734998 - All toolbars and menubar hidden - no obvious way to get them back

Status: NEW

(Thunderbird :: Toolbars and Tabs, defect)

Description

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

STR

1. From main mail window or composition window, hide all toolbars and the menu bar (using mouse-only interactions, suppose your child is playing and having fun, or nasty colleagues...)

2. After all the bars are gone, try to get them back
a) using mouse only
b) using keyboard only on various OS

Actual result

a) mouse: no way at all - did I overlook anything?
b) kbd:
- on Win, press Alt, or F10 (as documented in keyboard shortcuts (1)) or Alt+menu accelerator key if you remember one, like Alt+F
- on MAC?
- on Linux?

Expected result

a) Provide UI to get menubar (and toolbars) back using mouse-only interactions
E.g. when user moves mouse towards title bar (on the last 2 or 3 px), temporarily unhide the menu bar

b) clarify keyboard-only methods to get back the menu bar for MAC + Linux, and, if there are any, add them to keyboard shortcuts documentation (1)

(1) https://support.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/kb/keyboard-shortcuts#os=win&browser=tb10

Comment 1

[Jim Porter (:squib)]

This only applies to Windows.

Comment 2

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

(In reply to Jim Porter (:squib) from comment #1)
> This only applies to Windows.

Can you elaborate a little?

Comment 3

[:aceman]

I seen only the menubar and the toolbar in base install. After toggling them OFF, they can be enabled again via context menu. That menu can be shown by right-clicking somewhere on the tabbar (right to the last tab title). Is that not working for you?

Comment 4

[Thomas D. (:thomas8)]

(In reply to :aceman from comment #3)
> I seen only the menubar and the toolbar in base install. After toggling them
> OFF, they can be enabled again via context menu. That menu can be shown by
> right-clicking somewhere on the tabbar (right to the last tab title). Is
> that not working for you?

No, for me on Windows XP / TB10, right-clicking on the tabbar does nothing.
Aceman, on which OS is this working for you?

Besides, there is no tabbar in composition - aceman, what do you do there?

Comment 5

[:aceman]

I was referring to the main Thunderbird window and was trying on TB13 and WinXP.

Ok, I missed the "or composition window" part. There I do agree with you, I can't find a way to reopen the toolbars with the mouse, only with the Alt key.

Comment 6

[Jim Porter (:squib)]

(In reply to Thomas D. from comment #2)
> (In reply to Jim Porter (:squib) from comment #1)
> > This only applies to Windows.
> 
> Can you elaborate a little?

It's impossible to hide the menu bar on any platform but Windows.

Comment 7

[mark van tilburg]

This is still the case in thunderbird 68, but only in the compose e-mail window. The main window always keeps the context menu on the top bar. But the compose e-mail shows the windows controls when you rightclick the upper bar with minimize,maximize and close.

Thunderbird 68
Windows 10

The F10 button allows to get them back when you rightclick in the menu bar that is rendered on F10 press, but it would be nice if this was also possible using a mouse.

Comment 8

[mark van tilburg]

Attachment: thunderbird-top-menu.gif

Animation that shows the user interaction possible with the mouse

Comment 9

[Elizabeth Mitchell]

This is still a valid UX concern. Testing with Windows 11 and Thunderbird 102 and 108.

If anyone encounters this problem, especially in the message compose window, try pressing the "Alt" key. I did not encounter a way to show the menu bar with a mouse after it was hidden.