This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Messages stay in bold after opening. How can I get them to unbold

  • 7 replies
  • 2 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by alloy

more options

New messages used to change from Bold to Medium once I opened them but now they stay bold even when I've read them. The mozilla help refers to a function that enables you to set the time delay before bold is changed but no such option is on my mac. I am using latest version of Mac OS

New messages used to change from Bold to Medium once I opened them but now they stay bold even when I've read them. The mozilla help refers to a function that enables you to set the time delay before bold is changed but no such option is on my mac. I am using latest version of Mac OS

Chosen solution

In Windows, it is under Tools|Options|Display|Advanced

As Matt has pointed out, in a Mac that will be a little different.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Menu_differences_in_Windows,_Linux,_and_Mac

…tells us it's under Thunderbird|Preferences|Display|Advanced if you go by the old fashioned main menu across the top.

Note that under "Application button" it fails to point out that most of the navigation is done by hovering, and not by clicking on things.

Uninstalling/reinstalling is almost always entirely futile because by design doing this doesn't touch your stored messages, nor your settings. So whatever setting is awry at the moment will remain as it is now.

Read this answer in context 👍 1

All Replies (7)

more options

yes the same option is on the mac... in preference not options. but it will not help as it is set to immediately unless you already changed it.

Try restarting with add-ons disabled from the help menu and see if that has an effect.

more options

Thanks Matt. By 'option' I wasn't referring to to a tab but just saying that the text/tab that was supposed to be there, the option, wasn't there. so I still don't know how to set the 'delay' before a message is marked as 'Read' Restart with add-ons disabled. I have just done that but messages are still staying bold after opening. I opted for the 'safe mode' of restart with add-ons disabled - is that right? I've never consciously done anything in 'add-ons' or changed anything else. Would another option be to remove Thunderbird and then download it again but would that delete all my existing emails?

more options

Chosen Solution

In Windows, it is under Tools|Options|Display|Advanced

As Matt has pointed out, in a Mac that will be a little different.

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Menu_differences_in_Windows,_Linux,_and_Mac

…tells us it's under Thunderbird|Preferences|Display|Advanced if you go by the old fashioned main menu across the top.

Note that under "Application button" it fails to point out that most of the navigation is done by hovering, and not by clicking on things.

Uninstalling/reinstalling is almost always entirely futile because by design doing this doesn't touch your stored messages, nor your settings. So whatever setting is awry at the moment will remain as it is now.

Modified by Zenos

more options

Thank you, Zenos & Matt. Your ' Thunderbird|Preferences|Display|Advanced' enable me to find it after all. I was selecting Advanced from the top line of options instead of the 'Advanced' within 'Display. You're stars!

more options

Sorry but still a problem. I selected 'automatically mark messages as read' - 'immediately on display' which worked fine in that the subject line on the list of emails went from bold to medium but then, having closed the Thunderbird window and reopened it only 'unread' messages were listed. How can I set it to show 'all messages'? please. I have looked but there is only the little icon to ' show only unread', no icon to 'show all messages'

more options

Ah, curiouser and couriouser. Have just scrolled down the 'messages' window and at the top are all enread messages starting now and going back to 20th May. below there are all the messages I have opened - ones in medium type. Why? I wonder. So the read messages are there, just not intermingled in date order as they used to be. How do I stop 'unread' messages taking preference? please

more options

Ah, I've clicked on the head of the 'Date' column and now 'read' and 'unread' are in date order so hopefully that will be the end of the mystery and I can carry on as usual. Thanks again