![Thunderbird logo](https://assets-prod.sumo.prod.webservices.mozgcp.net/media/uploads/products/2024-02-12-07-36-53-599028_1.png)
Inbox does not display sender’s email address
I would like to see the sender's email address in lieu of a name.
The inbox SELECT COLUMNS TO DISPLAY does not offer an option to DISPLAY THE SENDER’S EMAIL ADDRESS.
Both From and Correspondents display the same names. Perhaps replacing one of those with the SENDER’S EMAIL ADDRESS?
الحل المُختار
The Message List 'FROM' column header contents display depends upon what is contained in the header of the 'FROM' email header and whether they are already a contact in address book and whether you have entered a different display name for contact and whether you have instructed Thunderbird to use that display name in preference.
If sender only sent the email address then you see the email address in FROM column providing you have not set up an alternative. If sender sent both a display name and email address then the from display name is shown in FROM column header. If sender is a contact in one of your address books and you have entered a Display name, then you will see that contact display name if settings state to use the display name in address book.
One method to always display email address for contacts in address book is to enter the email address in the 'Display' name section and instruct Thunderbird to use it.
Alternative which still works inversion 102.12.0 Use an addon extension called full address column Info here: https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-GB/thunderbird/addon/full-address-column/?src=search
The info below instructs on how to perform a quick install from within Thunderbird. In Thunderbird
- Menu app icon > Addons & Themes
- Select 'Extensions'
- In top search type: full address column
- A new tab opens showing options and the top one should be Full Address Column addon
- click on the green 'Add to Thunderbird' button
- You will get a couple of pop ups - clickon 'Add' and click on 'OK'
It is auto installed. In Message List - column headers - you should now see an option 'Sender (@)' This will show the email address. You can position the column header adjacent to the FROM if desired.
Read this answer in context 👍 1All Replies (6)
dkrix said
Further to my comment above: the full email address WAS available as a separate display column in a previous version, but I do not recall what it was called (as I do not run that version anymore). It was NOT in the "from" column itself, and I never claimed that it was.
It was in a column called '@sender' and you could see it if you had installed an addon. It was not in Thunderbird as a default. In the current version you would still see an email address if the sender did not include a display name or if you did not apply a display name to be used via the address book.
I have now moved to Evolution to get this feature, despite having used Thunderbird for many years and used to think it the best email client for my needs. Also despite the fact that I do not run Gnome and getting Evolution to remember account passwords is a bit tiresome. In summary: I really valued the ability to see the actual senders email without having to actually open the email as a valuable first check for scam, since for all the scam I was getting, the senders declared name did not match the email sent from. In fact I was not aware until other comments above, that scammers have been falsifying their sending address.
I would have thought it to be common knowledge that some nefarious people abuse other peoples email addresses, but perhaps no so common in your case. The 'View' > 'Message Source' has always been available to check out the source code of any email. After all, the @sender email address is only going to be the one the sender wants you to see, it is still not going to tell you the real sender.
This is the point I keep trying to make, it makes no difference to see the email address of the alledged sender because it might be real - it usually is BUT it might not. You only can check this out by viewing the source - checking any 'REply-to' and looking at the original sending IP address in the 'REceived' headers and looking at the content to see if it is the kind of content you would expect from that person.
DO NOT believe for one moment that being able to see the email address of alledged sender is going to help keep you safe. Some are obvious scam it will say 'Your Name' and wrong email address. It might say a friends name and wrong email address. There are some people who will use another persons email address and it will look legit and seeing that email address will not help you. The hidden data in headers may help such as the IP address/email address of initial sender mentioned in the 'REceived' server data, but the content may also be the give away.
Please note - opening these emails will not cause a problem to you providing you work safely - do not allow remote content to be auto displayed and do not click on anything in the email and do not be conned by people who hope you are curious enough to open an attachment. Then if bad email - delete it and then compact the folder. No harm will come to you if you follow those simple rules. Opening an email in itself will not cause a virus to leap into your computer. Problems occur because you clicked on a link which you should click on on or opened an email attachment which you should not have opened. So be wary, seeing the sender email address may not necessarilly be the sender you think it is.
I feel it is extremely strange that in the inbox it is not possible to select any field, but only a few limited fields. In this case, it is only possible to select From, but the Sender address is a different issue. Both can be changed, but mostly it is only the From field that is modified by the sender. E.g. I receive mails from a delivery company, the from field shows e.g. "DPD - Paketverfolgung". Legit or not? The sender field shows "dpdanywers@anglersbigjohn.su" -> clearly not from DPD, so I don't even open it -> saves time.
Of course, if the Sender address would be something like "info@dpd.de" this still would not guarantee that it is legit, and I still would not click any links in the mail body.
Now, if you have many mails per day that you can easily select to not read, based on the sender address it saves a lot of time. Therefore, being able to display the sender's mail address would be a very valuable feature.
