Okay, I've been struggling with setting iCloud email up in Thunderbird ever since iCloud was released. When I use IMAP server mail.me.com it connects about half the time. The other times I get an error message. I found an Apple support posting that said use imap.mail.me.com with login xxxx@me.com. This form rejects all the time. What is the secret with using iCloud's IMAP server? Anyone using iCloud in Thunderbird successfully? I have to say I am so close just going back to Gmail it's ridiculous. I have about had it with Apple completely.
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Using iCloud email in Thunderbird
- Thread starter wolfpackfan
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icloud and Thunderbird
Right now, it appears hopeless. I've tried various settings, re-naming of the outgoing server, and ports. No cigar. There is apparently silence on the Mozilla forum except for someone indicating that there was a posting on "Bugzilla," which I guess means begging someone to invent a work-around. I e-chatted with someone at Apple Tech Support and he said that iCloud does not support Thunderbird.
So it goes.
Right now, it appears hopeless. I've tried various settings, re-naming of the outgoing server, and ports. No cigar. There is apparently silence on the Mozilla forum except for someone indicating that there was a posting on "Bugzilla," which I guess means begging someone to invent a work-around. I e-chatted with someone at Apple Tech Support and he said that iCloud does not support Thunderbird.
So it goes.
imap server p02-imap.mail.me.com
username xxx@me.com
password xxx
if that does not work, try p01, or p03
username xxx@me.com
password xxx
if that does not work, try p01, or p03
Thanks rowley! 
I was having this exact same problem, your post has sorted it.
For info, I used the imap server p02-imap.mail.me.com with username in the form xxxxxxx@me.com exactly as suggested.
I was having this exact same problem, your post has sorted it.
For info, I used the imap server p02-imap.mail.me.com with username in the form xxxxxxx@me.com exactly as suggested.
Gracias (Thank you)
Hola soy de Chile, y hace mucho tiempo buscaba la manera de usar mi cliente de correo con el correo xxxx@me.com
saludos a todos desde Chile y muchas gracias
pd: me funcionó con el "p02"
(((Hello I'm from Chile, and has long sought a way to use my email client with mail xxxx@me.com
Greetings to all from Chile and thank you very much
pd: I ran the "p02"))))
Hola soy de Chile, y hace mucho tiempo buscaba la manera de usar mi cliente de correo con el correo xxxx@me.com
saludos a todos desde Chile y muchas gracias
pd: me funcionó con el "p02"
(((Hello I'm from Chile, and has long sought a way to use my email client with mail xxxx@me.com
Greetings to all from Chile and thank you very much
pd: I ran the "p02"))))
Joygasm!
Holy Crap stink killing a worm on steroids, THAT WORKED. I was just about ready to give up and it worked.
Holy Crap stink killing a worm on steroids, THAT WORKED. I was just about ready to give up and it worked.
What I found here (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3433832?start=0&tstart=0) posted by user "arrow7" seems a bit simpler:
imap.mail.me.com (ssl 993)
smtp.mail.me.com (StartTLS 587)
authentication: "normal password" in both cases
then make sure that IMAP folders are properly configured in the account settings... sent, draft, trash, junk, archive, ... i.e. that everything goes where it has to, exclusively to IMAP folders, and not anywhere else. Thunderbird allows you to tweak that very precisely, so do it.
edit: forgot to say, don't use Mozilla IMAP/SMTP detected settings for iCloud mail, this won't work, switch to manual config and do as I said.
just one thing, IDLE doesn't seem to be supported on iCloud servers right now, mails must be fetched every x minutes or manually.
imap.mail.me.com (ssl 993)
smtp.mail.me.com (StartTLS 587)
authentication: "normal password" in both cases
then make sure that IMAP folders are properly configured in the account settings... sent, draft, trash, junk, archive, ... i.e. that everything goes where it has to, exclusively to IMAP folders, and not anywhere else. Thunderbird allows you to tweak that very precisely, so do it.
edit: forgot to say, don't use Mozilla IMAP/SMTP detected settings for iCloud mail, this won't work, switch to manual config and do as I said.
just one thing, IDLE doesn't seem to be supported on iCloud servers right now, mails must be fetched every x minutes or manually.
