Thunderbird can connect to Gmail using Google’s OAuth sign-in flow. Use a current supported Thunderbird release and its Google account setup rather than enabling obsolete password-sharing access. Check account identity and permissions before allowing the connection.
Add the Gmail identity
- Open Thunderbird’s account-addition controls and choose an email account.
- Enter the intended Gmail or primary Workspace address.
- Continue through the Google authorization flow presented by the client.
- Complete required verification and review the requested access.
Mozilla’s current guide describes newer releases opening the system browser for authorization, while older releases can present a different interface. Follow the actual supported version rather than expecting every screenshot to match.
Verify the Google authorization and first synchronization
Confirm the genuine Google sign-in context and correct account. Do not enter credentials into an unsolicited extension or an unrelated troubleshooting page. Managed Workspace accounts can require administrator permission.
After setup, compare a known message with Gmail on the web and test harmless receiving and sending. An initial download can take time; a partial local history is not proof that the server lost messages.
Review Gmail’s label and copy behavior
Google recommends checking client settings for sent copies, drafts, deletion, and synchronization. Gmail can save sent mail on the server, so an additional client-side save may create confusing copies.
Labels and All Mail can appear as separate folder views of the same underlying Gmail message. Do not delete apparent duplicates until you have checked their web-mailbox representation.
Preserve local folders, drafts, and Outbox items before removing an existing account or rebuilding its data. Do not copy an old recommendation to turn off verification or enable less-secure apps. If authorization fails, record the client version and exact error and consult the current provider guidance.
This is the supported account-connection workflow, distinct from opening an offline MBOX archive in Thunderbird. Connecting an account can synchronize future mailbox actions; viewing an independent archive has a different relationship to the server.
Browse Gmail & Google Account help
References
- Thunderbird and Gmail
- Add Gmail to another email client
- Choose your IMAP email client settings for Gmail
Reviewed against the linked product guidance, standards, and identified vendor or public-authority guidance on October 29, 2026. Available options and screen labels can vary by account, device, region, and organization policy.