Overview: If you are facing Thunderbird return receipt not working properly, you can follow a few manual steps before moving on to alternate solutions. This guide covers how to check return receipt settings, check missing options and account settings, and learn about the limitations associated with these steps. In addition, it explains how users can take the help of professional tool to restore or move mailbox items if required.

The email client such as Mozilla Thunderbird, gives you the chance to issue a return receipt with the sent email. It helps in informing the sender when an email is opened in the recipient’s email program. However, the feature may fail to work. Thunderbirds may fail to send receipt requests or the recipient may not see any notifications.

Know About: Follow this blog page to resolve Thunderbird Spam Filter Not Working Issue Quickly.

Table of Contents Hide
  1. Thunderbird Return Receipt Settings Missing – Reasons
  2. Follow Manual Approaches to Fix 
  3. Check Thunderbird Return Receipt Settings
  4. Review Your Email Account
  5. Find Storage Location in Thunderbird
  6. Use Automated Solution
  7. Conclusion

Why Thunderbird Return Receipt Settings Missing?

Before trying these fixes, users should know the reasons behind Thunderbird return receipt not working problem.

  • A request for a return receipt is turned off in the settings area
  • You have used incorrect email account with a different set of preferences
  • There are no return receipt settings in the compose window
  • Thunderbird is set to ignore the incoming receipt call
  • Recipient email client does not accept the request
  • If the recipient does not want to send the receipt
  • It has gone to unexpected folder after it has come
  • The old settings or extensions may interfere with the normal process

There is a difference between return receipts and delivery receipts. Return receipts rely heavily on software, thus preventing Thunderbird to ensure that every recipient will respond with one.

7 Manual Techniques to Resolve Thunderbird Return Receipt Not Working Problem

Follow all these methods to fix Thunderbird return receipt settings missing. Let’s go one by one to get along with the steps.

#1. Check Thunderbird Return Receipt Settings

The first step is to verify whether Thunderbird is set up to ask for notifications when sending emails. Follow the below steps to check global preference and fix Thunderbird return receipt not working issue.

  • At first, launch Thunderbird into your system
  • Navigate to the application menu and select Options
  • After that, locate the section which is saying Return Receipts
  • Depending on your version, you might find it either in General settings or the older Preferences interface
  • Find the setting for enabling return receipt requests for outgoing emails
  • If you wish to receive a return receipt every time you send an email, make sure to enable the setting
  • Look into the options of handling incoming requests for return receipts
  • Now, save the settings and test the function

If you only need receipts for a small number of emails, there is no need to activate the global setting. Instead, when you are writing emails, you can use the option for individual messages.

Note: The names of menus and the layout of parameters may be different in Thunderbird. If you cannot find a setting, please use the search band in Settings or check the settings specific to your account.

#2. Fix Thunderbird Return Receipt Settings Missing

In case your return receipt option is missing, then you might be checking in the wrong location. Thunderbird offers a per-message option in the compose window, but general settings govern the default functions.

  • Start Thunderbird
  • Select New Message or Write to create a compose window
  • Search for the Options menu in the compose window bar
  • After that, open the menu and look for a Return Receipt or the similar option for asking for a receipt
  • Now, select it before sending the email

If the menu bar is not visible, you can right-click on the compose window toolbar and select to enable the menu bar if that option exists. This could potentially resolve the missing return receipt setting issue in Thunderbird. If the option remains unavailable, make sure to update Thunderbird and consult the documentation relevant to your version.

#3. Thunderbird Return Receipt Not Working – Review Your Email Account

Thunderbird provides the option to use global return receipt preferences or customize settings for each account. Therefore, your email accounts can behave differently from one another.

  • Open Thunderbird
  • Next, go to Account settings
  • Choose the email account from which you send the messages
  • Now, look for Return Receipts
  • See whether the account employs global preferences or custom settings
  • If you want all accounts to behave the same way, you must select appropriate global preference or configure the account individually
  • You need to perform the above steps for every account

If you have various identities associated with a single account, make sure to verify what sender identity is currently set in the compose window. It is because different identities could have different return receipt settings.

#4. Review Thunderbird’s Settings for Incoming Receipt Requests 

Thunderbird may not send return receipt requests correctly, or it may not display notifications when other people request receipts for their emails. The Thunderbird application allows you to set preferences for specific replies to these requests.

  • Open Thunderbird, and go to settings area
  • Search for Return Receipt preferences
  • Confirm the area where all the requests are managed by other users
  • Verify, if your version of Thunderbird is configured to ignore all receipt requests
  • If you want to make a decision on each request individually, there is an option which gives a prompt when required
  • Lastly, remember to save the modifications and make a test with any incoming request

If Thunderbird settings are set to ignore all requests, then you will not receive any prompts as regards sending a receipt email. Adjusting the option would enable receiving changes with respect to sending a receipt. But, it is important to mention that the preferences of the final recipient’s settings still have to be taken into consideration.

#5. Find the Return Receipt Storage Location in Thunderbird 

A return receipt sometimes doesn’t come where you want them to show. Thunderbird allows you to determine how you handle the return receipts associated with your outbound emails.

  • Go to Return Receipts settings in Thunderbird
  • Locate the option which defines the way you want to keep your return request
  • Next, verify the folder where receipts should be stored, either in the Inbox or in the Sent folder
  • Open the special folder and look for the email of the person you sent or email subject
  • In case you think your receipt has gone to spam, then make sure to check the Junk folder

Note: The recipient might not have sent the receipt at all. A blank folder does not indicate that Thunderbird was unable to send the initial request.

#6. Disable Unknown Add-On & Check Thunderbird

If you are facing a Thunderbird return receipt not working problem, then, this may be due to a plug-in or configuration issue.

  • Open the Thunderbird application menu
  • Click the Help section and select Troubleshoot Mode if accessible
  • Restart Thunderbird in Troubleshoot Mode
  • Next, write a sample message and check the receipt-request option
  • In case the function works, restart the application in the usual way
  • Check the latest extensions and disable ones that seem suspicious one by one
  • Now, restart Thunderbird and test again

Troubleshooting mode helps discover issues that are caused by extensions or some settings. If the problem continues, see the account settings and information related to Thunderbird. Do not remove the extensions or reset Thunderbird settings, until you have backed up important information

#7. Update Thunderbird & Test with Another Account

If you are using an outdated version of Thunderbird, then it may cause Thunderbird return receipt not working issue.

  • Start by opening the Thunderbird application menu
  • Over there, find the Help menu and select About Thunderbird tab
  • Then, check for any updates available and install them, if required
  • Now, reboot Thunderbird from your current system
  • Write a new email and request an email receipt
  • Send the message to an alternate email address of yours
  • Finally, open that email in the recipient email service and see if it provides a receipt response

Limitations of Using Manual Steps:

It may not always resolve the return receipt not working problem because of the following reasons:

  • The recipient can refuse to accept the request of receipt
  • Certain email applications do not allow the option of receipt response
  • The parameters may be different across various versions of Thunderbird, email accounts, and identities
  • Missing a receipt does not mean that the recipient has not opened your email

If only one account is affected by this problem, then first start by checking its settings

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Conclusion

The Thunderbird return receipt not working problem is due to incorrect preferences, certain account-specific settings, the missing option in the compose window, or restrictions on the recipient side. You can check the global and account settings, verify storage location, & Thunderbird installation.

Keep in mind that return receipts depend upon the email application used by the recipient. Therefore, the recipient may decline the request. In case, users want to migrate archived messages or move all their emails in one single mailbox file. They can opt for our professional tool that will help you with the import process.