Gmail Inbox Category support for Thunderbird - An essential omission

[Tolqua]

Thunderbird doesn't currently support Gmail Inbox Categories.  This filtration is offered on all Gmail accounts and works in the background without any user input to effectively keep the Primary Inbox free of 'automated' messages. 

The significance of this function can't be overestimated and the lack of support for this is the main reason I can't use Thunderbird.  Sadly, Google doesn't expose this categorisation via MAPI which is probably why this feature isn't available in most third-party email clients, but there must be a way to implement it because it's available in Canary Mail (see screenshot).  

Canary is a proper desktop app, but has none of the power and flexibility of Thunderbird so doesn't offer a workable alternative to Google's browser-based Gmail client, the limitations of which will be immediately obvious to any user coming to Gmail after using Outlook/Exchange.  A desktop app that offers a similar level of functionality and usability is desperately needed by business Gmail users such as myself.  

Thunderbird is currently the only option available that offers a UX comparable to Outlook and is arguably a much better, but the lack of support for Inbox Categories makes it a non-starter for me.  

If Canary can do it why not Thunderbird?  

[Jon]

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

[Tolqua]

Here's a screenshot showing Gmail Inbox Categories in Canary Mail:

They're listed in the side bar as opposed to the 'tabs' used in the Gmail browser client, but messages are correctly categorised.

No idea how this is achieved, but it does show it's possible. 

[BrianG]

I recently tried out Thunderbird for my Gmail. The lack of categories was a showstopper for me too. I've become very dependent on Google's automated filters for Updates and Promotions. Instead of waiting until I create a new filter for every type of e-mail, it's already lightened the load to where I can quickly get to what's important. 

I used Thunderbird years ago (early 2010's) and was excited to give it another go. If it gains support for categories, I'm back!

[Antendo22]

I need this feature too. Gmail inboxes are so clean thanks to the categories.

[Tolqua]

**UPDATE - 13 Aug 24**

Thanks to BrianG and Antendo22 for the kudos.  Given the ubiquity of this feature, I'm really surprised there haven't been more users giving this the thumbs up, but I'm really pleased to be able to report that I've found an alternative solution.  It's called eM Client.  

eM Client is a mature (currently V10) desktop app that runs on Windows and IOS.  I have no idea how this managed to escape my attention when looking for an alternative to Outlook, but it's a proper desktop app that behaves like Windows apps are supposed to (you can open multiple windows and they behave the way windows are supposed to) and it sports a proper Outlook-like UX similar to Thunderbird rather than the 'clean but useless' look and feel adopted by most of the so-called alternatives to Outlook (Mailbird, Canary etc.).  

Critically, it supports Gmail Inbox categories I was asking for in this post and it keeps everything in perfect sync.  There's even an option to display the non-primary Inbox Categories together under a single 'Other' tab so if, like me, you don't care about the actual Inbox Categories, but do appreciate the way this background Gmail filtration keeps the automated stuff out of your primary Inbox, then this is a Godsend! 

This is how clean my mail view looks with all important mail in my Primary tab and nothing in Other:

You can have all the separate Inbox categories as tabs along the top, like in the Gmail client, but since I have a set of Gmail rules that automatically assign them to the AutoMail category and skip the inbox whenever they get categorised as anything other than Primary, this tab is usually empty.  I only keep it there as a check for any item that may have slipped past the filters.  

Em Client is available in a limited version for free, but I'm using the Personal licence that allows installation on 3 PC/devices and includes proper support (it's way better quality than Microsoft Office or Google Workspace). 

I've been using this for a month now and it's like I've found the Holy Grail of email after nearly ten years of suffering with Outlook/Exchange.   

I may not have had any luck getting Thunderbird to support Gmail's Inbox Categories, but eM Client does the job perfectly - It's simply the best email solution I've come across!    

[Anrio]

I second that, the Lack of Categorization, is just a trash bin, for every 1 email i get in gmail app (primary), there are about 99+ spam/promotional automated garbage. without automatically removing these or somehow classifying these as not inbox I cannot use this app.

[davek1]

I also support the need for Thunderbird to support email categories.