Thunderbird 114 roadmap: Sync, global message index, conversational view and more

Thunderbird 102 has just been out for some months, but development on Thunderbird 114, the next major release of the open source email client, is already ongoing.

This week, manual updates from Thunderbird 92 to 102 were enabled in the client, with automatic updates following soon. Thunderbird, which follows the Firefox ESR release schedule, will see smaller releases in the coming months.

The next big release Thunderbird 114 will be released in 2023 to the public. Like Thunderbird 102, it will not be offered as an in-client upgrade at first, but as a standalone installer.

Thunderbird 114: the major changes

Here is the list of improvements that the Thunderbird development team plans to integrate in Thunderbird 114. While the team aims to deliver all the features in Thunderbird 114, it is possible that some may be postponed or dropped entirely.

• Firefox Sync support -- Thunderbird is based on the same core as the Firefox browser. The introduction of syncing support via Firefox Sync allows users to sync email accounts, preferences, tags and filters between all desktop versions and the Android version.
• Unified Toolbar -- A toolbar that is visible all the time in the application acting as a "simple interaction point for searching, interacting with the app menu and tab management".
• App Menu -- A single menu that replaces the Hamburger-style menu.
• Redesign of Mail tab -- Improve the mail tab with new features such as multi-line message list support and conversational threads.
• Conversational View -- Thunderbird will see messages in a thread as conversations. Features of this view include collapsing and expanding individual messages. The view takes into account messages in all folders to unify them under a single view.
• Global Message Index -- Conversation View needs to keep track of messages everywhere, and that means that Thunderbird needs a database that acts as an index of all messages.
• 3Pane -- replaces XUL tree.
• Drop Window -- unknown at this point.
• Link Preview Card improvements -- will become "more useful and visually appealing".
• Account Setup Hub -- Thunderbird 114 gets a central location to set up accounts, get new email addresses, import existing profiles, set up calendar, chat or feeds.
• Customizable shortcuts.
• Calendar UI -- unknown at this point.

Closing Words

No word on the Android client in the roadmap. One possible scenario is the joined release of Thunderbird 114 and the release of the first stable Thunderbird for Android client; this would give Sync a good push right from the get-go.

Now You: any features that you are looking forward to?

Thunderbird 114 roadmap: Sync, global message index, conversational view and more