Understanding where does Thunderbird store emails as its crucial if you want to backup your data, transfer messages to another device, or troubleshoot file issues. In this guide, we will explain about Thunderbird default storage location on Windows, Mac or Linux. In addition, also explain about Thunderbird folder structure and show you the way to change Thunderbird location or backup Thunderbird emails for backup purposes.
Thunderbird is a popular and open-source desktop email client used by individuals and organizations around the world. Known for its flexibility and user-friendly interface. Thunderbird stores emails locally on your computer- but not everyone knows exactly where the Thunderbird profile folder is.
Default Thunderbird Profile Folder Location
Thunderbird stores your emails locally in the Thunderbird profile folder. This folder contains all your emails, account settings, address book and other user data. The exact location of this folder depends on your operating system.
Let’s know the Thunderbird MBOX Location:
On Windows: C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles
On MacOS: ~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/
Linux: ~/.thunderbird/
Understanding Thunderbird Profile Structure
To fully understand where Thunderbird stores emails, it’s crucial to look inside the profile folder. This folder contains all data Thunderbird required to run, not only emails, but also your account configuration, preferences and extension.
Mail vs IMAP Mail Folders
- Mail – Store emails for POP accounts (messages downloaded and stored correctly).
- IMAP Mail Folders – Store emails for IMAP Accounts(synced from the server, but cached locally).
MBOX Files
Thunderbird uses the MBOX file format to contain messages. Each mail folder(like Inbox, Sent, Trash) is saved as a single MBOX file without any file extensions. For example:
MSF Files
Alongside with MBOX Files, you will see MSF files(Mail Summary Files): Inbox.msf, Sent.msf, Trash.msf. These are index files that Thunderbird uses for faster loading and searching. They don’t contain email data themselves and can be safely deleted if corrupted – Thunderbird will regenerate them automatically.
Note: Attachments are stored inside MBOX files themselves, but you can download attachments from Thunderbird. Thunderbird doesn’t store attachments separately.
Accessing Your Thunderbird Profile
To locate where does Thunderbird stores emails, you need to access the Thunderbird profile folder. This folder is where all your email data is saved and there are two main ways to open it from within the Thunderbird interface or manually using your operating system explorer.
Method 1. Access within Thunderbird
- Open Thunderbird and navigate to the menu.
- Go to Help> More Troubleshooting Information( or Troubleshooting Information).
- Under the Application Basics section, look at the profile folder.
- Click on the open folder or Show in the finder or Open Directory.
Method 2. Access Manually via Explorer
- Windows: C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles
- Mac: ~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles
- Linux: ~/. Thunderbird/
Changing the Default Email Storage Location
By default, Thunderbird stores emails and profile data in the system folder, but you can change its location for better storage management, security or store data on an external drive.
Why Change Thunderbird Profile Location?
- If You want to free up on your main system drive.
- You’re using a shared or secondary drive for personal files.
- When user want to backup or sync Thunderbird data with cloud services or external storage.
How to Change Thunderbird Profile Location?
- Go to the path of Thunderbird profile.
- Now, Open Configuration Settings profile in Notepad.
- Update path to new folder location and isRelative = 1 or IsRelative = 0 if it was set.
How to Thunderbird Profile Backup?
Creating Backup is crucial to protect your emails, contacts and settings and it helps to protect from accidental deletion, system crashes. So, we recommend you to choose Thunderbird Converter as it allows auto-configuring or let me select Thunderbird profile for easier backup. This software allows export in PST, PST, EML, MBOX and 28+ Saving options. To use this utility, you just only need to tap on download button and follow the procedure as we have explained below:
- First, install and open automated software on your system.
- Click on convert configure Thunderbird profile as required.
- Choose Thunderbird folders as you need to export.
- Select export file type in the list of saving options.
- Browse advanced filters to export selective data.
- Press on Next to start exporting Thunderbird profile.
Useful Features of Automated Approach
- It offers you to migrate Thunderbird emails to Outlook, Microsoft 365, Gmail, and all IMAP Supported email platforms.
- This software offers a simple initiative interface to easily perform by any types of users without affecting any attributes.
- You can also convert Thunderbird to PDF, EML, MBOX, and 28+ Saving features.
- With this wizard, you can also take advantage of filter options such as date range, subject, sender blank address, receiver blank address and more.
- This software can also extract email addresses, phone numbers and download attachments from Thunderbird.
Final Thoughts
In this guide, we have shared complete information about where does Thunderbird store emails, and also stated the way to change Thunderbird profile location. Additionally, we have also mentioned one of the easiest ways to export Thunderbird emails with maintained attributes. If you have read this content up to this point, then you are completely friendly with Thunderbird profile location. Now you can change, export, and manage your Thunderbird mailbox data.
Helpful Questions
Does Thunderbird store emails in the Cloud?
No, Thunderbird doesn’t store emails in the cloud by default. It stores your emails locally on your computer. However, If you use IMAP configuration, emails are synced with the server and can be accessed from multiple devices.
Where did my Thunderbird emails go?
If your Thunderbird emails are missing, they might be archived, accidentally deleted, or stored in a different folder. You can also check if the correct profile is loaded or if filters or folder views are hidden.
Where are my Thunderbird email files Stored?
Thunderbird stores emails in the system folder on Windows: C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles . On Mac and Linux its under library found Thunderbird which contains Thunderbird profiles. Emails contained in MBOX format or MSF file by default.