Open Bug 1843729 Opened 1 year ago Updated 1 month ago

No "blue highlight" for Gmail subfolder with new unread messages via server side filters

Categories

(Thunderbird :: Folder and Message Lists, defect)

Product:
Thunderbird
Component:
Folder and Message Lists
Version:
Thunderbird 115
Type:
defect

Tracking

(Not tracked)

People

(Reporter: KaiE, Unassigned)

References

Details

I don't like using Gmail, but I have an account that I'm required to use.

I have that account configured in Thunderbird.

Apparently Gmail doesn't support real folders. When I create a sub-folder using Thunderbird, it creates a "label" in Gmail.

I have a filter, that will treat some email in the following way:

  • skip inbox
  • apply label (which is my intended "move to folder" action

Today, in Thunderbird, I noticed that I had 10 unread emails in that folder.
Apparently I had not clicked that folder in a long time.

I didn't click it, because Thunderbird never hinted that I should click it.

From another IMAP server account I'm using, where I also use subfolders and filters, I'm used to the following behavior:

If a subfolder, contains new unread email, then Thunderbird will highlight that folder name in blue.

Problem: I apparently never get that blue highlighting for Gmail subfolders, despite it having new unread email.

Summary: No "blue highlight" for folder with new unread messages → No "blue highlight" for folder with new unread messages with Gmail
Summary: No "blue highlight" for folder with new unread messages with Gmail → No "blue highlight" for Gmail subfolder with new unread messages

The subfolder did NOT have the flag "when getting new messages, always check this folder" set.

I think I should have set this flag.

However, with my other non-gmail IMAP account, I see the blue highlighting for folders even if they don't have that flag set.

(In reply to Kai Engert (:KaiE:) from comment #1)

However, with my other non-gmail IMAP account, I see the blue highlighting for folders even if they don't have that flag set.

But a non-gmail folder which is the target of a Thunderbird filter :)

Kai, I'm not a big filter user so I don't know what you mean by "skip inbox" and "apply a label" as filter actions. AFAIK, gmail uses labels internally but TB still sees the gmail accounts as mostly standard IMAP and the "labels" map to folders. So shouldn't be much different than a normal IMAP like dovecot.
Can you tell me exactly how your filter is set up?

We'll need to determine if this issue is new to version 115. Do you have a sense that it is?

Flags: needinfo?(kaie)

Note I'm using server side filters. Configured using Gmail web UI in Gmail. Configured using sieve for my IMAP server.
NOT using Thunderbird filters.

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk) from comment #4)

We'll need to determine if this issue is new to version 115. Do you have a sense that it is?

I cannot tell currently. I have started using Gmail with Thunderbird a couple of months ago using recent TB Beta versions.
I didn't use 102 with Gmail.

Flags: needinfo?(kaie)

(In reply to gene smith from comment #3)

I don't know what you mean by "skip inbox" and "apply a label" as filter actions.

These are filter options specific to the Gmail product.
"Skip Inbox" means, don't place a copy of the message into the inbox.
"Apply a label" is equivalent to "move to folder", because for a folder I have created using Thunderbird, Gmail created a label with that name (because Gmail doesn't support folders on its web interface).

When you use Thunderbird to move something to a folder in Gmail, you see it in the Gmail web interface as a message having that label.

And vice versa, if you apply a label to a message in Gmail, it will show up in Thunderbird in the respective folder.

Can you tell me exactly how your filter is set up?

It's a server side filter on Gmail. The filter I had an issue with filter by the List-Id header.

The blue highlight occurs OK for me when I do the server-side filter as long as I tell it check for new mail in that folder or if I set mail.server.default.check_all_folders_for_new true.
But I do see one strange thing. When I alt-tab to an FF window showing bugzilla (BMO) and come back to TB, the blue highlight remains as it should. But when I alt-tab over to an FF window showing gmail site, the blue highlight goes away when I return to TB. This is without selecting or opening the originally blue highlighted gmail folder in TB at all.

Edit:

It's a server side filter on Gmail. The filter I had an issue with filter by the List-Id header.

