Auto configure of a POP account
I want to use Thunderbird to access my Gmail account using POP. This is because Outlook 2016 is being cast aside by Gmail on May30 (2022) because it lacks a "sign in via google" facility. My question is; if I use the autoconfigure facility for POP in Thunderbird will it "leave emails on the server" by default. It is not clear that the autoconfiguration of POP by Thunderbird does leave the emails on the gmail server. Basically I want to be able to periodically download emails to my PC (Win11) and back them up locally rather than being reliant on web access. However I still want to use Gmail from my phone so I don't want all my emails to disappear! using emails on phone can be convenient but it is a poor substitute for a proper screen & keyboard when you are dealing with attachments etc.
All Replies (2)
I don't think it's automatic, but easily set at tools>account settings>server settings.
If you add the account in offline mode, from File/Offline/Work Offline, all the settings can be entered in Advanced config. before the first connection to the mail server. In that way, when TB is back online, on the first connection and afterwards, the messages will be left on the server after download, if that is the setting.
But if you are accessing the account on other devices including a phone, an IMAP setup would sync the mail folders across all devices, and you would still have the option to copy all folders to Local Folders, not just Inbox, that is a limitation with a POP setup.