Thunderbird for iOS: Mozilla gets started with development

Apple Mail for iOS will have an alternative in the near future: Mozilla is preparing a completely new Thunderbird app for iPhones.

Development of the open source email app Thunderbird for iOS has begun. This can be seen from the developer's Github instance.

As the developers write on Github, the Thunderbird version for iPhones is to be completely redeveloped "to create a high-quality email client tailored to iOS". The Android version of the mail app released in October 2024 is a further development of the K9 app , which was acquired by Mozilla in 2022.

Thunderbird for iOS: first alpha to be released at the end of 2025

Mozilla has set an initial rough schedule for the development of the iOS version. This envisages a first alpha version with rudimentary functions being made available via Testflight by the end of 2025.

Before the basic functions can be worked on, the focus of development is currently on building the architecture of the app and backend integration.

With regard to the basic functions of the alpha version, the team is initially concentrating on the display of e-mail messages before moving on to triage actions. Sending simple emails is also on the list.

Mozilla prepares paid Pro services

Thunderbird for iOS is not the only construction site at Mozilla. At the end of March 2025, the company announced that it would be introducing paid services, including its own mail provider service called Thundermail.

In addition, Thunderbird is to be supplemented with Pro services such as an appointment scheduling tool "Thunderbird Appointment" and a remake of Send "Firefox Send" – with Thunderbird Send –. AI functions based on Flower AI are also to become part of the Pro offering, with which Mozilla wants to earn money.

The company has not revealed when the Pro functions will be released.

(mho)