Delete or Remove Email Account from Thunderbird but Keep Emails

Users can easily delete an email account in Thunderbird for Mac, Windows, or Linux through Account Settings. Once you have deleted an email account in Thunderbird, you can no longer access, send, or receive mail from that account via Thunderbird only. However, it does not deactivate an email account permanently.

These instructions are for removing an email account from Thunderbird for all standard versions.

1. In Thunderbird, click on the Navigation menu on the top-right.
2. Select the Account Settings option.
3. Choose the email account you want to remove from Mozilla Thunderbird.
4. Click on the Delete button on the top-right.
5. Click Remove to confirm.

Why Delete an Email Account in Thunderbird?

There may be a few reasons why users need to remove an email account from Thunderbird:

• To troubleshoot an account-associated Thunderbird error.
• Clean up Thunderbird profile and save space.
• Deleting an old or already deactivated email account from Thunderbird.
• To avoid security risks on crucial email information.
• In case of migrating Thunderbird to another email client.

What Happens When You Remove an Email Account From Thunderbird?

Deleting an email account in Thunderbird merely removes the following settings from the Mozilla Thunderbird profile folder on your desktop:

• Incoming server type (IMAP or POP)
• Server address
• Port numbers
• Security settings (SSL/TLS)
• Username and authentication
• SMTP settings
• Sync preferences
• Account display name

Your IMAP or POP account continues to exist and can be re-configured via the Add Account option to access emails.

Steps to Wipe Email Data After Removing a Thunderbird Account

Merely deleting an Email Account does not directly remove email data from the Thunderbird profile folder. These emails continue to take up space in your computer’s hard drive.

To permanently delete these emails, make sure you enable the “Remove Message Data” checkbox when deleting.

Alternative Way to Permanently Delete Thunderbird Account Data

In case you forgot to enable the check box or the option is not available in your Thunderbird version, follow the steps below:

1. Open Thunderbird and click on the navigation menu.
2. Select Help and then Troubleshooting information.
3. Scroll to the Profile folder location and click on Open Folder.
4. Open the IMAP Mail folder for IMAP accounts or Mail for POP accounts.
5. Navigate to the email folder of the account you want to remove from Thunderbird.
6. Delete the files without any extension.

Key Considerations Before You Remove POP Email Account in Thunderbird

Unlike an IMAP account that stores email on the server, a POP account only stores emails on the local computer.

In case you delete a POP account configuration from the Thunderbird profile, you may no longer be able to access those emails.

However, they are not permanently deleted and are still saved in the Thunderbird profile folder.

To prevent the loss, make sure you enable “Leave a Copy on Server”. Here are step-by-step instructions:

1. Open Navigation Menu.
2. Go to Account Settings, choose your accounts, and go to Server Settings.
3. Enable the “Leave messages on server” checkbox.
4. Press Ok to confirm.

How to Delete an Email Account in Thunderbird but Keep Emails?

There are multiple ways to safely keep your emails and access them later without any manual hassle, even after removing the account.

1st Method: Move or Copy Thunderbird Emails to the Local Folder Before Removing the Email Account

In each folder (Inbox, Sent, Draft, or any Custom folder), select the emails you want to keep accessing after account removal.

1. Use Shift/Ctrl for bulk selection.
2. Right-click and select Move To.
3. Choose Local Folder as the saving destination.

2nd Method: Back up the entire Thunderbird profile to avoid data loss.

3rd Method: Bulk save Thunderbird emails as PDF, Word, EML, or other easy to access format using a dedicated Thunderbird export tool to save time.

Troubleshoot the Delete Email Account Option in Thunderbird Not Working

If you are not able to remove an email account from Thunderbird or the option is greyed out, here are manual fixes you can try:

Fix1: Close and restart Thunderbird

Fix2: Start in Troubleshoot Mode

If the mail account still exists in Thunderbird after removal:

1. In Thunderbird, go to Menu >> Troubleshoot Mode.
2. Click on Restart.
3. Again, go to the Account Settings to delete an email account in Thunderbird.

Fix3: Update Thunderbird to the latest version.

Fix4: Access Thunderbird with a new profile, remove the email account, & keep emails

1. Go to Menu >> Help >> Troubleshooting Information.
2. Scroll to Profiles and then click on: profiles.
3. Click on Create New Profile.
4. Name the new profile, press Finish.
5. Set the new profile as the default.

Learn: How to Recover Deleted Thunderbird Emails?

Key Takeaways

• Removing an account deletes settings, not automatically emails.
• IMAP accounts remain safe; emails stay on the server.
• POP accounts require backup before removal.
• Enable “Remove Message Data” for permanent deletion.
• Export or back up emails before deleting accounts.