✕
Jump to content

K-9 Mail

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
K-9 Mail
Original authorJesse Vincent
DevelopersMZLA Technologies Corporation, Christian Ketterer
Release27 October 2008; 17 years ago (27 October 2008)
Stable release
20.0 / 23 June 2026; 14 days ago (23 June 2026)
Written inJava, Kotlin
Operating systemAndroid
SuccessorThunderbird for Android
TypeEmail application
LicenseApache License 2.0
Websitek9mail.app
Repository

K-9 Mail is a continued[1] free and open source email client for Android. It is designed as an alternative to the stock email clients included with the platform; it supports both POP3 and IMAP protocols and supports IMAP IDLE for real-time notifications. The project is named after the Doctor Who character K9.[2]

K-9 Mail has been renamed to Thunderbird for Android since October 2024.[3][4]

Image
Previous logo

History

[edit]

The source code was first published to its git repository on October 27, 2008[5] by Jesse Vincent and the first binaries were released to the public on the Google Code site the same month.[6]

In 2015 the project received $86,000 of funding from the Open Technology Fund.[7]

On 13 June 2022, it was announced that K-9 Mail had been taken over by MZLA Technologies Corporation, a subsidiary of the Mozilla Foundation with current maintainer Christian Ketterer joining the team, and plans for K-9 Mail to be rebranded as Thunderbird for Android following the completion of a feature roadmap, including sync with Thunderbird on PC, integrating Thunderbird's automated account setup system, message filtering, and improvements to folders.[8]

On 30 October 2024, the first stable release of Thunderbird for Android (Thunderbird Mobile) was launched as version 8.0.[4] Thunderbird for Android can be installed via Google Play and F-Droid, among others.[9] The Thunderbird team had planned in 2022 to maintain K-9 for one year after the release of Thunderbird Mobile, i.e. until roughly October 2025.[10]

On 6 May 2025, the stable version 10 of Thunderbird Mobile and the beta of version 11 were released.[11]

On 23 June 2026, the stable version 20 of Thunderbird Mobile and K-9 Mail were released.[12]

Reception

[edit]

In the early 2010s it was widely reviewed, and was particularly praised in the media between 2011 and 2013 as a replacement for the default mail application.[13][14] At the time, it was a leading alternative Android app, often recommended[15] when a user did not want to use the default app. It was awarded the "Best App for Sending Email" in the 2010 "Best Android Apps" book.[16]

Features

[edit]
  • Works with IMAP, POP3
  • Folder sync
  • Encryption with OpenKeychain support
  • Signatures
  • SD card storage

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ K-9 Mail joined the Thunderbird family
  2. ↑ "About". Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  3. ↑ Evangelho, Jason (2022-06-13). "Revealed: Our Plans For Thunderbird On Android". The Thunderbird Blog. Retrieved 2025-05-09.
  4. 1 2 Ayhens-Madon, Philipp Kewisch, Monica (2024-10-30). "Thunderbird for Android 8.0 Takes Flight". The Thunderbird Blog. Retrieved 2025-05-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ "k9mail/k-9". Github. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  6. ↑ "Downloads - k9mail - K-9 Mail is an advanced email client for Android - Google Project Hosting". Retrieved 2013-08-15.
  7. ↑ Open Technology Fund. "Projects we support - K-9 Mail". Open Technology Fund Website. U.S. Agency for Global Media. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
  8. ↑ Axon, Samuel (2022-06-13). "Email client K-9 Mail will become Thunderbird for Android". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  9. ↑ "Thunderbird Mobile". Thunderbird. Retrieved 2025-05-09.
  10. ↑ Evangelho, Jason (2022-06-13). "Frequently Asked Questions: Thunderbird Mobile and K-9 Mail". The Thunderbird Blog. Retrieved 2025-05-09.
  11. ↑ "Releases · thunderbird/thunderbird-android". GitHub. Retrieved 2025-05-09.
  12. ↑ "Releases · K-9 Mail 20.0". GitHub. Retrieved 2026-06-23.
  13. ↑ Paul, Ryan (2011-01-24). "Excellent K-9 mail app for Android keeps your messages on a leash". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
  14. ↑ "K-9 Mail Receives First Significant Update In 9 Months - Improved Interface, Altered Widget, Bug Fixes, And More". Androidpolice.com. 2013-06-28. Retrieved 2013-08-15.
  15. ↑ Begun, Daniel (2011). Amazing Android Apps for Dummies. Wiley. ISBN 9781118061428.
  16. ↑ Hendrickson, Mike (2010). Best Android Apps. O'Reilly Media. p. 80. ISBN 9781449382551.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=K-9_Mail&oldid=1361827619"