Topics Map > Features and Functionality > Client Capabilities > Desktop
Office 365 (Thunderbird) - Client Capabilities
This document contains instructions on using a non-Microsoft email client, such as Apple Mail or Thunderbird. Microsoft does not recommend these clients for use with Office 365, and there are often significant limitations in client functionality as a result. Because of this, the DoIT Help Desk is only able to offer best effort support for these clients, and certain issues may require the use of a Microsoft client in order to be resolved. For more information on Office 365 client support, please see: Office 365 - Which clients/protocols will be supported?.Best Effort Support Only
This document provides an overview of a range of functions and behavior when interacting with Office 365 using Mozilla Thunderbird. The functionality considered pertains to the Email, Calendaring, and Contacts portions of the Office 365 suite..
Key | |
---|---|
![]() |
This client is able to perform these functions very well, with few or no issues. |
![]() |
This client has some issues performing these functions. Certain tasks may require a different client or additional steps. |
![]() |
This client is not able to perform these functions; a different client is needed to complete these functions. |
![]() |
These functions have not yet been tested using this client. |
Email Functions | Yes/No | Notes |
---|---|---|
Client accessible per ADA guidelines | ![]() |
|
Configure for access | ![]() |
Without any third-party add-ons, Thunderbird does not support Exchange configuration, so IMAP must be used. By default, an IMAP subscription only subscribes you to Inbox. Default configuration creates a new "Sent" folder (vs "Sent Items") and "Trash" folder (vs "Deleted Items"). Other folders in account can be subscribed to, but must be done so manually. It is possible to subscribe to "non-mail" folders that the Exchange system uses for processing other items, like "Calendar". Doing so does not provide any type of calendar functionality. |
Send and receive | ![]() |
|
Move message to a folder | ![]() |
|
Create, rename, and delete folders | ![]() |
|
Set sharing permissions for entire mailbox | ![]() |
|
Set sharing permissions for folder(s) | ![]() |
|
Interact with a shared mailbox | ![]() |
|
Interact with a shared folder | ![]() |
|
Authenticate and send as another user | ![]() |
|
Send on behalf of another user (change identities) | ![]() |
If you have "Send As" permissions, you can do so. If you do not, you will receive an SMTP 5.7.1 error stating "Client does not have permissions to send as this sender." |
Send as Alternate Address | ![]() |
|
Set and modify server-side filters | ![]() |
|
Set and modify client-side filters | ![]() |
As with any client-side functionality, these only take place when and if the configured client is actively running and connected to the mail server. |
Expand recipients from server-side distribution list | ![]() |
|
Forward email inline | ![]() |
|
Forward email as attachment | ![]() |
|
View full headers of a message | ![]() |
|
Export email (to import elsewhere) | ![]() |
|
Detach attachments from email messages | ![]() |
"Detach" functionality exists, but it doesn't work properly. Attachment will be saved, but not removed from original message. |
Set tags, flags, or categories on email | ![]() |
Flags and tags exist, but are not always interpreted in identical fashion by both Exchange systems and Thunderbird. Example: Thunderbird sees a "follow up" flag as a Star. |
Print a message | ![]() |
|
Auto-complete email addresses from server Global Address List | ![]() |
|
Auto-complete email addresses from server Personal Address Book | ![]() |
Personal address book is not synced with Office 365 cloud and cannot be synced. |
Auto-complete email addresses from local Personal Address Book | ![]() |
|
Recover deleted emails from Deleted Items | ![]() |
|
View emails in threaded or conversation view | ![]() |
|
Set reminder on email messages | ![]() |
|
Create an event from an email message | ![]() |
|
Use a Digital ID to digitally sign an email | ![]() |
|
Set a priority on an email message | ![]() |
There exist 5 message priorities when composing, from highest to lowest. The flag is shown in Exchange clients. |
Calendar Functions | Yes/No | Notes |
---|---|---|
Configure for access | ![]() |
Lightning is the de facto calendaring add-on for Thunderbird, since it is created and maintained by Mozilla. Unfortunately, current versions of Thunderbird produce an error when attempting to configure a calendar in Lightning, even when an add-on for Exchange Web Services is used. |
Contacts Functions | Yes/No | Notes |
---|---|---|
Configure for access | ![]() |
Thunderbird does not have built-in functionality to connect to an Exchange MAPI address book. |
View and use the Global Address List (GAL) | ![]() |
|
Create a personal contact stored on the server | ![]() |
|
Modify a contact stored on the server | ![]() |
|
Delete a contact stored on the server | ![]() |
|
Create and modify local contacts | ![]() |
|
Auto-complete addresses from contacts | ![]() |
|
Create server-side distribution list | ![]() |
|
Modify server-side distribution list | ![]() |