I am stillen hanging on to my favorite mail program since many years. The experience has been so positive over so many years that I’m reluctant to give it up too quickly.
First, I would like to share three features that I value. Then I would like to propose four features to be added to K-9 / Thunderbird.
Thank you for implementing the two-letter abbreviation naming option, though it’s still somewhat challenging to distinguish between similar accounts. I appreciate your explanation about the technical debt related to the account selection list - it helps me understand why rolling back isn’t possible.
I particularly value the fixed account order in the selection list. Even with just the two-letter abbreviations, this makes maintaining an overview much easier.
The feature allowing users to tap on the full account name to cycle through accounts while viewing the complete list is also extremely helpful.
Suggestions for UI improvements in 2025:
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Create a separate menu for the 2-letter account abbreviations so that account names don’t appear as “x1 first.lastname@mailserver.TLD”
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While viewing an account’s email list, implement a quick account-switching feature similar to the main menu - either by tapping the account name or using a swipe gesture (matching the browser tab-switching experience). This would make it easier to check multiple priority accounts without returning to the account selection screen.
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Add a status line between the top bar and the first email entry showing:
- Two-letter handle
- Full account name
- Number of unread messages
- Total message count
- Number of starred messages
Currently, the top line truncates long account names with ellipsis (…). Having the two-letter handle visible would help with recognizing less frequently used accounts. The full account name and message statistics would assist in keeping mailboxes organized.
- Additionally, I’d like to see the return of a valuable feature from earlier K-9 versions: “search all emails from sender.” This could be implemented in the account email list view, either through a long-press menu on email entries or in the three-dots menu when selecting a message. Adding a “search subject line” option would also be useful. It helps to quickly select and delete mails. The search function isn’t an alternative to this.
These are my feature requests for 2025.
Happy New Year!