The Mozilla Thunderbird electronic mail software is having a resurgence proper now, with improvement ramping up and an expanded group behind the mission. Mozilla has now confirmed how Thunderbird can be ported to Android.
Thunderbird is nearly 20 years previous, and duplicating all its options in a wholly new codebase on a brand new platform would probably take a number of years, at a minimal. That’s why the Thunderbird group is taking a distinct strategy: adopting K-9 Mail for Android. Ok-9 can also be an open-source mission (named after the robot dog from Doctor Who), and it’s most likely essentially the most feature-packed electronic mail app on Android that doesn’t require exterior servers or proprietary companies.
Christian Ketterer (often known as ‘cketti’), the maintainer of Ok-9, has already joined the Thunderbird employees. Mozilla mentioned in its announcement, “Thunderbird will commit monetary and improvement sources to bettering Ok-9 Mail, including new options, and person interface enhancements.” The aim is for Ok-9 Mail to be rebranded as Thunderbird for Android, as soon as sufficient progress has been made.
Mozilla’s present roadmap for Ok-9 consists of improved folder administration, the identical account auto-configuration as Thunderbird on desktop, message filters, and a few degree of synchronization between desktop and cell utilizing Firefox Sync. Thunderbird’s non-email options (calendars, duties, feeds, and many others.) gained’t be within the cell app, no less than initially — the group is “nonetheless debating how greatest to attain that.”
Since Ok-9 Mail will slowly turn into Thunderbird for Android over the following a number of months, you may technically get Thunderbird on Android proper now by putting in Ok-9. Nonetheless, Mozilla is warning those who the interface “will most likely change just a few occasions” as improvement progresses.
Thunderbird additionally plans to supply an app for iPhone and iPad, however there’s nonetheless no (public) plan for that but. Ok-9 Mail is just not accessible for iPhone and iPad, so Mozilla will both have to begin from scratch for Apple’s platforms, or purchase/fork one other cell app to rebrand.