What is your account type, POP or IMAP?

I tried to configure it as such

What exactly did you try?

Hello again, I replied the following on 22/06 but not sure I did it right. My apologies if it didn't go and you thought I was ungrateful for your reply - see my details below. Many thanks

Thanks for your reply. I created a new account and under the Server Settings/Name, I put<imap.googlemail.com>

I hope that's what you needed to know. I'm off on my hols tomorrow so will have to pick up the thread when I come back.

All the best.

You have created an IMAP mail account.

This offers you a remote view of folders and emails held on the server. You subscribe to see folders and you can also choose to synchronise folders to get a copy on your computer, but synchronised folders will get updated as they are set to synchronise with server.

Links to IMAP info:

• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/thunderbird-and-gmail?esab=a&s=gmail&r=0&as=s
• https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/imap-synchronization
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/IMAP
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Gmail

Pop mail accounts can be set to use a Global Inbox (Local folders). Pop mail accounts can only connect to Inbox on server and download from Inbox to mail account Inbox or Local Folders Inbox if set up as a Global Inbox account. IMAP mail accounts cannot be set up to do the same. Info on Global Inbox: http://kb.mozillazine.org/Global_Inbox

IMAP mail accounts offer the benefit of being able to access all folders on the server. You can also use different devices to access all the folders. You can change email client and not require to export/import or convert emails as they are all on the server. You can move emails into Local Folders, but these will be stored on the computer and should be periodically backup.

Pop mail accounts can only see Inbox on server. Emails are downloaded to your computer, you can choose to leave a copy of email on server, but generally copies are deleted immediately after download or you manage them to be deleted at a later time. Keeping a backup of your profile is good practise.

If you wanted Pop and not IMAP, then you would need to create a new Pop mail account.

I am so sorry I don't understand these instructions. I am a non technical senior person and am often bamboozled by new technology. What I need is step by step instructions on how to get the google emails into my Inbox. With many thanks.

The previous info helped you to understand that IMAP accounts keep the emails on the server.

Imap googlemail will have it's own set of folders. These will be some or all of the folders that you see if you logon to your webmail using a browser. These emails will not go to Local folders inbox unless you manually move them and then delete them off the server. As previously explained, IMAP accounts do not use a Global Inbox.

Thunderbird defaults to only showing 'subscribed' folders. That's a way to manage the clutter when you have a lot of remote folders and you don't want to see all of them in the folder pane.

How to subscribe to see folders: In Thunderbird: You subscribe a folder by right-clicking on the remote 'Inbox', selecting "Subscribe", expanding the Inbox tree in the window, and subscribing by selecting whatever folders you want.

I would suggest that you do not subscribe to see the 'All Mail' folder as this is gmails Archive folder containing a copy of all your emails. So you do not need to see everything twice and it doubles the amount of disc space you use. This folder can become huge.

Have you selected all the folders you want to subscribe to see?

Thank you so much for your reply. - Am I right if I say that the googlemail emails will not go to the T'bird Local folders Inbox because IMAP accounts do not use a Global Inbox? - Should I subscribe the googlemail folder to T'bird, in which case the googlemail emails will go to the T'bird Local folder Inbox? - If so, where can I find this 'remote Inbox' so I can follow your instructions? I am afraid I still don't understand the terminology used so I'm unable to answer your last question. With best wishes.

IMAP folders and messages are on the providers server, not your local drive. They pick where the folders appear, not you. That is how IMAP works with Thunderbird as your email client or any other email client. You are just remotely viewing the folders and messages on the server.

Global Inbox is a function of POP accounts only.

Thank you for your reply. The way I understand it, with words I understand is the following - is it correct?: - The googlemail emails will not go to the T'bird Local folders Inbox because IMAP accounts do not use a Global Inbox?

Yes, you understand correctly.

Users who come to Thunderbird are often bamboozled by the way Thunderbird keeps all the accounts separate, whereas other mail programs, such as Outlook Express, pour everything into one common Inbox.

You can try various methods to get messages all in one place.

View|Folders|Unified creates virtual folders which are composites of all the similar folders in each account. Using this, you don't need to care where a message is, as they are all presented as if in one shared Inbox. Ditto for Sent, Trash, Drafts etc.

You can use Message Filters to move or copy messages to the Global Inbox, or indeed any folder you choose. However, if you copy, you double up on storage and might get into a mess trying to trace replies, if they are not consistently placed into the appropriate folder. If you Move, not Copy, they will vanish from the server and become invisible to your other devices, specifically your new Android phone.

You can do what Unified Folders does, but more selectively, by using Saved Search folders, which collect messages which agree with some filter rules you set up. I use these to amass Unread, Recent and project-specific messages in handy folders, reducing the number of folders I need to keep an eye on.

Please say if any of these sounds useful to you and you want further guidance.

Thank you Zenos. 1. I tried View/Folders/Unified, but what it does is put the Googlemail (and Yahoo) folders inside the Inbox, the same as Inbox. It doesn't put the messages which are inside Googlemail/Yahoo straight into the Inbox folder, which is what I would like. 2. Wouldn't work for me either because Copy would mean double emails and Move would mean I wouldn't see them on my phone 3. I'm afraid this one is beyond my comprehension. But you did teach me the 1st point which I didn't know, so I'm going to try it with the thought that I should beable to see if there is a new message as the folder will go bold (it did before but I ignored it as I was only looking at the Inbox). Many thanks. PS - If you can think of a way to explain point 3 in baby terms, go for it!

1. Use of a global inbox is simply not possible on an IMAP mail account. It is not going to happen. I had to get used to it when I started using IMAP, you will to.

I am unaware of any mail program that can use a global inbox as they must manage the synchronization status of mails (fairly easy when there is a folder of nothing else. Somewhat daunting with a half a dozen different IMAP accounts in one folder). with POP accounts there is no issue as the mail is in no way linked to the server and does not require tracking and synchronization.

The unified inbox, whether is suits or not, was created with the purpose of trying to overcome this obstacle. As it includes all inbox folders under one collapsible heading, it is not very different to the original global inbox. It just does not have local folders as the head of the tree. (in windows 7 the black triangle, if you have sharp eyes which I do not, collapses and expands the folder tree)

2. Correct.

3. Press Ctrl + Shift +F this dialog allows you to "find" or "search" messages. The "save as search folder button creates a folder in your folder list that when clicked performs the search and displays the relevant results in the mail list as if it was a real folder.