(Btw, due to the lack of this feature, I still stay on Thunderbird 102)
pmg25 said
I feel it is extremely strange that in the inbox it is not possible to select any field, but only a few limited fields. In this case, it is only possible to select From, but the Sender address is a different issue. Both can be changed, but mostly it is only the From field that is modified by the sender. E.g. I receive mails from a delivery company, the from field shows e.g. "DPD - Paketverfolgung". Legit or not? The sender field shows "dpdanywers@anglersbigjohn.su" -> clearly not from DPD, so I don't even open it -> saves time. Of course, if the Sender address would be something like "info@dpd.de" this still would not guarantee that it is legit, and I still would not click any links in the mail body. Now, if you have many mails per day that you can easily select to not read, based on the sender address it saves a lot of time. Therefore, being able to display the sender's mail address would be a very valuable feature. (Btw, due to the lack of this feature, I still stay on Thunderbird 102)
I understand what you are saying and yes often you can easily see that info, so for easy to see wrong emails it's a piece of cake - but what the feature does not tell you is whether it is still a bogus email even if the email address looks correct. Which is why you should look at the view source where it tells you everything. Much more than what you see in the displayed column headers or Message header. Select email and do any of the following: If you have Message Pane enabled - More > View Source. If you have Message Pane disabled - View > Message Source Or use 'Ctrl'+'U' shortcut keys whether you have Message Pane enabled or not.
Toad-Hall said
pmg25 said
I feel it is extremely strange that in the inbox it is not possible to select any field, but only a few limited fields. In this case, it is only possible to select From, but the Sender address is a different issue. Both can be changed, but mostly it is only the From field that is modified by the sender. E.g. I receive mails from a delivery company, the from field shows e.g. "DPD - Paketverfolgung". Legit or not? The sender field shows "dpdanywers@anglersbigjohn.su" -> clearly not from DPD, so I don't even open it -> saves time. Of course, if the Sender address would be something like "info@dpd.de" this still would not guarantee that it is legit, and I still would not click any links in the mail body. Now, if you have many mails per day that you can easily select to not read, based on the sender address it saves a lot of time. Therefore, being able to display the sender's mail address would be a very valuable feature. (Btw, due to the lack of this feature, I still stay on Thunderbird 102)I understand what you are saying and yes often you can easily see that info, so for easy to see wrong emails it's a piece of cake - but what the feature does not tell you is whether it is still a bogus email even if the email address looks correct. Which is why you should look at the view source where it tells you everything. Much more than what you see in the displayed column headers or Message header. Select email and do any of the following: If you have Message Pane enabled - More > View Source. If you have Message Pane disabled - View > Message Source Or use 'Ctrl'+'U' shortcut keys whether you have Message Pane enabled or not.
Again, it is not about ensuring the validity of an email, but quickly sort out the 99% of clearly bogus mails, without needing to open another window and scroll through headers. The other 1% can be checked by the way you describe, but this will be the exception only.
Btw, your logic could be applied to the Message Pane: why should you have a message pane, if you can open each mail to view it? Or why should you see if the mail has an attachment, if you could check it by opening the mail? Simple: because it is convenient, and the ability to display ALL header fields in the inbox pane would add a lot of convenience.
re :Btw, your logic could be applied to the Message Pane: why should you have a message pane, if you can open each mail to view it?
Why are you persisting in trying to Chat about this. There is no point in Chatting about it and this is not a Chat forum.
The difference is so obvious - the headers shown in a View Source of message offer more information than you are going to see any other way. Not everyone knows they can even access this information, so it would be reasonabe for me to tell everyone about it and how to access it via various means.
Some people would like to see the From email address in a column header - Lets be very clear on this - I do not object to that option. I am not saying it is not useful. Previously, that info was only available via an addon. But it's not available at the moment, so there's no point in going on about it.
What I am saying in the current situation you have an option to check the from etc data via viewing the Source View of an email, so you can check it out.
Even if you were able to see the email address in a column - do not put your trust on that option, because clever spammers can make it 'look' real.
This is a Support Forum, so I offer information on what is currently available. Developers do not read these comments.
patrick.blum said
I think we all know that the address can be spoofed as easily as the name.
I disagree, many people don't know, that E-Mail adresses can easily be spoofed. Of course, they wouldn't know, hot to do it. But surely they know how to change their name inside their mail program. Because the mail programs implement that, already in the setup assistant. Also, many mail servers forbid spoofing, so spammers have to take at least a small hurdle to spoof their address. Also, some means exist to detect spoofed mail adresses inside the mail servers chain. So, in general, it is not as easy to get a mail with spoofed sender through as it is to set a different sender's name.
So, by seeing the from mail address, I can already easier filter the total noob spammers from the smarter ones.
I agree, to not have this feature is total no-go, and absolutely disappoints me from mozilla!
I ask: What sense does it make, to NOT enable the user so see the sender's adresses in the list?
Modified