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Wannan tattunawa ta zama daɗaɗɗiya. Yi sabuwar tambaya idan ka na bukatar taimako.

When I delete messages in Thunderbird they still appear on other clients (e.g. my smartphone), how do I change this?

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  • Amsa ta ƙarshe daga Giralda

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I am new to Thunderbird being a long time Livemail user (which doesn't seem to be available on Windows 10! I would also like the emails to disappear from other clients (smartphone etc) when I move them to local folders. Thanks Steve

I am new to Thunderbird being a long time Livemail user (which doesn't seem to be available on Windows 10! I would also like the emails to disappear from other clients (smartphone etc) when I move them to local folders. Thanks Steve

Mafitar da aka zaɓa

POP mail accounts usually download from server and auto delete the copy off the server. Gmail is slightly different from the norm. You have to specify to auto delete upon download otherwise a copy is stored in 'All Mail', which you cannot access via Thunderbird using Pop. So that requires the additional step of manually accessing webmail and the 'All Mail' folder. See info:

You can set up Thunderbird to leave a copy on the server via Account Settings upon download.

  • Right click on mail account name and select 'Settings'.
  • select 'Server Settings' for pop mail account.
  • select: 'Leave messages on server'

If you want emails you delete to be removed from server:

  • select: 'Until I delete them.'

If you want older emails to be deleted off server after a period of time:

  • Select: 'for at most xx days'
  • click on OK

If you are using an imap mail account, then you would need to subscribe to see the server 'Trash/deleted' folder. This is done in the same 'Server Settings' window. when I delete a message: select: Move it to this folder' and select the subscribed Trash/Bin/ deleted folder on the imap mail account. Under Message storage: Select: 'clean up (Expunge) Inbox on exit'. you might also want to select: 'Empty Deleted folder on exit' click on OK

If using gmail - Info on gmails method of deleting:


In Thunderbird when you delete an email it is 'marked as deleted' and from you point of view it disappears from Inbox and reappears in 'Deleted' folder. In reality it is still in the Inbox, hidden and marked as deleted. This means, if you delete in error you can recover the email. When you compact the Inbox, all traces of 'marked as deleted' emails are removed. (Referred to as 'Expunge' on imap in Server Settings.) then it is properly removed and at this point it should be removed from server if you have the Leave messages on server' and 'Until I delete them' options selected. Compacting folders will assist in getting mail deleted off server.

So first you need to know what sort of mail account you have in Thunderbird. This is located in 'Account Settings' > 'Server Settings' for the mail account. Top right - Server Type: POP or IMAP Mail Server.

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It sounds like you currently have a POP email account. An IMAP account will give you the functionality you need, it is designed to be used on multiple clients and to keep them 'in sync' with each other. This article tells you how to switch: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/switch-pop-imap-account The crucial step, obviously, is to check first that your email service provider offers the IMAP function.

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Magic, thanks. Oddly my phone is set to POP3 and that deletes things OK. Thanks again, hair restored! Steve

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Zaɓi Mafita

POP mail accounts usually download from server and auto delete the copy off the server. Gmail is slightly different from the norm. You have to specify to auto delete upon download otherwise a copy is stored in 'All Mail', which you cannot access via Thunderbird using Pop. So that requires the additional step of manually accessing webmail and the 'All Mail' folder. See info:

You can set up Thunderbird to leave a copy on the server via Account Settings upon download.

  • Right click on mail account name and select 'Settings'.
  • select 'Server Settings' for pop mail account.
  • select: 'Leave messages on server'

If you want emails you delete to be removed from server:

  • select: 'Until I delete them.'

If you want older emails to be deleted off server after a period of time:

  • Select: 'for at most xx days'
  • click on OK

If you are using an imap mail account, then you would need to subscribe to see the server 'Trash/deleted' folder. This is done in the same 'Server Settings' window. when I delete a message: select: Move it to this folder' and select the subscribed Trash/Bin/ deleted folder on the imap mail account. Under Message storage: Select: 'clean up (Expunge) Inbox on exit'. you might also want to select: 'Empty Deleted folder on exit' click on OK

If using gmail - Info on gmails method of deleting:


In Thunderbird when you delete an email it is 'marked as deleted' and from you point of view it disappears from Inbox and reappears in 'Deleted' folder. In reality it is still in the Inbox, hidden and marked as deleted. This means, if you delete in error you can recover the email. When you compact the Inbox, all traces of 'marked as deleted' emails are removed. (Referred to as 'Expunge' on imap in Server Settings.) then it is properly removed and at this point it should be removed from server if you have the Leave messages on server' and 'Until I delete them' options selected. Compacting folders will assist in getting mail deleted off server.

So first you need to know what sort of mail account you have in Thunderbird. This is located in 'Account Settings' > 'Server Settings' for the mail account. Top right - Server Type: POP or IMAP Mail Server.

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Thanks, problem now solved. Thanks again for the help Steve