Viewing Email Messages

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Mozilla Thunderbird allows users to personalize how they view received messages with the option of choosing which details are displayed and how.

  1. Displaying messages in HTML or plain text format
  2. Abbreviating and expanding mail headers
  3. Displaying attachments from received messages
  4. Changing how the message body font is displayed
  5. Viewing a message's source information
  6. Going directly to a message
  7. Searching for messages
  8. Moving and copying messages to another folder

1. Displaying messages in HTML or plain text format

Thunderbird allows users to view messages in HTML and plain text format. To access this option, go to "View > Message Body As > ..." and select the desired option.

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2. Abbreviating and expanding mail headers

When mail headers are abbreviated, only the "Subject", "From", "Date", and "To" fields are displayed.

When mail headers are expanded, technical details are displayed in addition to the fields that are displayed in the abbreviated format.

To abbreviate or expand mail headers, go to "View > Headers > ..." and select "Normal" to abbreviate email headers or "All" to expand email headers.

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3. Displaying attachments from received messages

There are two ways to display attachments: as inline text within the message body and as file names that can be clicked for download.

To display attachments in the message body, select "View" and checkmark the "Display Inline Attachments" option.

To hide attachments in the message body, clear the checkmark beside the "Display Inline Attachments" option.

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4. Changing how the message body font is displayed

To increase/decrease the size of the text in the message body, select "View > Increase Text Size" or "Decrease Text Size".

To change the font and background colour of received HTML messages:

  1. If you are using a PC, select "Tools > Options" in the menu.
    If you are using a Macintosh, select Thunderbird > Preferences.
  2. In the left hand menu, select the "Display" icon.
  3. In the "HTML" Messages section, click on the boxes beside "Text Color" and "Background Color" to respectively change the colours.
  4. Click "Ok" to save your settings.

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5. Viewing a message's source information

Users interested in Internet security will appreciate Thunderbird's option of viewing a message's complete source.

To view a message's complete source:

  1. In the main window, click on the message you want to view.
  2. In the menu, select View > Message Source.
  3. To exit the message source window, select File > Close.

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6. Going directly to a message

Thunderbird allows users to quickly go to and view messages based on properties that users specify.

To go to the next (unread/flagged) message or unread thread, select "Go > Next > ..." and select the desired option.

To go to the previous (unread/flagged) message, select ôGo > Previous > àö and select the desired option.

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7. Searching for messages

To search for a particular message:

  1. In the menu, select Edit > Find > Search Messages.
  2. Enter search parameters.
  3. Click "Search" to view the search results.

Note: To immediately start another search, click "Clear" and enter new parameters.

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8. Moving and copying messages to another folder

Thunderbird gives users the option of moving or sending copies of messages to folders other than the one the message was originally sent to.

To move a message to another folder:

  1. In the main window, click on the message you want to move. To select more than one message, hold down the "Ctrl" key while clicking on messages.
  2. In the menu, select "Message > Move > ..." and select the account and related folder to which you want to move the message.

To copy a message to another folder:

  1. In the main window, click on the message you want to copy. To select more than one message, hold down the "Ctrl" key while clicking on messages.
  2. In the menu, select "Message > Copy ..." and select the account and related folder to which you want to copy the message.

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