Thunderbird 140 is here: better dark mode and native notifications

Thunderbird 140 ESR is here: The new Extended Support Release adds many new functions to the email client compared to its ESR predecessor 128. Version 140 also bundles the features that users of the regular release channel have already received.

Dark mode is now also automatically active for the message view. However, users can also reactivate the light color scheme when writing emails by clicking on the button in the header, while the rest of the client remains in dark mode.

In addition, the layout of Thunderbird can now be quickly customized in the settings: With one click, users can switch between different views - as a table or cards - and further customize the latter if required. The default sorting of folders and thread options can also be configured here. Another new feature is that folders can be moved around in the client itself using drag-and-drop.

Notifications natively from the OS

Thunderbird now uses the native notifications of the operating system, regardless of whether it is Windows, macOS, or Linux. Users can perform actions directly in them, for example, to mark emails as read or delete them without switching to the client. Users can also define their actions for the notifications. Administrators can set up the notifications with central guidelines.

The developers have redesigned the Account Hub: Users can set up new accounts in it – however, they will only get to see it from the second access. According to Thunderbird, the aim is to make it easier to add additional accounts than with the previous tab process. The Account Hub not only works with email accounts but also calendars and address books - but is not active for the latter by default.

If you use the Thunderbird app on your Android smartphone, you can transfer your settings from your desktop using a QR code. In addition to the account configurations, login names and passwords are also transferred. Each QR code only contains one account; however, Thunderbird automatically creates all QR codes at once, and users have to switch to the next one on the desktop with one click and scan it.

Microsoft Exchange for emails only

The new Microsoft Exchange support is still experimental: it currently only works with emails – i.e., setting up access, folder management, and writing, sending, and receiving messages. Appointments in the calendar and contacts cannot yet be managed with Thunderbird. The developers have been working on native Exchange support for some time now; it was originally planned for ESR version 128. Users currently need the Eule extension.

There are also many smaller changes and bug fixes, which are listed in the release notes. Thunderbird 140 appears as open-source software and is available immediately. Anyone who has installed the program under Linux via Snap or Flatpak should receive the update in the following weeks; it should also be available in the Windows Store in mid-July.

(fo)