Information and Technology

Thunderbird for Mac

The  settings for Thunderbird work the same for computers on and off campus.

NOTE:  When setting up your Bowdoin email using Thunderbird, we recommend using IMAP and not Pop. Using IMAP guarantees your email will stay on the email server.  This ensures that you can use webmail to view your email from anywhere you have an Internet connection! (Setting up your email using Pop can mean that all of your email gets taken off the email server and moved onto your computer.)

Open the Thunderbird application, click on the “Tools” menu and select “Account Settings...”

1.  Incoming Settings:

• In the left column, select "Server Settings".
• In the right frame, next to "Server Name:", type imap.bowdoin.edu. 
• Next to "Port:", type 993. 
• Next to "User Name:", type your Bowdoin username. 
• Under "Security Settings:", check SSL.

2. Outgoing Settings

1. Open Thunderbird
2. Click on the “Tools” menu.  Select Account Settings…
3. On the left column of the window that appears, select "Outgoing Server (SMTP)"
4. With your mouse, highlight “('yourusername - smtp.bowdoin.edu (Default)” on the right side of the window.
5. Click on the “Edit…” button to the right.

8. In the Settings window, next to Port:, type “587”.
9. Select the “Use name and password” checkbox, if it isn't already selected.
10. If Thunderbird is version 3.0.x or higher choose “STARTTLS” . If STARTTLS is not an option then choose "TLS"

11. Click “OK”
12. Click “OK.”
13. Exit Thunderbird.