Join the AMA (Ask Me Anything) with the Firefox leadership team to celebrate Firefox 20th anniversary and discuss Firefox’s future on Mozilla Connect. Mark your calendar on Thursday, November 14, 18:00 - 20:00 UTC!

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.

Avatar for Username

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

This thread was archived. Please ask a new question if you need help.

I use thunderbird for multiple email addresses - I want to set one of them as the default one for sending

  • 3 replies
  • 3 have this problem
  • 8 views
  • Last reply by Toad-Hall

Simon
Simon
more options

I have used Thunderbird for years now to manage multiple email addresses, some Gmail, some not; I tend to use one of the Gmail addresses as my main one, and want to set this as my default one for writing emails.

As I have several addresses, TBird obviously lists them in the 'From' box of the email window with a drop down arrow, but I don't always spot that it has one of other addresses as the 'From', and some of my contacts get very confused, as a couple of my addresses are aliases, so don't have my name as the sender. It seems to used the account that is highlighted at the time as the sender, and this can obviously be changed by choosing another acount as the sender, but I don't always spot this when I'm writing to a new contact for example...

Is there a way to set a defualt address for sending to any of my contacts, or a new contact?

Thanks.

I have used Thunderbird for years now to manage multiple email addresses, some Gmail, some not; I tend to use one of the Gmail addresses as my main one, and want to set this as my default one for writing emails. As I have several addresses, TBird obviously lists them in the 'From' box of the email window with a drop down arrow, but I don't always spot that it has one of other addresses as the 'From', and some of my contacts get very confused, as a couple of my addresses are aliases, so don't have my name as the sender. It seems to used the account that is highlighted at the time as the sender, and this can obviously be changed by choosing another acount as the sender, but I don't always spot this when I'm writing to a new contact for example... Is there a way to set a defualt address for sending to any of my contacts, or a new contact? Thanks.

All Replies (3)

Wayne Mery
Wayne Mery
  • Moderator
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

Options (or Tools) | Settings then pick the account you wish to preference, and choose action at the bottom to "Set as Default"

Simon
Simon Question owner
more options

Thanks, I've tried this, but if I am in another gmail account inbox in Tbird, and click 'Write', it still opens an email with the 'from' box being from the account I am in, not the Gmail account I set as default. I also have a tesco.net account in Tbird, and your solution works with that account.. must be a Gmail thing...

Toad-Hall
Toad-Hall
  • Top 10 Contributor
more options

re :if I am in another gmail account inbox in Tbird, and click 'Write', it still opens an email with the 'from' box being from the account I am in, not the Gmail account I set as default. This is correct. Thunderbird assumes: If you are viewing account A and want to send an email then it uses Account A email address. If you are viewing account B and want to send an email then it uses Account B email address.

As the assumption is that you may want to write an email in response to reading an email.

If for some reason Thunderbird cannot detect which to use, then it will default to the email address of the account set up as default.