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By default, push email is off for all folders. Thunderbird for Android allows you to configure a limited number of folders (IMAP only; POP is not supported.) for push email so that you can see incoming email messages immediately.
Table of Contents
- 1 Turn on push email for a folder
- 2 The push email service notification
- 3 Configure the push email service notification using "Configure notification"
- 4 Disable Push email from the push email service notification using "Disable Push"
- 5 Turn off push email for a folder
- 6 New Email notifications are completely separate from the push email service notification
- 7 Learn more
Turn on push email for a folder
> your email account > > > . Thunderbird does not warn you when this limit is exceeded. Exceeding this limit will result in push email not working on some of the folders you configured for push.- Tap at the top left. If your email accounts are hidden, tap at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap account e.g. your gmail account > tap .
- Tap your folder of choice. For example: tap Inbox to enable push email for your Inbox.
- Turn on push email for this folder by tapping until the slider is on the right for Enable Push.
- Turn off sync for this folder by tapping until the slider is on the left for Enable sync.
Once push email is enabled for at least one folder, you should see a bell icon in the Android system bar. The bell icon indicates that push email is enabled and working.
If you do not see the bell icon, please stop Thunderbird for Android and open it again.
Alarms & Reminders Permission for Android 13 and above
- On Android 13 and above, a notification will let you know you need to grant the Alarms & reminders permission. Proceed to the permissions screen by tapping the notification.
- Add this permission by tapping until the slider is on the right for Allow setting alarms and reminders. If you do not grant this permission, then push email will not work.
The push email service notification
- Once the permission is granted (or right after enabling push on older Android versions), Thunderbird for Android will display a push email service notification entitled Waiting for new emails:
- Tapping on the notification will allow you to configure the notification itself () or to disable push email altogether ():
Configure the push email service notification using "Configure notification"
You can change the display of this notification or hide it by tapping .
Hide the push email service notification
Hiding the push email service notification does not turn off push email.
- Slide Show notifications to the left.
Change the push email service notification
Minimizing the notification will hide the bell icon from the Android status bar, but still keep the notification in the notification shade. You will still be able to see the status of your push email service (e.g. Waiting for new emails or Sleeping until network is available).
Disable Push email from the push email service notification using "Disable Push"
Tap to disable push email altogether.
Turn off push email for a folder
- Tap at the top left. If your email accounts are hidden, tap at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap account e.g. your gmail account > tap .
- Tap your folder of choice. For example, tap Inbox to disable push email for your Inbox.
- Turn off push email for this folder by tapping until the slider is on the left for Enable Push.
- Turn on sync for this folder by tapping until the slider is on the right for Enable sync.
New Email notifications are completely separate from the push email service notification
The notifications for new email messages are configured separately from the push email service notification. New email notifications are configured as follows:
- Tap the application menu > Settings gear icon > > under Notification categories.
Learn more
- Wikipedia: Push email
- Google: Control notifications on Android
