`12.0b4` of `.beta` introduces a slower-to-use account switcher.

[RokeJulianLockhart]

Checklist

1. [x] I have used the search function to see if someone else has already submitted the same bug report.

2. [x] I will describe the problem with as much detail as possible.

Application

sourcePackage=net.thunderbird.android.beta

Application Version

versionName=12.0b4

Where It Was Installed From

installerPackageName=com.android.vending

#!/usr/bin/env bash
adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d "market://details?id=net.thunderbird.android.beta" && \
adb exec-out uiautomator dump /dev/tty |
    sed 's/></>\n</g' |
    grep -E 'text="(Open|Install|Play|Update)"|content-desc="(Open|Install|Play|Update)"' |
    awk 'match($0,/bounds="\[([0-9]+),([0-9]+)\]\[([0-9]+),([0-9]+)\]/,a){x=(a[1]+a[3])/2;y=(a[2]+a[4])/2;system("adb shell input tap "x" "y)}'

Android Version

[ro.build.version.release]: [15]
[ro.build.display.id]: [FP5.VT2E.C.059.20250908]

Device Model

[ro.product.brand]: [Fairphone]
[ro.build.product]: [FP5]

How To Reproduce

Invoke the chooser:

Expected Behaviour

I should be able to see how many accounts are registered, and be able to choose another without first invoking an overlay. Otherwise, significant time is lost choosing accounts.

To demonstrate that this opinion is not merely my own, see versionCode=42544822 of com.microsoft.office.outlook:

Actual Behaviour

The update removes the sidebar, and introduces an overlay:

This overlay actually provides more information, which has significant use:

However, for those who switch between e-mail accounts often, and those without tens of e-mail accounts, the sidebar is an improvement over the overlay.

[RoootTheFox]

I think the old sidebar design should be kept as an option, so users can pick between either of them.

[RokeJulianLockhart]

@RoootTheFox, there's no need. The e-mail header of the old sidebar could invoke the new flyout.

[mutaunt]

I too have found the new overlay adding unnecessary clicks when switching accounts. I use an android 11 tablet and android 15 phone and much prefer the previous sidebar on both.

[krzysdz]

I think the old sidebar design should be kept as an option, so users can pick between either of them.

Technically, it is an option, just one configured using a hardcoded feature flag. I assume it's meant to be not user accessible, but it can be changed. Right now if you'd like to do this (without rebuilding the app), you'd have to modify the bytecode (example patch), which I advise against, unless you know what you're doing.

[uniquePWD]

I'm with RJL, the only sidebar was far superior in every metric.

[mutaunt]

I've been thinking about this some more. We've gone from 3 touches to change account (menu->account->mailbox) to 4 (menu->drop-down->account->mailbox).

What (for me at least) would be so much better is to go the other way - reinstate the account sidebar AND just make the inbox the default choice. Two touch (menu->account-inbox).

Is the issue driving the wrong changes in the beta that those who want and use a unified mailbox think we all should and therefore the only time we'd change account is to get to a folder that isn't an inbox???

I think many of us with multiple accounts don't want a unified mailbox jumbling the messages together. We want the accounts well separated and an easy path from one account to another.

What do others think?

[RokeJulianLockhart]

@mutaunt, I prefer the unified default, but I have no qualm with it being configurable. Otherwise, I believe that I've suggested the rest in https://github.com/thunderbird/thunderbird-android/issues/9568#issuecomment-3159986605.

[Jordan-Glass]

I would also like to show my support for reverting this change to match the above screenshot in the image provided by the author, or at least providing the option to.

I make heavy use of the Unified Inbox, but need to drill down into individual folders which I don't have unified (for email newsletters, drafts, spam, and so on).

The change to a separate "Unified Account" means my unified inbox is always several taps away from wherever I am. Likewise with getting from my unified inbox to wherever I need to be.

The main issue for me is hiding the unified inbox behind the unified account, where before it was at the top of the folder list under every account, so it was always accessible.

The sidebar with account icons shown alongside folders also made it easier to switch between them. All in all, the current setup adds substantial friction compared to what came before.

I understand that not all users have many accounts, so they won't be switching back and forth. I also understand that adding an option adds something else to maintain with limited resources. But the current solution just isn't working for me as well as the old one.

[amalon]

for me its gone from (otoh) 2 taps to gp unified -> inox/folder/nested-folder:

• sidebar
• tap nested-folder

to 4 taps:

• side bar
• non unified account (i only have 1, so unified being seperate is a pain)
• expand folder being cafeful to avoid missing the arrow and triggering #9644 (please make it remember expansions!)
• tap nested-folder

[RGBCube]

Since I have a big phone and many accounts, and switch often between them, this change has made thunderbird significantly slower to navigate, as I have to start holding my phone in a different position (rather than just tapping in a location normally) to switch accounts.

I'm in favor of allowing the user to choose the side-rail account picker in the interaction settings menu.

[CaffeineOnIce]

I have 5 mail accounts, and I just tried 14.0. God, it's so bad to use the drop down menu. Why's that even a thing? Why make it drop down? Hell, just make the accounts as scrollable chips on just under the top bar if you need. Why increase useless complexity when the side rail was a bliss to use?

[tm-frs]

I agree; 14.0 just made switching way worse (the old layout was easier to use, and in my opinion even more intuitive and also better looking). There may be benefits from this new UI, but it should be up to the user which one to use. I'd even have the old one be the default option, but that's just my opinion

[CaffeineOnIce]

4 days later, I can confirm it's still absolutely the most braindead change I've seen on this app. This is even worse than that UI revamp a few years ago. I genuinely am thinking about moving back to Gmail or to Fairmail. I dunno what kinda stuff the devs are smoking while developing this.