I don't see a way to filter on headers like "List-Id" using my "free" gmail account, which is all I have. I just filtered on "Subject".

Note sure if the filter criteria makes a difference. Probably not.

I don't remember how exactly I created the filter. But if I go to settings, all settings, and click of one of my filters by list, I see this:

Has the words: list:(<the-string-from-list-id>)

For the blue highlighting, is it possible that it makes a difference whether you have already clicked the folder once in the session, or not yet? Apparently, if I already have clicked the folder, then I do get the blue highlight.

Thanks for investigating, I mostly reported this to get this checked for correctness. If you believe this is behaving as intended, we can close it. I think I should have paid closer attention to my folders, and I should have used "always check folder".

For search criteria see also:
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7190?hl=en

We have several reports for 115 https://mzl.la/3PQ0ojE.
I haven't attempted to correlate or dig into them.

FWIW we have things like this happening prior to version 115. It is a condition that for me happens for long periods and then goes away for long periods. Don't know whether this is a good example, but it is a recent report - Bug 1840255 - Starting in version 102 New message indication in folder pane unreliable

(In reply to Kai Engert (:KaiE:) from comment #9)

For the blue highlighting, is it possible that it makes a difference whether you have already clicked the folder once in the session, or not yet? Apparently, if I already have clicked the folder, then I do get the blue highlight.

Well yes, if the folder wasn't opened, and the "check all folders" wasn't set, Thunderbird wouldn't know about the new message - so no highlight.
If you get something different with a non-gmail account, that's really unexpected and I don't know how Thunderbird would know about the Sieve-moved messages.

I have, what may be, a variation of this problem.

Thunderbird 115.3.1

I use IMAP to get mail from Fastmail and Gmail. The Gmail accounts have mail only going to the inbox. The Fastmail account has the incoming mail filtered to separate folders by Thunderbird. All new mail is highlighted blue and the mail folder has a blue icon with the number of mails unread.

Going into a mail folder causes the icon to change from blue to black. Reading the first mail message. I leave that mail box with unread messages. On return to that mail folder the messages have changed from highlighted blue to black, and I can't tell if the message has been read or not, yet the count on the icon says there is unread mail.

This happens to both the Fastmail and Gmail accounts and to all mail folders, Inbox and filtered folders.

Additional to this is a local IMAP folder that behaves in exactly the same way.

Component: General → Folder and Message Lists
See Also: → 1858388

(In reply to bananabob from comment #13)

I have, what may be, a variation of this problem.

Thunderbird 115.3.1

I use IMAP to get mail from Fastmail and Gmail. The Gmail accounts have mail only going to the inbox. The Fastmail account has the incoming mail filtered to separate folders by Thunderbird. All new mail is highlighted blue and the mail folder has a blue icon with the number of mails unread.

I think you mean there is a blue oval with the number of unread messages in it. There is also an "recent messages" indicator which is an orange "diamond" on the folder icon. This indicates the folder contains messages the have arrived since your last visit to the folder. At this point, of course, the "recent" messages are also unread.

Going into a mail folder causes the icon to change from blue to black.

For me, just opening a folder with recent messages, the orange diamond remains and the oval remains blue.
Once inside the folder with recent messages, the recent messages are also each marked with an orange diamond. And all messages that are still unread are displayed bold.

Reading the first mail message.

If it's marked "recent", this will remove the orange diamond on the message. Depending on configuration, it will also un-bold the message (mark it with \SEEN flag at server).

I leave that mail box with unread messages.

This removes any remaining "recent" diamond markers on messages and removes the "recent" diamond from the folder icon and changes the unread count oval to black.

On return to that mail folder the messages have changed from highlighted blue to black, and I can't tell if the message has been read or not, yet the count on the icon says there is unread mail.

Once a folder with recent messages has been exited, the recent markers (orange diamond) on all messages are removed, even if they haven't been read. The diamond is removed from the folder icon and the oval containing unread count goes from blue to black.

