Add start minimized and minimize to system tray in thunderbird

[Jonylentz]

Please add these options as a native feature of thunderbird. There are multiple posts around the internet searching for it and even add-ons made to workaround this issue.
Not having these options greatly reduce the user-friendly aspect of the software, it is an e-mail client and is supposed to be opened at all times to check and receive new e-mails... I shouldn't have to search for an third-party add-on just to make this work even if the add-on code is reviewed by mozilla, I am trusting my e-mail access to it and this is key to multiple sensitive and personal info.
Please make this a feature

[Jon]

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

[SonicGold]

I have been literally looking for such a feature for an hour, what a shame TB doesn't support Windows's native "minimized" option on launch 🙄

[Agentvirtuel]

Hello

In addition https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/system-tray-support-on-linux/idc-p/53414/highlight/true#M31156

[SonicGold]

Hi @Agentvirtuel,

Thanks for the link.

Please note that for Windows, minimized on start is different from trayed to taskbar (could be a separate setting as users preferences differ). They could be combined or not.

This could be achieved with TB observing the built-in option when creating shortcuts on Windows (https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-do-i-make-an-app-start-on-startup-minimize...) or any command line option supplied upon TB startup.

[Jonylentz]

Hey @SonicGold, I have tried this shortcut method but in my case it simply does not work... I also tried creating a scheduled task to run ThunderBird minimized and even tried running from the CMD with a minimized flag neither option worked for me, TB always started maximized no matter what I do....
I'm running windows 11 23H2, earlier this year I had the same results so it wasn't a windows update problem
I still feel like this should be a built-in feature of TB, as most modern software already have this as an option

[Jonylentz]

Hey, @SonicGold I've tried the shortcut method, but it simply does not work for me, I also tried creating a task in taskscheduler and running TB from cmd directly with a minimized flag but in all cases ThunderBird starts maximized no matter what I do...
I'm on windows 11 23H2, and I have tried the same thing earlier this year with no success, so I imagine it's not the case of a windows update breaking things
I still think this should be a native feature of ThunderBird as most modern software have this option...

[eduardom]

it would be hella nice if these features are added natively to Thunderbird on Windows:

• Start on windows startup

• Minimize to system tray upon startup

• Minimize to system tray when closing (clicking the top right 'X' close button)

[Jon]

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

[insoul8]

I agree, it would be fantastic if there were an option to minimize to tray on close in order to keep it running in the background.

[ubiquitous_mela]

bump. it imperative to have such basic functionalities in thunderbird in 2024.

[Malapert]

In settings, Thunderbird even has a checkbox for "When minimized, send to tray" and mine is checked but it does not do this in Windows 11.  Is this a Win 11 compatibility issue??  No one has mentioned this with another system yet. Thunderbird on my previous build did minimize to tray just fine.

[nyet]

Close to tray makes more sense than minimize to tray

https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-us/thunderbird/addon/minimize-on-close/

but this one no longer works

[heksesang]

@MalapertThunderbird 136.0 does minimize to tray on Windows 11 for me.

[kinkles]

I'm shocked that Thunderbird has been around this long without this option.

[Alfriedo]

@heksesang but only on minimizing, no? If I hit close, its closed. I'd love to have both minimize to tray, or at least to have the ability to have a background process checking for new mails.