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webmail, gmail, outlook, beginner guide, introduction

Getting started with Thunderbird for webmail users

[[T:TBMore]] __TOC__ =What is an email client?= If you are used to using email through your web browser like gmail.com or outlook.com then the concept of an email client may be unfamiliar to you. Today many people manage their email on the web using services such as Gmail.com or Outlook.com. These “webmail” email service providers offer access to email accounts through any web browser. It is convenient because you can get your email from almost any computer. If you are away from home for work or vacation you can easily check your email on somebody else’s computer. Another way to handle your email is to use an email client program like ''Thunderbird'' or ''Apple Mail'' or ''Outlook'' installed on your own computer. A program like this offers many advantages over using a web email client. It lets you organize your email exactly how you want, it enables you to read and search your email when you are offline, and you can manage multiple email accounts (e.g. your work gmail and your personal gmail and your personal outlook accounts) in one place. Of course, desktop email clients and web email clients can coexist side-by-side. Using an email client at home does not prevent you from using webmail if for example you want to check your account while you are on the road. Thunderbird is a feature-rich, reliable, and secure email client for managing your email. It's free and open source. Thunderbird has been around since 2004, and is used by many people around the world. Best of all, it runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. You can connect to any email service that supports email standards (e.g. ''POP'', ''IMAP'' and ''SMTP''), including ''Outlook'', ''Exchange'', ''Gmail'', ''Hotmail'', ''GMX'' and ''Fastmail''. =Getting started for those who are used to webmail= Once you have installed Thunderbird on [[Installing Thunderbird on Windows|Windows]], [[Installing Thunderbird on Linux|Linux]] or [[Installing Thunderbird on Mac|macOS]] then the next steps are: ==Add your email accounts== [[Automatic Account Configuration|First, add your existing email accounts to Thunderbird]]. For example, add your [[Thunderbird and Gmail|gmail account(s)]], or add your outlook, hotmail, office365 accounts using [[Microsoft OAuth Authentication and Thunderbird in 2024|OAuth]]. ==Configure Thunderbird as you see fit. == * Perhaps you want [[Getting Started with the Thunderbird main window (Supernova and newer)#w_vertical-view-layout-with-card-view|Card View]]? * Perhaps you want a [[Switching the folder pane view|Unified Inbox]]? There are many possibilities. Please feel free to experiment in order to find your optimal setup. ==Check out the powerful features that an email client offers:== * Use the [[Quick Filter Toolbar]] to search a single account as you type. * Or use [[Global Search]] to search across multiple accounts. * [[Organize Your Messages by Using Filters|Organize your messages using filters]]. * [[Creating New Calendars|Multiple calendar accounts]] all in one place. * [[Advanced panel - System, network, updates, and other advanced settings in Thunderbird|Offline]] mode for reading emails and composing drafts while not connected to the internet. =For beginners and experts alike: Backups, the main window and more= * Please ensure you back up your Thunderbird data periodically. See: [[Export your Thunderbird Profile]] * There are a lot of features in Thunderbird's main window that might improve your workflow. Full details: [[Getting Started with the Thunderbird main window (Supernova and newer)]] =I'm not a beginner! What's changed?= Not new to Thunderbird? Perhaps checking it out after a few years? Then the following articles should be helpful in resuming your journey with Thunderbird: * [[New in Thunderbird 128 Nebula]] * [[Thunderbird 128 Nebula FAQ]] * [[Getting Started with the Thunderbird main window (Supernova and newer)]] * [[New in Thunderbird 115 Supernova]] * [[Thunderbird 115 Supernova FAQ]] =Need support? Got a Feature Request? Want to contribute to Thunderbird or Mozilla?= * If the [https://support.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird support articles for Thunderbird on this site] don't solve your problem and you need support please [https://support.mozilla.org/questions/new/thunderbird ask a question on our Thunderbird Forum]. * Please suggest feature requests and other improvements on [https://connect.mozilla.org/ Mozilla Connect]. * Did you know that our community of Thunderbird volunteers in addition to contributing sofware patches, answers support questions, localizes support articles and more? [https://www.thunderbird.net/participate/ Join us]!