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Thunderbird adds native Microsoft Exchange email support

blog.thunderbird.net

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Re: Thunderbird adds native Microsoft Exchange email support

#21

Post by rkagerer »

ivanbakel wrote: post #11
graemep wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you mean recall? https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/recall-an-outlook... That only works within an organisation, right? Otherwise you just get an email. I got one recently.

No, Exchange ActiveSync (as the other commenter correctly identified it) really allows an admin to wipe your device - ostensibly of mail, but often of all other data as well.[0] If your Outlook server disables IMAP & POP3, then the ActiveSync protocol is AFAIK the only way to get in-app emails on your phone. Admins do this so that they can forcibly wipe the device if they "need" to. 0: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-…

Historical note: There was also MAPI for a long time (and I believe MAPI over HTTP/S)

Re: Thunderbird adds native Microsoft Exchange email support

#23

Post by stackskipton »

As former Exchange admin/Office365, it's using EWS (Exchange Web Services) which is being removed in October 2026 for Office365. So for most, this is extremely time limited.

EDIT: EWS continues to be supported for on premises Exchange and is not scheduled for deprecation.

Re: Thunderbird adds native Microsoft Exchange email support

#24

Post by semi-extrinsic »

seethishat wrote: post #4
ivanbakel wrote: post #2

What I'm most curious about, and what the docs are light on detail about: does this mean Thunderbird complies with remote deletion requests (which IIRC, the Exchange protocol suppports)? I have the impression that Microsoft makes this a requirement for Exchange implementations, which is why third-party devices and apps like Apple's Mail cooperate with those requests.

That would be Active Sync: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/clients/exchange-... Not sure how Mozilla went about the implementation, but I do agree it would be a concern to verify before using. You can perform the following Exchange ActiveSync tasks: Enable and disable Exchange ActiveSync for users Set policies such as minimum password length, device locking, and maximum failed password attempts Initiate a…

ActiveSync will forever be reserved for the technology I used to sync email and calendar on my HP Jornada 430 running Windows CE - just like James Bond did!

Re: Thunderbird adds native Microsoft Exchange email support

#26

Post by trympet »

stackskipton wrote: post #23

As former Exchange admin/Office365, it's using EWS (Exchange Web Services) which is being removed in October 2026 for Office365. So for most, this is extremely time limited. EDIT: EWS continues to be supported for on premises Exchange and is not scheduled for deprecation.

How do you know Thunderbird is using EWS, not MAPI? MAPI is not going away any time soon.

Re: Thunderbird adds native Microsoft Exchange email support

#27

Post by sjoerger »

trympet wrote: post #26
stackskipton wrote: post #23

As former Exchange admin/Office365, it's using EWS (Exchange Web Services) which is being removed in October 2026 for Office365. So for most, this is extremely time limited. EDIT: EWS continues to be supported for on premises Exchange and is not scheduled for deprecation.

How do you know Thunderbird is using EWS, not MAPI? MAPI is not going away any time soon.

Read the docs? https://blog.thunderbird.net/2025/11/thunderbird-adds-native...

Re: Thunderbird adds native Microsoft Exchange email support

#28

Post by drannex »

stackskipton wrote: post #23

As former Exchange admin/Office365, it's using EWS (Exchange Web Services) which is being removed in October 2026 for Office365. So for most, this is extremely time limited. EDIT: EWS continues to be supported for on premises Exchange and is not scheduled for deprecation.

> it's using EWS (Exchange Web Services) which is being removed in October 2026 for Office36

This is Microsoft we're talking about here, so if its slated for removal in Oct '26, it will be put into LTS, and finally 'retired' (but operational) _starting_ around 2031.

Re: Thunderbird adds native Microsoft Exchange email support

#29

Post by trympet »

rkagerer wrote: post #21
ivanbakel wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, Exchange ActiveSync (as the other commenter correctly identified it) really allows an admin to wipe your device - ostensibly of mail, but often of all other data as well.[0] If your Outlook server disables IMAP & POP3, then the ActiveSync protocol is AFAIK the only way to get in-app emails on your phone. Admins do this so that they can forcibly wipe the device if they "need" to. 0: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-…

Historical note: There was also MAPI for a long time (and I believe MAPI over HTTP/S)

Still is
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