Thank you! I've had no problems using the traditional imap configuration with MobileMe since 2010 in Thunderbird, then iCloud.......until now. p01 resolved in 2013! Outstanding!
How I configured iCloud Mail in Thunderbird
(Originally in Spanish, I'm sorry if the translation is not perfect. Thanks to Ian C.)
Setting up a mail account iCloud does not support Thunderbird settings. This app uses a different folder map that used by iCloud, so you have to make some small changes.
First of all, if you have previously tried to install iCloud account with insactisfactorious results, it is recommended before deleting the account from Thunderbird, and delete any file on that account:
{user} / Library / Thunderbird / Profiles / xxxxxxxxxxx / ImapMail /
imap.mail.me.com (folder)
imap.mail.me.com.msf
Then:
1. Configure iCloud account in Thunderbird.
It's a little more complicated than it should. This is not Apple's fault. They work well with their own email program (Apple Mail), and they don't need to change their configuration for a third party program. Therefore it is something that should be corrected for future versions of Mozilla Thunderbird.
– New email account > name, email and password Messages: ... looking configuration: your mail provider ... based ISP ... ... trying usual data server names ... ... default Thunderbird "proposes " a configuration.
The default data show like:
Incoming: IMAP
Server Name: .icloud.com *
Port: Auto
SSL: Auto Detect
ID: Autodetect
Outgoing: SMTP
Server Name: .icloud.com *
Port: Auto
SSL: Auto Detect
ID: Autodetect
Username: Incoming: {username} (without @ icloud.com
Outgoing: {username} without @ icloud.com
NOTE: .icloud.com IS NOT VALID.
Must be:
Incoming: imap.mail.me.com (including imap.)
Port: 993
SSL: SSL / TLS
ID: Password Normal
SMTP: smtp.mail.me.com:587 (by putting the following options and disappear)
Identification : Password standard in both inbound and outbound.
Names, let without @ icloud.com
You can press OK now.
2. Folders structure
Thunderbird automatically creates files in the aforementioned path where we erase all traces of the previous configuration with only 4 files:
Drafts.msf
INBOX.msf
Sent.msf
Templates.msf
On the website of iCloud: https://www.icloud.com/#mail deposite yourself an email either in each of the folders: Inbox, Drafts, Sent, Archived, Trash and Spam. For this to work, there must be at least one file in each folder, including drafts (Drafts), we can move any mail, and if it is "virgin" account, with no messages, create multiple drafts by yourself, save them and move to each of the other "basic" folders, which has its own icon in iCloud. Other way, Thunderbird does not show that folder because it thinks that folder does not exists or is not used.
Click OK in the Settings window, quit Thunderbird and reopen it. In doing so the program reads back the files from the server iCloud.
Thunderbird, by default with an account, create a folder structure. These do not match the iCloud.
Thunderbird / iCloud (ok):
Archives / Archive
Drafts / Drafts
INBOX / Mailbox
Junk / Junk
Sent / Sent Messages
Templates / -not any
Trash / Deleted Messages
If we not previously changed the IMAP root folder from Thunderbird, maybe other folders that were previously created may be displayed is them were not entirely eliminate, either by caching or for any other reason.
The problem is that if we select Thunderbird he select folders "default", he goes CREATE its own folders, with the Thunderbird-style names, not with those who iCloud recognized as good. This means that, for example, display a "Thrash" folder in the iCloud web, and a "Deleted Messages" in Thunderbird (as the other types any other relevant). Since we can not CREATE the correct folders because if you try to do that, iCloud tells us that ALREADY THERE, let them inside ANOTHER FOLDER:
For example, create a folder that call "hello" (or any other). Within create the following folders: Archive Drafts Sent Messages Deleted Messages
In Thunderbird, do this: click Settings > Server Settings > Advanced ... For the "iCloud" IMAP server directory features: hola
Un-check "Show only subscribed folders".
