How to Setup and Use Focused Mail in Mozilla Thunderbird

Learn how to use the focused mail feature in Mozilla Thunderbird, a popular open-source email client that can help you manage your inbox more efficiently.

If you are looking for a way to filter out the most important emails from the clutter in your inbox, you might be interested in the focused mail feature. This feature is available in Windows Mail, the default email app for Windows 10 and 11, but not in Mozilla Thunderbird, a popular open-source email client that many people prefer for its customization and security options. However, there is a way to get a similar functionality in Thunderbird using a combination of filters and tags.

In this article, we will show you how to set up the focused mail feature in Thunderbird and how to use it to manage your emails more effectively.

What is the Focused Mail Feature?

The focused mail feature is a feature that automatically sorts your incoming emails into two categories: Focused and Other. The Focused category contains the emails that are most relevant and important to you, such as messages from your contacts, your work, or your personal interests. The Other category contains the emails that are less relevant or important, such as newsletters, promotions, or social media notifications. The idea is to help you focus on the emails that matter most and reduce the distraction and clutter from the ones that don’t.

The focused mail feature is not a spam filter, as it does not delete or move any emails to a different folder. It simply organizes them into two tabs in your inbox, so you can easily switch between them and prioritize your responses. You can also customize the feature by moving emails between the categories, marking them as read or unread, or deleting them as you wish. The feature will learn from your actions and adjust the sorting accordingly.

Set Up the Focused Mail Feature in Thunderbird

Unfortunately, Thunderbird does not have a built-in focused mail feature like Windows Mail. However, you can achieve a similar result by using a combination of filters and tags. Filters are rules that automatically perform actions on your incoming emails based on certain criteria, such as the sender, the subject, or the content. Tags are labels that you can assign to your emails to categorize them by color and name, such as Important, Work, Personal, or To-Do.

To set up the focused mail feature in Thunderbird, you will need to create two filters and two tags. One filter and tag for the Focused category, and one filter and tag for the Other category. Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1: Create the Tags

1. Open Thunderbird and go to Tools > Options > Display > Tags.
2. Click on the Add button and enter a name for the Focused tag, such as Focused or Important. Choose a color for the tag, such as blue or green. Click OK.
3. Repeat the same process for the Other tag, such as Other or Less Important. Choose a different color for the tag, such as gray or yellow. Click OK.
4. Click OK again to close the Options window.

Step 2: Create the Filters

1. Go to Tools > Message Filters.
2. Click on the New button and enter a name for the Focused filter, such as Focused or Important. Make sure the filter is applied to the inbox of the account you want to use the feature on.
3. Under the Filter Rules section, click on the + button to add a new rule. Choose the criterion that you want to use to identify the emails that belong to the Focused category, such as From, To, Subject, or Body. For example, you can choose From and enter the email addresses of your contacts, your work, or your personal interests. You can add multiple criteria by clicking on the + button again and choosing the Match all of the following option.
4. Under the Perform these actions section, choose Tag message and select the Focused tag that you created earlier. Click OK.
5. Repeat the same process for the Other filter, such as Other or Less Important. Choose the criterion that you want to use to identify the emails that belong to the Other category, such as From, To, Subject, or Body. For example, you can choose From and enter the email addresses of newsletters, promotions, or social media notifications. You can add multiple criteria by clicking on the + button again and choosing the Match all of the following option.
6. Under the Perform these actions section, choose Tag message and select the Other tag that you created earlier. Click OK.
7. Click OK again to close the Message Filters window.

Use the Focused Mail Feature in Thunderbird

Once you have set up the filters and tags, you can start using the focused mail feature in Thunderbird. Here are some tips on how to use it effectively:

1. To view the Focused and Other categories, go to View > Tags and select the tag that you want to see. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+1 for Focused and Ctrl+2 for Other.
2. To move an email between the categories, right-click on the email and choose Tag > Focused or Tag > Other. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts 1 for Focused and 2 for Other.
3. To mark an email as read or unread, right-click on the email and choose Mark > As Read or Mark > As Unread. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts M for Read and U for Unread.
4. To delete an email, right-click on the email and choose Delete. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Delete.
5. To customize the filters and tags, go to Tools > Message Filters or Tools > Options > Display > Tags and make the changes you want.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question: What are the benefits of using the focused mail feature in Thunderbird?

Answer: The focused mail feature can help you manage your inbox more efficiently by sorting your emails into two categories: Focused and Other. This way, you can focus on the emails that are most relevant and important to you, and reduce the distraction and clutter from the ones that are not. You can also customize the feature by moving emails between the categories, marking them as read or unread, or deleting them as you wish.

Question: How does Thunderbird learn from my actions and adjust the sorting accordingly?

Answer: Thunderbird does not have a built-in learning algorithm like Windows Mail. However, you can manually adjust the sorting by moving emails between the categories, marking them as read or unread, or deleting them as you wish. Thunderbird will remember your actions and apply them to future emails that match the same criteria.

Question: Can I use the focused mail feature on multiple accounts or folders?

Answer: Yes, you can use the focused mail feature on multiple accounts or folders. You just need to create the filters and tags for each account or folder that you want to use the feature on. You can also copy or move the filters and tags between accounts or folders by using the Manage Filters and Manage Tags buttons in the Message Filters and Options windows.

Summary

In this article, we have shown you how to set up and use the focused mail feature in Mozilla Thunderbird, a popular open-source email client that can help you manage your inbox more efficiently. The focused mail feature automatically sorts your incoming emails into two categories: Focused and Other, based on the filters and tags that you create. You can also customize the feature by moving emails between the categories, marking them as read or unread, or deleting them as you wish. We hope you find this feature useful and enjoy using Thunderbird as your email client.