Many people use Thunderbird with their Gmail workspace. However, sometimes issues arise that prevent Thunderbird from working with Gmail. This happens because Thunderbird is not syncing with Gmail due to incorrect IMAP settings. The computer’s antivirus or firewall may also be preventing Thunderbird from connecting to Gmail.
Read: How to Fix Thunderbird Email Not Working Error?
Hence, it is necessary to enable IMAP settings and change antivirus settings to fix this problem. You also need to enable OAuth2 authentication in your Gmail account settings. Keep reading to learn more about all these improvements.
Fix for Thunderbird not working with Gmail
Use these steps to resolve this issue. They are easy to understand and will solve the error effectively.
1. Configure Thunderbird Gmail Account on oAuth
This is for those who haven’t updated to Thunderbird. This means that you are using a version lower than 91.8.0. Apart from them, those using the newer version of Thunderbird can also use this method to find out whether their authentication method is set to OAuth2 or not.
1- Outgoing Server
- Go to “Account Settings”.
- Now select your account from the list of accounts.
- Locate “Outgoing Server (SMTP)” at the bottom of the Settings pane.
- After that, tap on “Change SMTP Server…” on the right side.
- In the SMTP Server dialog check whether the Authentication Method is set to OAuth2.
- To confirm the SMTP settings, press “OK”.
2- Incoming server
- Go to “Account Settings”.
- Select your account from the list.
- Select the “Server Settings” subsection under your account entry.
- If you don’t see it, toggle the “>” button below it.
- In “Security Settings”, check whether the Authentication Method is set to OAuth2.
2. Enable the IMAP Setting.
Enabling IMAP settings to sync with Gmail is also a good solution for those complaining that Thunderbird has stopped working with Gmail. The IMAP protocol contains all e-mails and allows client applications to view actions on these messages. Enabling its settings will allow Thunderbird to work properly with Gmail.
- In your Gmail account, tap on the “Settings” tab. It’s in the upper right.
- Now go to the “Transfer/IMAP” section.
- In the “IMAP Access” section, select “Enable IMAP”.
- Finally, tap on “Save Changes”. ,
3. Change Anti-Virus Settings
The computer security software or antivirus sees Thunderbird as suspicious. This is the reason why Thunderbird is not able to connect to Gmail. Emails have been blocked to prevent Thunderbird from working. Use these dots to change antivirus settings.
- On your computer, go to “Settings”.
- Now navigate to “Update & Security”.
- Here, click on “Windows Security”.
- Click on “Virus and threat protection”.
- After that, go to “Manage Settings”.
- Go to “Add or remove exclusions”.
- Tap “Add an exclusion”.
- After that, select “Thunderbird”.
4. Revert to the Older Version of Mozilla Thunderbird
Many people may not be using the latest version of Thunderbird. This is because their service provider does not support it. If you get Thunderbird secure connection failed errors, it would be best to downgrade to an older version of Thunderbird.
Note: Before upgrading to an older version of Thunderbird, remember to back up your data. Uninstalling the app will not delete your profile.
- Go to “Tools”.
- Disable Automatic Updates.
- To do this, go to “Options” followed by “Advanced”.
- Now select “Update”.
- After that, remove the existing version of Thunderbird.
- Then download the previous version of Mozilla Thunderbird.
- Install its setup on your system.
- Choose your operating system.
- Install the mail client from the installation file as you normally install it.
- Be sure to use the same location you used during installation.
- After that open Thunderbird.
- The email client will automatically select the profile.
- Will install it too.
- But if not, create a new profile.
- Your add-ons may be affected in the process due to their incompatibility with the new version of Thunderbird you have installed.
5. Create a Password for the Gmail App.
Creating different passwords for each application provides better protection against hacking. If you find that Thunderbird can’t connect to Gmail, generating a Gmail app password might help. Here are the details on how to make it.
- Go to your Google My Account page.
- Log in to your Gmail.
- After that, go to the “Security” tab.
- Now tap on “Select App” at the bottom.
- Select the app you are using.
- Select the “Other” option.
- After that, enter your own app name.
- Now tap on “Select Device”.
- Select the device you are using.
- Now select the “Other” option.
- Enter your own device name.
- After that, tap on “Generate”.
- Follow the on-screen pointers to enter the App Password on your device.
- This password is a 16-character code.
- Finally, click “Done”.
6. Use Another Email Client
If none of the methods work, a good option is to switch to another email client such as Outlook. To store email, Thunderbird uses the MBOX format. Switching to Outlook is also a better option as it has many features that users can take advantage of.
To access files in MBOX format in Outlook, there is a need to convert the files to PST format. It is far more advanced than MBOX, with features like more security. But you need to contact a professional to do this conversion. They can use third-party tools to easily convert MBOX files to PST.
7. Connect with your ISP
Sometimes no resolution works. So if you still can’t use Thunderbird with Gmail, contact your ISP. Maybe they have blocked outgoing messages. This blockage prevents Thunderbird from working optimally with Gmail.
Conclusion
You can now use Mozilla Thunderbird with Gmail without complaining about any issues. Be sure to enable IMAP and SMTP settings, configure OAuth, and change anti-virus settings. You won’t complain about Thunderbird not working with Gmail. If you need further assistance with any process, contact a technical support specialist via email.