configure: pop gmail into thunderbird

Gmail settings | Thunderbird settings

Log on to the Gmail account via the web and perform the following configuration:

1. Settings > “Forwarding and POP” tab
- Do not do forwarding (”Disable forwarding”)
- Click “Enable POP” (either for all mail or for mail that arrives from now on)
- “archive Gmail’s copy” (so that the online gmail inbox remains empty but all emails are archived and therefore searchable online) Note: when traveling without Thunderbird, emails will remain in the Gmail inbox until manually archived…and these won’t end up in Thunderbird if they’re removed from the inbox via archiving or deleting.
- Click “Save changes”

2. OPTIONAL: Settings > ““Accounts”” tab
(This will collect mail from other accounts and drop them into Gmail…possibly useful for consolidation and for using the Gmail spam filter.)
- Under “Get mail from other accounts” click “Add another mail account”
- enter email address for other account (e.g. blahblah@compuserve.com)
- in new window, enter the password for that mailbox, click “Always use a secure connection…” and any other options desired. Click “Add Account”. (If it fails, remove the “secure connection” tick then click “Add Account” again.)

Open up Thunderbird on your computer and perform the following configuration:

A. Tools > Account settings > Add Account
1. Email Account > enter your Name (for display to recipients) and the gmail address >
2. Incoming server is pop.gmail.com (optional: I don’t use the Global inbox) >
3. Incoming user name: your complete gmail address, e.g. blahblah@gmail.com
Outgoing user name: your complete gmail address again >
4. Account name: anything you like, the default is the gmail address. >
5. Click “Done”

B. Click on that newly created account name in the left column of the Accounts window.
1. Verify that your Name and email addresses are as you would like them to appear to recipients.
2. Click “Server Settings” : Change port to 995 and choose SSL as security setting.
3. Click “Composition” : Change to “start my reply above the quote”

C. Click on “Outgoing Server” at the bottom of the left column of the Accounts window.
1. Find your gmail address in the window e.g. blahblah@gmail.com and click on it. Then click the “Edit” button to the right. (If it’s not there, click “Add” and create it with the following information.)
2. Description: blahblah@gmail.com
3. Server Name: smtp.gmail.com
4. Port: 587
5. Tick “Use name and password” and enter user name: blahblah@gmail.com
6. Secure connection: TLS

D. Click AGAIN on the account name in the left column of the Accounts window e.g. blahblah@gmail.com
1. At the bottom of the window on the right, verify that “Outgoing Server (SMTP)” is set for the newly created “smtp.gmail.com“.
Note: this is optional and allows all outgoing mail to be archived on your Gmail website, for searching in the archives at any point later. However, some people find it slows the sending from Thunderbird so they don’t want this function.