Thunderbird on Android

This guide explains how to set up your mailbox account in the Thunderbird Mobile app on an Android device. Thunderbird Mobile can help you synchronise and manage your mailbox account on your Android device. We cover both automatic and manual configuration.

Prerequisites

Before starting the setup, ensure you meet the following requirements:

• An active mailbox account.
• The Thunderbird Mobile app installed on your Android device. You can download from the Google Play Store, or install it via F-Droid (free off charge).
• Optional: The OpenKeychain app to use OpenPGP encryption, if you want to secure your emails additionally.

1. Import existing Thunderbird account from desktop (or K-9 App)

Note

If you are not a Thunderbird user yet, follow the steps below for automatic setup.

The easiest way to get started is to import your email accounts from Thunderbird Desktop (or K-9). For full details on how to import an exisitng Thunderbird account please see: Import settings and data into Thunderbird for Android

2. Automatic Account Setup

Automatic Account Setup is the fastest way to configure your mailbox account in the Thunderbird Mobile app. The app automatically applies all necessary server settings for you.

Steps for automatic setup:

• Open the Thunderbird Mobile app on your Android device.
• Tap “Add Account”.
• Enter your full email address and password.
• Tap “Next” to start the automatic configuration process.

Note: This automatic setup works only if you use mailbox’s standard servers and do not have two-factor authentication enabled.

3. Manual Setup

If automatic setup fails or you want to configure advanced settings, you can manually set up your mailbox account. You need to enter the IMAP and SMTP server details with the correct ports.

2.1 Incoming Mail Server (IMAP)

To receive emails from your mailbox inbox, configure the incoming mail server (IMAP) as follows:

Setting	Value
Type	IMAP
Server	imap.mailbox.org
Port	993
Security	SSL/TLS
Authentication	Password, normal
Username	Your full email address

2.2 Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP)

To send emails, configure the outgoing mail server (SMTP) as follows:

Setting	Value
Server	smtp.mailbox.org
Port	465
Security	SSL/TLS
Authentication	Password, normal
Username	Your full email address

3. OpenPGP Encryption (Optional)

If you want secure email communication, you can set up OpenPGP encryption in the Thunderbird Mobile app. This protects your emails from unauthorized access.

Attention

Take extra precautions when managing your OpenPGP key on your Android device. If this device is lost or stolen, then your PGP key is non-recoverable. So make sure to back it up securely.

Steps to enable OpenPGP encryption:

• Install from the Google Play Store or via F-Droid (free off charge).
• Open the Thunderbird Mobile app and go to Settings → Accounts → End-to-end encryption.
• Toggle on Enable OpenPGP support to use your OpenKeychain key.
• Choose whether to sign or encrypt messages, or both.

Note: To encrypt an email, both you and the recipient must use OpenPGP and have the corresponding public keys.

Sending an Encrypted Email with the Thunderbird Mobile app

To test your encryption setup, you can send yourself an End-to-end encrypted test email:

• Compose a new email.
• Address it to yourself.
• Activate encryption by tapping the lock icon at the top right. If a green lock icon is displayed, then your mail should be End-to-end encrypted to the specified reciepients OpenPGP public key.

After sending, the received test email will also be marked as End-to-end encrypted with a green lock icon.

Alternative Apps

Some of our users recommend alternative apps that make handling encrypted emails easier. Two apps are mentioned most often:

• R2Mail2
• Squeaky Mail

Please note: We do not provide support for third-party software, including these apps.