Great forward progress on the New Account Setup, some Material 3 experiments, and more in this month’s Thunderbird for Android progress report.

Apparently our July has been so busy that we didn’t find the time to write up the progress report for June. But a late report is better than no report! Let’s check in on the development of Thunderbird for Android.

Our journey to transform K-9 Mail to Thunderbird for Android involves more than just improving the user interface and adding new features. K-9 Mail is already an important part of the open source ecosystem on Android, and because it lays the foundation for the future of Thunderbird on Android, we believe it’s important to invest in the security health of the software. 

With this year’s version, we’re delivering much more than just another yearly release. Supernova represents a modernized overhaul of the software – both visually and technically – while retaining the familiarity and flexibility you expect from Thunderbird.

Thunderbird for Android gets one step closer, as K-9 Mail integrates Thunderbird’s Autoconfiguration feature for new accounts.

We asked Jon Hicks, the creator of the original Firefox and Thunderbird logos, to re-imagine his iconic design in light of Thunderbird’s exciting future. 

We’re back with another progress report as we continue improving K-9 Mail for its transformation to Thunderbird for Android! We spent most of the previous month preparing for a new stable release. In April 2023, we finally published K-9 Mail 6.600.

Last year, our mighty donor base contributed a record-breaking amount in donations to the Thunderbird project. This was a bright, assertive sign that you want to see Thunderbird thriving. Not just in 2023, but decades into the future! 

Last month we reported on the progress we made in turning K-9 Mail into Thunderbird for Android. Since then a month has passed, so it’s time for another detailed update. Let’s dive in!

While K-9 Mail / Thunderbird for Android is developed in the open, following its development on GitHub can be somewhat tedious for a casual observer. So we’re trying something new and summarizing the most notable things that happened in the past month.

“Why does Thunderbird look so old, and why does it take so long to change?” Let’s answer that burning question with some important history, and a look into the future.

In Thunderbird 102.7.0, we will be making some changes to the way we handle OAuth2 authorization with Microsoft accounts, and this may involve some extra work for users currently using Microsoft-hosted accounts through their employer or educational institution.

Last week we showed you the new Swipe actions in K-9 Mail 6.400. Today, it’s something even more exciting: a completely redesigned message view! 

The path to bringing you a great email experience on Android devices begins with K-9 Mail, which joined the Thunderbird product family earlier this year. As we work towards a modern redesign of desktop Thunderbird, we’re also working towards improving K-9 Mail as it begins its transition to Thunderbird mobile!

A few short years ago, Thunderbird was on the verge of extinction. But you saved us! Today, we need your help again.