This happens to both the Fastmail and Gmail accounts and to all mail folders, Inbox and filtered folders.

Additional to this is a local IMAP folder that behaves in exactly the same way.

Yes, I would expect this. Also, good to know it's consistent.

The blue highlighting on the oval and the orange diamond are indications that the folder contains recent or new messages that you may want to look at. It's not a static indicator that there are unread messages in the folder/mailbox.
Imap makes a distinction between messages that are "recent" (newly arrived in a mailbox) and those that are unread. So messages can be marked at the server with a \RECENT flag and and by the client with an a \SEEN flag.
Note: Only the server sets/resets the \RECENT flag. The \SEEN flag (message has been read flag) is controlled by the client (e.g., TB).

(In reply to gene smith from comment #14)

(In reply to bananabob from comment #13)

I have, what may be, a variation of this problem.

Thunderbird 115.3.1

I use IMAP to get mail from Fastmail and Gmail. The Gmail accounts have mail only going to the inbox. The Fastmail account has the incoming mail filtered to separate folders by Thunderbird. All new mail is highlighted blue and the mail folder has a blue icon with the number of mails unread.

I think you mean there is a blue oval with the number of unread messages in it. There is also an "recent messages" indicator which is an orange "diamond" on the folder icon. This indicates the folder contains messages the have arrived since your last visit to the folder. At this point, of course, the "recent" messages are also unread.

Going into a mail folder causes the icon to change from blue to black.

For me, just opening a folder with recent messages, the orange diamond remains and the oval remains blue.
Once inside the folder with recent messages, the recent messages are also each marked with an orange diamond. And all messages that are still unread are displayed bold.

Reading the first mail message.

If it's marked "recent", this will remove the orange diamond on the message. Depending on configuration, it will also un-bold the message (mark it with \SEEN flag at server).

I leave that mail box with unread messages.

This removes any remaining "recent" diamond markers on messages and removes the "recent" diamond from the folder icon and changes the unread count oval to black.

On return to that mail folder the messages have changed from highlighted blue to black, and I can't tell if the message has been read or not, yet the count on the icon says there is unread mail.

Once a folder with recent messages has been exited, the recent markers (orange diamond) on all messages are removed, even if they haven't been read. The diamond is removed from the folder icon and the oval containing unread count goes from blue to black.

This happens to both the Fastmail and Gmail accounts and to all mail folders, Inbox and filtered folders.

Additional to this is a local IMAP folder that behaves in exactly the same way.

Yes, I would expect this. Also, good to know it's consistent.

The blue highlighting on the oval and the orange diamond are indications that the folder contains recent or new messages that you may want to look at. It's not a static indicator that there are unread messages in the folder/mailbox.
Imap makes a distinction between messages that are "recent" (newly arrived in a mailbox) and those that are unread. So messages can be marked at the server with a \RECENT flag and and by the client with an a \SEEN flag.
Note: Only the server sets/resets the \RECENT flag. The \SEEN flag (message has been read flag) is controlled by the client (e.g., TB).

Yes all this happens and I understand your explanation. I do not know if it is a bug or if I am requesting TB to change the way it works. What I am saying is if you leave unread messages in a folder and go to another folder, on return to that folder the messages that were highlighted in blue are no longer blue, and this makes it difficult to distinguish which messages are still to be read.

Kaie, is this still affecting you?

Flags: needinfo?(kaie)

(In reply to Wayne Mery (:wsmwk) from comment #16)

Kaie, is this still affecting you?

No, because now I'm using the workaround "to always check folder".
I haven't tried to reproduce the problem again.

If you believe the original behavior was correct because of my configuration, you could close this bug.

Flags: needinfo?(kaie)

If you believe the original behavior was correct because of my configuration, you could close this bug.

I'm not sure what to think - but (to state the obvious) it depends on whether Thunderbird can be expected to know there are new message in the non-Inbox imap folder for a gmail account.

Summary: No "blue highlight" for Gmail subfolder with new unread messages → No "blue highlight" for Gmail subfolder with new unread messages via server side filters
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