(Remember to quit Thunderbird each time you make any change to be shown, them are not instantly displayed)
We can see, while we are changing emails from the web in iCloud, as they appear different messages in each folder, to see how it behaves.
Already changed ROOT IMAP and created the folders with the correct names, proceed to link them:
1) In Server Configuration > Server Settings > When you delete a message: Move it to this folder: Deleted Messages in iCloud.
2) In Conf. > Copies & Folders, we must make one by one by selecting the folders with the correct names: – When sending messages, automatically: Add copy: Other: Sent Messages in iCloud – Archives, Save message files: Other: Archive – Drafts and templates: – Drafts (this being the only one that match between TB and iCloud, so use the default). – Templates, there's not that folder in iCloud, then create one for that function, both in iCloud root folder, and inside the folder "hello" that we have provisionally created, named Templates.
3) In Spam > Destination and retention > Move messages to spam: Folder "spam" in: iCloud. Here both the same name: Junk, so no problem.
Click OK. Exit and reenter Thunderbird. If you have not left loose folders assigned to something, you delete or change to a site outside of "hello". We'll see then where to place them.
When we back to Configuration, we will see only this folders: – Inbox (Because it is the "root" this "folder" is not shown in iCloud) – Drafts – Templates – Sent Messages – Archive – Deleted Messages
Well, if there's everything "clean" now, we can back to change the IMAP ROOT to the iCloud root folder. So we go to Conf. > Config. server > Advanced ... and remove the word "hello" from where we had set. OK. OK. GET OUT. Back into Thunderbird.
Folders previously created by us now are into a folder named "hello", within which are all those listed.
It could be that appeared a new folder called Notes. This is because if we turned off the option to synchronize notes in iCloud (both PC and mobile), iCloud makes notes in a folder visible in the email account, but not from Apple Mail or from the website of iCloud. Forget it.
Now you might have correctly configured each folder between iCloud and Thunderbird.
(Originally in Spanish, I'm sorry if the translation is not perfect. Thanks to Ian C.)
Setting up a mail account iCloud does not support Thunderbird settings. This app uses a different folder map that used by iCloud, so you have to make some small changes.
First of all, if you have previously tried to install iCloud account with insactisfactorious results, it is recommended before deleting the account from Thunderbird, and delete any file on that account:
{user} / Library / Thunderbird / Profiles / xxxxxxxxxxx / ImapMail /
imap.mail.me.com (folder)
imap.mail.me.com.msf
Then:
1. Configure iCloud account in Thunderbird.
It's a little more complicated than it should. This is not Apple's fault. They work well with their own email program (Apple Mail), and they don't need to change their configuration for a third party program. Therefore it is something that should be corrected for future versions of Mozilla Thunderbird.
– New email account > name, email and password Messages: ... looking configuration: your mail provider ... based ISP ... ... trying usual data server names ... ... default Thunderbird "proposes " a configuration.
The default data show like:
Incoming: IMAP
Server Name: .icloud.com *
Port: Auto
SSL: Auto Detect
ID: Autodetect
Outgoing: SMTP
Server Name: .icloud.com *
Port: Auto
SSL: Auto Detect
ID: Autodetect
Username: Incoming: {username} (without @ icloud.com
Outgoing: {username} without @ icloud.com
NOTE: .icloud.com IS NOT VALID.
Must be:
Incoming: imap.mail.me.com (including imap.)
Port: 993
SSL: SSL / TLS
ID: Password Normal
SMTP: smtp.mail.me.com:587 (by putting the following options and disappear)
Identification : Password standard in both inbound and outbound.
Names, let without @ icloud.com
You can press OK now.
