If your Thunderbird not getting new messages then do not panic. Read this blog completely and learn why is Thunderbird not downloading messages and how to fix this issue. 
Thunderbird is the most popular desktop-based email client. It is a free and open-source email client that provides robust features and customization options. It allows users to manage their emails, chats, news feeds, etc. in a well-organized manner. Thunderbird provides various add-ons to customize and improve the emailing experience. Sometimes, users face some issues during using it such as Thunderbird not downloading new messages. In the upcoming section, we will discuss the reasons behind this issue and the effective methods to fix Thunderbird stop downloading messages issue.
Why is Thunderbird Not Downloading Messages?
There are various reasons for not downloading Thunderbird messages, which are given below-
- If the Thunderbird account setting is not correct then Thunderbird is unable to send and receive emails and show error messages. So, go to Tools and select account Settings to check it is correct or not.
- If you have not sufficient storage space to download new Thunderbird message then you can face this issue.
- Corruption of Thunderbird profile lead to various Thunderbird issues. If your profile get damaged then Thunderbird not getting new messages.
- Poor internet connection also cause to occur this error messages.
- Due to Firewall security blocks can make Thunderbird lose connect with email server and then Thunderbird cannot download new messages.
How to Fix Thunderbird Not Downloading Emails Issue?
There are some possible ways to solve this issue. You can apply them and fix it.
Method 1. Check Email Server Settings
To resolve Thunderbird not getting messages issue follow the below-mentioned methods. It depends upon which protocol you are using POP or IMAP.
#1. If Thunderbird Uses POP3 Server
Global indexing is a database called global-messages-db.squlite. It stores a copy of all Thunderbird messages. If this file is corrupted then Thunderbird are unable to download messages. Follow the below-given instructions to fix this issue-
1. Close Thunderbird application.
2. Now, Find global-messages-db.squlite file in your Thunderbird profile.
3. Then, delete global-messages-db.squlite file from your system.
4. After that, restart Thunderbird. It will automatically start the re-indexing process.
Hence, you can fix Thunderbird not downloading messages issue if Thunderbird is using POP3 server.
#2. If Thunderbird Use IMAP Server
Follow the below-given steps to download messages from IMAP-configured Thunderbird and fix Thunderbird not getting messages issue-
- Open the Thunderbird application on your system.
- Click on Tools and Select Account Settings.
- Click on the Synchronization & Storage category for IMAP account.
- Enable Keep messages for this account on this computer option.
- After that, click on Advanced button to force Thunderbird to download messages.
- Check Download option to save in the Inbox folder.
- Click OK to save your settings.
Method 2. Reinstall Thunderbird Application
If you are unable to download new message in Thunderbird after applying the above method then uninstall your Thunderbird application and again reinstall it to check error is resolved or not.
Hence, by following the above-given methods, you can fix Thunderbird not downloading messages issue.