Mozilla’s Thunderbird team has updated its release schedule for the Android version of the email client. Instead of trying to get a first version ready and published by the end of 2023, the developers now want to give themselves more time.
The simple reason is that they won’t be finished in 2023, the team explains in one Blog post. Originally there was a list of functions that they wanted to implement in the Android version of Thunderbird. However, development was delayed, which is why the team reduced the range of functions.
With the reduced range of functions, the team was aiming for a release by the end of 2023 – only to find out at the end of the year that the app would not be released until 2024, even with fewer functions. So they decided to postpone the publication and not give a new date. As soon as all functions have been implemented, Thunderbird for Android will be released.
K-9 Mail becomes Thunderbird
Until then, users can continue to use the K-9 Mail client. K-9 Mail is the starting point for the new Thunderbird and serves as the basis for the new application; Mozilla hired the developer of the app in 2022. The current version of K-9 Mail contains all the finished new functions, the beta version also always contains the features that are currently being worked on.
Mozilla has some reassuring news for all K-9 fans: If you don’t want to do without the app with the robodog in the logo even after launching Thunderbird for Android, you don’t have to. Due to the many positive responses, Mozilla decided to offer both Thunderbird and K-9 Mail. The two apps will be identical and will only differ in the name, logo and color scheme.