort filter from Tags, choose something else in View/Sort by, such as Date. Also, if you click the Quick Filter icon, the Quick Filter Bar appears, which includes the Tags button to show only tagged messages (see picture). Another route is to enable the Tag column and click the button at the top of the column to sort by tag.

Thank you, this solved the problem!! I didn't think of it since the messages were already sorted by date, I guess by default, without this option selected. That's quite confusing.... And I was afraid to click on any other option to not mess the things up even further... I have to say, Thunderbird is often quite counter-intuitive but I still like it. :)

I have the same original problem as trescojones : after the latest update of TB for Windows 7 I could not find the old option to search/filter by tag.

How did you manage that?

Hershmab said

I have the same original problem as trescojones : after the latest update of TB for Windows 7 I could not find the old option to search/filter by tag. How did you manage that?

Show the Quick Filter Bar under View/Toolbars, or Ctrl+Shift+K (see picture).

Thanks. It was just one of several (often tag-related) options that I miss when a new version of TB is issued.

I can understand Microsoft issuing many trivial updates to Windows because they have so many fearful paying customers who can be frightened into doing things they do not understand or want just in case they may be hacked. But Mozilla is not in the same position. They really should not continually make superficial (and apparently needless) changes just to show how active and clever they can be! And they do not even make any money out of it!

I don't think the toolbar and window layout changes for most users after a TB update, and I have never personally experienced it. Aside from that, the rate of change is sometimes too fast and out of control.