Home » Thunderbird Email » Thunderbird Can’t Connect to Gmail? Let’s Fix It Here

Mozilla Foundation has introduced an open-source email and personal information managing application known as Thunderbird. By using the Thunderbird account, users can handle multiple email accounts simultaneously and access many useful features like message grouping, Quick Search, and message filtering. If you have made the Thunderbird account, you can connect your Thunderbird to Gmail to get the best benefits of email services. Connecting the Thunderbird to Gmail is quite an easy process, however, many users come with the query that the Thunderbird can’t connect to Gmail account. 

If you are also facing the same trouble then don’t worry, you can easily resolve the issue by following some simple troubleshooting steps. So if your Thunderbird can’t connect to Gmail, keep reading the post and proceed with the mentioned troubleshooting guidelines to fix the issue.

Also Check:- How to Sync Google Calendar with Thunderbird

 

Possible Reasons Why Thunderbird can’t Connect to Gmail?

Before we proceed next to fix the Thunderbird can’t connect to Gmail account error, it is important to know the possible reasons due to which you may encounter the issue. The most common reasons are:-

1. Disabled IMAP settings for the account.
2. Wrong SMTP settings.
3. Antivirus or Firewall installed on the system.
4. Unsupported Thunderbird version.

Now that you know the possible causes, proceed with the steps below and fix the error.

 

1. Enable IMAP Settings

For the proper synchronization between the Thunderbird and Gmail accounts, you need to set up the IMAP. IMAP or we say internet message access protocol is a standard used for storing emails and letting multiple client applications see the action taken up on the email. You need to enable IMAP settings for the smooth functioning of Thunderbird and Gmail accounts together. Here are the steps to follow to enable the IMAP settings for Thunderbird and Gmail accounts.

1. Access your Gmail account.
2. Go to the settings section.
3. From here, Tap on the “POP/IMAP” section.
4. From the IMAP access section, you need to choose ‘enable IMAP‘.
5. Click on the Save button to make the changes.

 

2. Check SMTP Settings

SMTP or simple mail transfer protocol works as a standard of communication between the different message transfer agents. This protocol is continuously updated and modified. The incorrect SMTP settings can cause a disturbance in sending or receiving emails using Thunderbird and Gmail accounts. To make the changes, you can proceed with the steps below.

1. Open the Gmail account where you are getting the issue.
2. Go to the ‘account settings‘ section.
3. Click on the ‘server settings‘ from the tab present on the left side to check the details.

This is how you can change the settings of SMTP to fix the Thunderbird can’t connect to Gmail account error. If the issue is still not resolved yet, proceed with the next step.

 

3. Change Antivirus Software Settings

There is a possibility that the antivirus and Firewall you have installed on your device are considering the Thunderbird as a potential threat. In such a situation, the antivirus software will restrict Thunderbird from sending or receiving emails. This could be the possible reason due to which Thunderbird is not working with Gmail accounts. If you want to fix the problem, you can proceed with the steps below and modify the settings of your antivirus software.

1. On your device, open the settings.
2. Here, click on the ‘update and security‘ option.
3. Select the ‘Windows security‘ option.
4. Tap on the ‘virus and threat protection‘ option.
5. Go to the ‘manage settings‘ option.
6. From the ‘add or remove exclusion‘ section, choose the ‘add exclusion‘ option.
7. Click on the ‘Thunderbird‘.

That’s all, the settings of your antivirus software are now modified and you can continue using Thunderbird with Gmail for sending and receiving emails.

 

4. Get Back to the Previous Thunderbird Version

There is a possibility that the service provider is not supporting the latest version of Thunderbird, due to which Thunderbird not working with a Gmail account. To fix the error, you must get back to the previous version of Thunderbird. This will help you to resolve the issue and you can continue using the Thunderbird with Gmail services for the best emailing experience.

 

5. Contact Internet Service Provider

In some cases, the internet service provider also blocks the user from sending the messages. So if you want to resolve the issue, you need to contact the internet service provider and fix the error. Once the error is resolved, your Thunderbird will start working with Gmail again.

 

6. Switch to the Different Email Client

To store the emails, Thunderbird uses an M-box format. If you are having trouble, you can simply switch to another email client like Outlook and take benefit of the plethora of features offered by the email service provider. If you want to access the M-box in Outlook, you need to convert the files to the PST format. The PST format provides better security and supports different types of data that includes emails, contact information, notes, tasks, ok, and calendars.

Converting the M box to PST format is a quite tricky process, so you must do it carefully, and should have knowledge about both formats. For doing the task, you can use the professional tool that helps you to easily convert the M-box to PST. Users with no technical background do not have enough knowledge to convert the M-box to PST format, so it is recommended to use the tool to do the task automatically, or contact the support team for help.

Also Check, Why:- Thunderbird email not working

 

The Wrap-Up

Hopefully, the above steps will help you to troubleshoot Thunderbird can’t connect to Gmail error on your device. The mentioned troubleshooting steps are easy to follow, and let you access the Thunderbird with Gmail without trouble. However, if you are still unable to connect the Thunderbird to your Gmail account, and need help, do not hesitate to contact the email support experts for professional advice.

The professionals can help you to identify the possible reason causing you trouble, and also share the quick solution so you can easily connect the Thunderbird to Gmail for the best email experience.