Request: Bring Back the Simple Quick Filter for Thunderbird

JPerryE — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 16:35:10 GMT

Subject: Please Bring Back the Simple Quick Filter!

Dear Thunderbird Team,

I've been a happy Thunderbird user for years, and one of the features I’ve always appreciated is the Quick Filter bar. It used to be wonderfully simple—just type in a word, and boom! Messages filtered by subject or sender in a flash. Lately, though, the new Quick Filter behavior feels more cluttered and less intuitive.

I understand the desire to improve and evolve the platform, but sometimes simplicity is the best design. The new version feels like a few too many clicks for what used to be one of Thunderbird’s most elegant little tricks. I often save emails to local folders and rely on quick filters to clean up before archiving.

Please consider giving users the option to toggle back to the older, more streamlined filter—call it “Classic Mode” or “Minimal Filter.” A little flexibility would go a long way.

Thanks for continuing to make such a great email client, and for listening to us old-school fans who like our filters fast and fuss-free!

Sincerely, A loyal user with a fondness for the simple things

Re: Request: Bring Back the Simple Quick Filter for Thunderbird

siffemcon — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 23:06:30 GMT

What version of TB was the 'simple' version last seen on?

Re: Request: Bring Back the Simple Quick Filter for Thunderbird

wsm — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 14:29:37 GMT

@JPerryE please don't abandon your posts for assistance.

FWIW, there have been zero changes to the quick filter bar in the last several releases.

Please in the future use https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/new/thunderbird for things that are not working correctly for you. Thanks.

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Request: Bring Back the Simple Quick Filter for Thunderbird

Re: Request: Bring Back the Simple Quick Filter for Thunderbird

Re: Request: Bring Back the Simple Quick Filter for Thunderbird