Unthreaded By Default

[Bolenteam]

First off, thanks to the Thunderbird team for continuing to maintain and improve the program. I’ve been using Thunderbird for years and genuinely appreciate it!

That said, I’d really like to ask that threaded view not be enabled by default. For users who deal with high-volume, transaction-based email (real estate), threading creates more friction than value. It hides messages, disrupts chronological review, and forces folder-by-folder adjustments that don’t always stick.

Threading should be an opt-in, not the default. Flat, date-ordered email is how professional inboxes have traditionally worked, and for many of us, it’s still the most efficient way to process email accurately.

Thanks again for the work you do on Thunderbird, and I hope this is something the team will consider.

-Matthew Bolen

[JEarlAnderson]

I've used Thunderbird for years.  I'm now using 128.1.1, which frankly doesn't seem any better, really, than previous versions like 115.  But I really don't care for threaded messages, especially since that is the defaults, and I don't like that you have to change to unthreaded folder by folder.  There should be a global way to choose whether you want your messages threaded or unthreaded, and have that choice propagate through all of your folders.  If there is one, please someone let me know about it.  

If there isn't, there *should* be!  At least that's what *I* think. 

Take care!

[ThePillenwerfer]

I absolutely agree.  I only moved from Thunderbird 45 a few weeks ago when MicroSoft made OAuth2 compulsory.  115 has a few advantages and a few disadvantages so overall neither better nor worse and I've no intension of 'up-grading' from that 'til I have to.

As for getting rid of the execrable threads, press Alt-v and the choose 'Sort by' from the drop-down menu that appears.  At the bottom of the list that appears is 'Unthreaded.'  That will only affect the folder you are in at the time though.  To make it global click somewhere on the top line of the list of messages.  A column of options will top up.  At the bottom is 'Apply current view to...'  Hover over that and then 'Folder and its children' then the account name then the account name again in the next box that pops up.  See attached screenshot as hopefully that will show it clearer than I can put it in words.

You'll still have to do it for every account you've got. 

Ease of use (or at least ease of doing things Our way rather than Mozilla's) certainly doesn't get better with new versions.

[RickMiddo]

Thanks! finally found it. Yes, I am in the "hate threading view" camp, and I was hunting around for age for how to avoid this. 

[TerraD]

I use TB manage a lot (almost 20) mail accounts. And I do not like the threaded view...

I know it is possible to set each folder to unthreaded and I'm a aware, that 'mailnews.default_view_flags 0=unthreaded' will set all new folders to unthreaded. However with all my accounts it almost impossible to set manually all forders to unthreaded. And it is my impression that they sometimes even switch back from unthreaded to threaded...

I need a global option to just turn of threading for all folder views!

Please note: My request only is in regard to folder views, I think a threaded view for messages after a search makes sense.

[thomas0]

Thank you for this solution. However, I want to emphasize again that this is a horrible user experience and it should be possible to toggle threaded/unthreaded via a global setting.

[Jon]

Thanks for submitting an idea to the Mozilla Connect community! Your idea is now open to votes (aka kudos) and comments.

[Beekman]

Also, the work-around does not work for search results, which will return to Threaded view for every search.

[Jon]

Thanks for submitting an idea to the Mozilla Connect community! Your idea is now open to votes (aka kudos) and comments.

[STJ21]

Dear Thunderbird Team,

Congratulations on your great work!

Please allow me the option to receive my emails without threading, as it is quite confusing for me.

I would prefer to have incoming emails in my "Inbox" and outgoing emails in my "Sent" folder—separately, please.

Thank you so much!

All the best,
J.S.

[STJ21]

I totally agree. Best regards.

[Jon]

(Note: similar ideas have been merged into this thread)

[FacesOfMu]

Please please please implement this. It's terrible to force everyone into a default view without the ability to change it. 
I see there are still other posts in this forum about this, people are still asking for it.

It's forced UIs like this that can often be a deal breaker for people trying a program out. Making the default view to be our choice of threaded/unthreaded (with an option appearing to update all folders when this is changed) should be a high priority for anyone in Mozilla wanting to increase conversion rates of users.

[Algernon]

PLEASE make unthreaded messages as the default. 

[Jon]

(Note: similar ideas have been merged into this thread)