Cascading server search - preview build 3 (2026-10-08)

Personal preview build of an experimental improvement to message search, based on upstream thunderbird-android main as of 2026-10-06.

What's different from upstream

• The server search starts by itself once the local results are shown, and can be started again by pulling down
• It cascades: the folder the search was started from first, then the account's remaining folders, then all other accounts; it also works when searching from the Unified Inbox
• The first row of the results shows what the search is doing: folder counter, account and folder, what it is waiting for, and how it ended. Folders that could not be searched are reported instead of being skipped silently
• Optional third step, started with a button: also search the message contents on the server
• Each result shows its account and folder; tapping it opens the folder, with a way back to the results
• Searching for several words finds messages that contain all of them; quotes search for a phrase
• The search text stays visible in the results and can be edited
• Recent searches are suggested below the search field (stored on the device only, can be switched off in the privacy settings)
• Not related to search: the account settings show how much storage the account uses on the device and on the server, and the folder drawer reveals the folder that is currently open

Install
Download thunderbird-search-preview-3.apk on the phone and open it; Android asks once to allow installs from the browser. It installs as "Thunderbird Debug" next to the official app (separate app ID net.thunderbird.android.debug). It can be installed over preview build 2; accounts set up there are kept.

Notes

• This is a debug build signed with a local debug key, built from the development branch. It is less tested than official releases, is not optimized, and receives no automatic updates
• Searching all folders of all accounts downloads the messages it finds. With many folders this takes a while and uses mobile data
• Not an official Thunderbird release; Thunderbird is a trademark of MZLA Technologies
• Source: branch feature/cascading-server-search in this fork

Built with AI assistance (Claude).