How to Change Your Mozilla Thunderbird Email Password

Keep your email account secure

By
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Writer
  • University of Vienna
A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
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Updated on May 17, 2021
Reviewed by
Jon Fisher
Jon Fisher headshot
Reviewed by Jon Fisher
  • Wichita Technical Institute
Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.
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What to Know

  • First, change your email password. Next, close and re-open Thunderbird, select Get Messages, enter new password, and select OK.
  • In Thunderbird, select three vertical lines > Options > Security > Passwords > Saved Passwords. Right-click server > Edit Password.

This article explains how to update your email password in Mozilla Thunderbird version 60 and newer. Also included are instructions to change your password in the Thunderbird Password Manager.

A person clicking Enter New Password button on Thunderbird Mail
Lifewire / Theresa Chiechi

How to Change an Email Account's Password in Mozilla Thunderbird

Here's how to update the password that Mozilla Thunderbird uses to log in to your email account.

Mozilla Thunderbird uses POP or IMAP to receive emails and SMTP to send emails.

  1. Change the password to your Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Windows Live Hotmail, or other email account.

  2. Close Thunderbird, then re-open it.

  3. Select Get Messages in the upper-left corner of the Mozilla Thunderbird toolbar. Depending on your configurations, Thunderbird may automatically attempt to retrieve new mail as soon as you launch it.

    The Get Messages button

  4. You should receive a login-error alert followed by a pop-up window requesting you to sign in. Enter your new password.

    A new login screen in Mozilla Thunderbird

  5. Select OK or Next. Your account should synchronize like normal.

In some circumstances, your incoming and outgoing emails use a different set of credentials. If this is the case, repeat the steps above for your outgoing account, usually called SMTP.

How to Edit Passwords in the Password Manager

Mozilla Thunderbird remembers the login credentials for each email account you use. Use the program's password manager to edit passwords:

  1. In the Thunderbird menu, select the three vertical lines in the upper-right corner of the screen.

    The Options menu

  2. Choose Options.

    The Options command

  3. Select Security > Passwords > Saved Passwords.

    The Save Passwords button

  4. Right-click the email server you want to edit and select Edit Password.

    If the Edit Password option is grayed out, select Show Passwords.

    The Edit Password command

  5. Enter the new password in the Passwords field.

    The Password field

  6. Select Close to return to the previous screen.

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