I need to press like 6 different taps just to search something in different mail accounts. After sometime, it becomes so tedious. I genuinely have absolutely no idea what the devs are on, right now. Genuinely the worst accessibility change I've seen since changes from A11 Material 2 to A12 Material 3 design language.

[uniquePWD]

I can only speculate that while Power Users love the navigation rail, Telemetry is showing more user retention with the drop down and maintaining both isn't sustainable.

[CaffeineOnIce]

I can only speculate that while Power Users love the navigation rail, Telemetry is showing more user retention with the drop down and maintaining both isn't sustainable.

That'll happen when most people have auto updates enabled with little to no knowledge about how to revert back to older versions. That'll happen when you completely remove the feature, instead of providing options to toggle the UI.

[RokeJulianLockhart]

@uniquePWD, if that were true, com.microsoft.office.outlook would have done so. However, they haven't, per versionCode=42545819. I recently added an example screenshot above.

[uniquePWD]

Then I don't know what's going on or how we got here.

[mutaunt]

I've never understood how app devs make poor decisions but won't back out. Not now, not ever. Please devs, think this thru;

• There are several explanations above highlighting how poor this change is to use.

• There is nothing but negative feedback coming in.

Time to say "that didn't work, lets try again".

[CaffeineOnIce]

I've never understood how app devs make poor decisions but won't back out. Not now, not ever. Please devs, think this thru;

* There are several explanations above highlighting how poor this change is to use.

* There is nothing but negative feedback coming in.

Time to say "that didn't work, lets try again".

They have a whole task pr issue opened to remove the side rail entirely. I don't have any hope they'll revert it back. I'll probably go back to Gmail, or to Fairmail, but Fairmail looks ugly as hell.

[acid-bong]

ight, let's keep it civil. I'm as frustrated as you are, and i don't want this thread to be closed for spam/misbehaviour

[acid-bong]

I'll probably go back to Gmail,

better export your settings, reinstall v13 from F-Droid and select "Ignore this update" or "any further updates" (or ignore them yourself) until it's fixed

[amalon]

for me its gone from (otoh) 2 taps to gp unified -> inox/folder/nested-folder:

• sidebar
• tap nested-folder

to 4 taps:

• side bar
• non unified account (i only have 1, so unified being seperate is a pain)
• expand folder (...)
• tap nested-folder

I just got the latest update on fdroid, and its now gone up to 5 taps!!!! plus animations at every single step:

• side bar
• down arrow
• non unified account (i only have 1, so unified being seperate is a pain)
• expand folder
• tap nested-folder

[Jozxyqk6]

Quite un-charmed to find this behaviour changed without it being optional.

For me personally, it makes no difference, but my significant other is a heavy user of that little pane of accounts. I would respectfully suggest to developers to take into account that people's use cases are not identical.

[tm-frs]

Also, not that it'd be related to the change itself, but it also came quite unexpected considering it was not even mentioned in 14.0's changelog (which I think such a change definetly should).

They have a whole task pr issue opened to remove the side rail entirely. I don't have any hope they'll revert it back. I'll probably go back to Gmail, or to Fairmail, but Fairmail looks ugly as hell.

well at least in said issue (#10073) it lists

• [ ] Remove side rail compat ui within dropdown drawer (wait for release feedback!)

so I wouldn't say there is no hope for a change back or a setting to toggle back

[norwitch]

Yet another user making the effort to post here because this change is so bad.

From the default view, it takes:

• 2 clicks to see if I have new mail (3 clicks total to send/receive)
• 2 clicks for the first account to see the who/what of the mail
• 4!! clicks to see the who/what for each additional account
• 4 clicks to return to the main account

Before?

• 1 click to see if I have new mail (2 clicks total to send/receive)
• 1 click for each account to see the who/what of the mail
• 1 click to return to the main account

These are the most common actions performed by every one of your users, all made objectively worse. This should have been an obvious failure to anyone with UX/IxD experience. Similar strange choices are happening to the desktop app (though nothing quite so egregious), and I am beginning to lose faith in Thunderbird.

The option to switch back would be a start, though metrics based on an option will not properly reflect the amount of users that hate this change, as everyone's been forcibly moved over with this update, and not all will know that an option is available or how to make use of it. I will be switching to another app if this is not changed or optioned.

[pinusc]

I don't usually +1 threads but since they want feedback...

In addition to requiring an extra tap, the full screen top to bottom slide animation when clicking on the header to show the account list is a slow animation, which adds even more friction.

[amalon]

and if you do tap the same account thats already open, the drop down won't disappear like if it wasn't already open, which feels inconsistent

[eckynde]

After tapping on the menu to open the drawer, you have to move your finger to the right to switch accounts, because tapping on the account icon marked in red does not open the overlay. Only the account name and the arrow currently toggle the overlay.

If the old navigation or something similar is not going to be added as an option, I'd love to at least be able to tap twice in the same spot to go to the account switcher.

Unfortunately for users with many accounts like me, the broken ergonomics are cause for me to downgrade and consider alternatives.

[Imerion]

I agree with the above, this new change has made navigating my various email accounts much more cumbersome. I don't understand this trend to have as little UI in a UI as possible - the interface is there to facilitate use of the app, it's ok if it has a few extra buttons if that makes it easier to get stuff done. I don't use software to admire all the empty whitespace ...

[Imerion]

A setting for this would be great, if possible.