To set up Thunderbird with Runbox, follow the step-by-step instructions below. Please note that the setup process and dialogue boxes on your computer may vary slightly from what is shown here, depending on what version of Thunderbird you are using and whether you are using Windows or macOS.
Contents
Add a new email account to Thunderbird
1. Start Thunderbird and from the menu bar choose File > New > Email Account (macOS) or Menu > New Account > Email (Windows) and you will then see a screen appear like the one below. Enter your name, email address and password in to the boxes shown. You will notice as you do this a new option appears which says Configure Manually. Click on Configure Manually and you will see the screen below but the settings for the values will be incorrect at this point.
2. Fill in the server settings as shown in the image below (the information is also repeated below the image for convenience).
Incoming (IMAP): mail.runbox.com
Port: 993
SSL: SSL/TLS
Password: Normal Password
Outgoing (SMTP): mail.runbox.com
Port: 465 or 587
SSL: SSL/TLS (port 465) STARTTLS (port 587)
Password: Normal Password
Username: your primary Runbox email address (aliases cannot be used as log in usernames)
Note: When you first create your Runbox account SMTP (outgoing mail) will be unavailable to you until you either a) validate your alternative email address (we send a validation link there when you create the account) or b) pay for a subscription. If you don’t do either of these things you will get a username/password error when trying to use our outgoing SMTP server.
3. Once you have filled in the details click Re-test. Thunderbird should confirm that it has been able to connect to our servers and can log in with the details you gave it.
4. Once Thunderbird shows you the “Done” button to click it means it has been able to log in to the server with the details you gave it. Click Done and your account is now set up. At this point we recommend you restart Thunderbird so it can download mail from your account and also synchronise the email folders in your account.
Configure Account Settings
There are some account settings that are worth checking.
Click on the Menu item and then Account Settings.
5. From the Account Settings window choose Server Settings. You should see your account details as you would expect them to be. Here you can change a number of settings including how often Thunderbird checks for new messages.
6. While you are on this screen, click Advanced. You will see the screen below.
We recommend that you de-select the option to Show only subscribed folders as this can cause some folders to be hidden in Thunderbird. If you understand what this option is for and wish to use it then feel free to leave it selected.
You can find out more about folder subscriptions by reading our guide to IMAP Folder Subscriptions.
Once you are done, click OK on this screen and you will be returned to the previous screen.
7. From the Account Settings window choose Copies & Folders and makes sure that the settings are as below for your Sent, Archives, Drafts and Templates folders. In each case choosing the corresponding same or similar named folder in your Runbox account.
8. Now choose the Junk Settings option and de-select Enable adaptive junk email controls for this account. The reason for this is that your Runbox account includes junk/spam protection, and ideally you should rely on those settings to filter spam to your spam folder. You can find out more about dealing with spam elsewhere on our help website.
You might need to restart Thunderbird for all the changes to take place and for folders in your account to take effect.
Optional – Using Identities and Aliases in Thunderbird
Thunderbird has the ability to let you set up different identities and aliases. An identity is a different outgoing name on an account that might also have other different features such as a different signature. An alias is an alternative email address that delivers to another main account address. You can use identities and aliases in any combination as shown in the examples below.
Example 1: Different identity but same address
Runbox Demo Second Identity <demo@runbox.com>
Example 2: Same identity alias but different alias
Runbox Demo <demo.alias@runbox.com>
Example 3: Different identity and different alias
Runbox Demo Second Identity <demo.alias@runbox.com>
You might use use Example 1 if more than one person shares the same email address, but you want outgoing email to show which person sent the message. Example 2 might be useful for things like online shopping where you want to show you real name but don’t want to use your main email address in case you start receiving marketing emails. Example 3 might be useful in a number of situations. If two people share an account but have individual email address, or if you also run an business and combine your personal and business email in the same account.
Whatever you use identities and aliases for, Thunderbird can help. Follow the instructions below to see how to set up identities with aliases.
With Thunderbird open click Tools > Account Settings in the menu bar.
When your account name is highlighted in the top left, you will see a Manage Identities button near the bottom right. Click on Manage Identities.
You will see your default identity listed. Click Add.
Enter the name you want to appear in your outgoing emails, in our example we have chosen Runbox Demo Second Identity but obviously you will want something that is personal to your or your business.
Enter the email address you want to have associated with this identity. This is the email people will see when they receive your emails and reply to. We have chosen demo.alias@runbox.com in our example.
Note: If you have more than one Runbox account you must ensure the correct “Outgoing Server (SMTP)” account is selected for the address you are using in the identity. This is because we only allow emails to be sent via the account that the alias or identity address is associated with. This is to stop email spoofing which is associated with spam and phishing attempts.
Click OK when you are done.
You will now see your default identity and new identity listed. The default one will be shown in bold. You can now click Close and exit from the account settings. Your new identity will be available to you in a drop down menu when you compose a new messages.
If you need any further help in configuring Thunderbird, please contact Runbox Support.