Where Is the Thunderbird Profile Folder?
Thunderbird profile paths on Windows, macOS and Linux, where mail, passwords and extensions are actually kept on disk.
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Thunderbird stores mail, account settings, address books, passwords and extensions inside a profile folder with a random prefix, something like a1b2c3d4.default-release. There is usually only one, but power users can have several. The profiles.ini file in the parent folder maps names to folders.
The surprising part on Mac is the location. Unlike Firefox, Thunderbird uses ~/Library/Thunderbird directly instead of ~/Library/Application Support. Check profiles.ini if you need to tell which profile is active. Close Thunderbird before copying, since mail files stay locked while it runs.
Where Thunderbird stores this, by platform
%appdata%\Thunderbird\Profiles\[random].default-release
Paste the path into the Explorer address bar. The [random] prefix is 8 characters. profiles.ini one level up maps profile names to folders.
~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/[random].default-release
Not Application Support. That trips up Firefox users. In Finder use Go > Go to Folder to reach the hidden Library folder.
~/.thunderbird/[random].default-release
A dotfolder in home. Flatpak installs use ~/.var/app/org.mozilla.Thunderbird/.thunderbird instead because of sandboxing.
Frequently asked questions
How do I back up all my Thunderbird mail?
Close Thunderbird, then copy the whole profile folder to safe storage. That single folder holds local mail, settings and address books. Restoring it later brings everything back at once.
Can I move my Thunderbird profile to a new computer?
Yes. Install Thunderbird on the new machine, close it, then replace the fresh profile folder with your backup. Delete installs.ini and compatibility.ini if it complains about the profile being from elsewhere.
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