Is it safe to use third party email client apps like Thunderbird?

Ismael123

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It seems to me like the services could steal your password through the application or something. Is this the case? Are there any risks in using it?
 


Gday Ismael, Welcome to Linux.org

I have used Thunderbird to access emails from Gmail for many years.
I have never encountered an error or problem of the type you describe.....in my opinion, if you show some common sense and be careful of what links you click on in the emails....you will never have a problem.
As for the actual application, Thunderbird is included with all Linux and Ununtu distros and is considered sufficiently safe to be given that special place.

Yes, it is safe to use.
 
I too have used Thunderbird and have never had any issues.

AFAIK (using Linux for 10 years +) Thunderbird is safe to use.:)
 
It seems to me like the services could steal your password through the application or something. Is this the case? Are there any risks in using it?
I think you may have heard about some applications that extend the standard email protocols like Spark or some other email clients (that's just an example --I know it's not available for Linux). In that case, you may be OK just by carefully reading the privacy policy, as they may need to centralise in their server the email fetching to then deliver it to you (e.g.: snooze emails, delay sending even without you having to have the client app open, etc.). Those functionalities would have you setting your email credentials in their server, but that doesn't mean that they wouldn't protect them. As with everything, the best is to read ToC and Privacy Policies.

No legit app would steal your credentials; that's a crime in most countries. However, another thing you have to always be aware, is that any legit app is subject to be attacked and tampered by malicious actors. That's why is always needed to download software from trusted sources (in this case, either your own distribution repositories or https://www.thunderbird.net avoiding third party sites like softonic and others), and check the signatures if available (distributions' package managers do).
 
G'day Ismael from yet another Aussie, and another welcome :)

If you take a look at Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Mozilla_Thunderbird

you can see the history of Thunderbird.

I have been using it since just before v. 1.0 was released, that is, nearly 16 years, and the first 10 years of that was with Windows (first available for Windows XP in 2003). When I came to using Linux exclusively in 2014, I was ever so pleased to find it was the standard email client. It has been with Linux since 2003, also.

Never had a hint of a problem.

If you follow the good advice given above, nor will you.

Cheers

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz
 
Thunderbird and Seamonkey are good email client.
Seamonkey is an browse and email client. The good detail is that use much less RAM than Firefox and is possible change several settings in propertis where Firefox not allow being only possible using about:config.
Using Thunderbird and using internet all time you need FIrefox and Thunderbird in RAM and will use more RAM. Seamonkey is both browse and email client and will use less RAM and the only problem is some few sites displaying false warning that the browse not is Firefox being easy to fix it.
When changing OS or formating even saving Thunderbird or Seamonkey email folder not is simple to copy to new installed system if you not copy totally the profile folder and if you download all email to computer and deleted in email server caution you will have problems that can be fixed if installing plugin importexporttools that you select the previous email folder and copy totally to new email folder.
Need say again ... caution if downloaded all emails and deleted all in email server and done an partition format.
 
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Thunderbird and Seamonkey are good email client.
Seamonkey is an browse and email client. The good detail is that use much less RAM than Firefox and is possible change several settings in propertis where Firefox not allow being only possible using about:config.
Using Thunderbird and using internet all time you need FIrefox and Thunderbird in RAM and will use more RAM. Seamonkey is both browse and email client and will use less RAM and the only problem is some few sites displaying false warning that the browse not is Firefox being easy to fix it.
When changing OS or formating even saving Thunderbird or Seamonkey email folder not is simple to copy to new installed system if you not copy totally the profile folder and if you download all email to computer and deleted in email server caution you will have problems that can be fixed if installing plugin importexporttools that you select the previous email folder and copy totally to new email folder.
Need say again ... caution if downloaded all emails and deleted all in email server and done an partition format.
im a claws mail man ; using bogofilter for spam which gets email from gmail. Last time i had to set iy up theres a handy function to re-create tree file structure that is on gmail
 
Thunderbird is pretty solid - can't go wrong with it - like Wiz mentioned it has been around along time - solid performer.
 
I use KMail because I'm on KDE Plasma. It performs just as well as Thunderbird would (although I've never used Thunderbird, so...).
 

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