2. Folders structure
Thunderbird automatically creates files in the aforementioned path where we erase all traces of the previous configuration with only 4 files:
Drafts.msf
INBOX.msf
Sent.msf
Templates.msf
On the website of iCloud: https://www.icloud.com/#mail deposite yourself an email either in each of the folders: Inbox, Drafts, Sent, Archived, Trash and Spam. For this to work, there must be at least one file in each folder, including drafts (Drafts), we can move any mail, and if it is "virgin" account, with no messages, create multiple drafts by yourself, save them and move to each of the other "basic" folders, which has its own icon in iCloud. Other way, Thunderbird does not show that folder because it thinks that folder does not exists or is not used.
Click OK in the Settings window, quit Thunderbird and reopen it. In doing so the program reads back the files from the server iCloud.
Thunderbird, by default with an account, create a folder structure. These do not match the iCloud.
Thunderbird / iCloud (ok):
Archives / Archive
Drafts / Drafts
INBOX / Mailbox
Junk / Junk
Sent / Sent Messages
Templates / -not any
Trash / Deleted Messages
If we not previously changed the IMAP root folder from Thunderbird, maybe other folders that were previously created may be displayed is them were not entirely eliminate, either by caching or for any other reason.
The problem is that if we select Thunderbird he select folders "default", he goes CREATE its own folders, with the Thunderbird-style names, not with those who iCloud recognized as good. This means that, for example, display a "Thrash" folder in the iCloud web, and a "Deleted Messages" in Thunderbird (as the other types any other relevant). Since we can not CREATE the correct folders because if you try to do that, iCloud tells us that ALREADY THERE, let them inside ANOTHER FOLDER:
For example, create a folder that call "hello" (or any other). Within create the following folders: Archive Drafts Sent Messages Deleted Messages
In Thunderbird, do this: click Settings > Server Settings > Advanced ... For the "iCloud" IMAP server directory features: hola
Un-check "Show only subscribed folders".
(Remember to quit Thunderbird each time you make any change to be shown, them are not instantly displayed)
We can see, while we are changing emails from the web in iCloud, as they appear different messages in each folder, to see how it behaves.
Already changed ROOT IMAP and created the folders with the correct names, proceed to link them:
1) In Server Configuration > Server Settings > When you delete a message: Move it to this folder: Deleted Messages in iCloud.
2) In Conf. > Copies & Folders, we must make one by one by selecting the folders with the correct names: – When sending messages, automatically: Add copy: Other: Sent Messages in iCloud – Archives, Save message files: Other: Archive – Drafts and templates: – Drafts (this being the only one that match between TB and iCloud, so use the default). – Templates, there's not that folder in iCloud, then create one for that function, both in iCloud root folder, and inside the folder "hello" that we have provisionally created, named Templates.
3) In Spam > Destination and retention > Move messages to spam: Folder "spam" in: iCloud. Here both the same name: Junk, so no problem.
Click OK. Exit and reenter Thunderbird. If you have not left loose folders assigned to something, you delete or change to a site outside of "hello". We'll see then where to place them.
When we back to Configuration, we will see only this folders: – Inbox (Because it is the "root" this "folder" is not shown in iCloud) – Drafts – Templates – Sent Messages – Archive – Deleted Messages
Well, if there's everything "clean" now, we can back to change the IMAP ROOT to the iCloud root folder. So we go to Conf. > Config. server > Advanced ... and remove the word "hello" from where we had set. OK. OK. GET OUT. Back into Thunderbird.
Folders previously created by us now are into a folder named "hello", within which are all those listed.
It could be that appeared a new folder called Notes. This is because if we turned off the option to synchronize notes in iCloud (both PC and mobile), iCloud makes notes in a folder visible in the email account, but not from Apple Mail or from the website of iCloud. Forget it.
Now you might have correctly configured each folder between iCloud and Thunderbird.
Last edited: