Mozilla Thunderbird 78 is official available for download, here are all the news

The version of Thunderbird 78 is now available for direct download from  thunderbird.net. Currently, it is not possible to update directly from Thunderbird 68 (and previous versions), and therefore, if you are a Windows or macOS user you will have to reinstall everything. The Thunderbird team has however made it known that they are working to offer the update from previous versions. Thunderbird 78 is the new ESR release (extended support version).

The new Thunderbird 78 aims to improve the Thunderbird user experience by adding many features to the application and making it easier to use.

Aesthetic improvements

Redesign of the composition window

The composition window has been reworked to help users find the features offered by the program more easily as well as to make composing a message faster and easier. 

Dark Mode

Thunderbird's new dark mode helps users strain their eyes when working in the dark. Dark mode will automatically activate if you have activated global dark mode on your operating system.

Be careful to update if you use extensions

The sore point of this release is about compatibility with older XUL-based add-ons that are no longer supported. If you use Enigmail do not upgrade to Thunderbird 78. Thunderbird 78.0 currently only supports MailExtensions.

Lightning is now integrated into Thunderbird

Lightning Calendar is now integrated into Thunderbird so you no longer need to install it.

Account configuration window updated

The account configuration window and the account tab have been completely updated in the layout and dialogues to facilitate the understanding of the information displayed and the search for the relevant settings.

Updating the icons and colors of the folders

Folder icons have been replaced and modernized with a new vector style. This will ensure better compatibility with HiDPI monitors and dark mode.

System tray icon on Windows

Windows users can rejoice because Thunderbird 78 can now be minimized in the system tray. No third party extensions to install.

Experimental OpenPGP support

OpenPGP support has been included in Thunderbird experimentally and is disabled by default in Thunderbird 78.0. According to the wiki, if the tests in progress are successful, OpenPGP support will arrive in a few months with Thunderbird 78.2.

To find out how to enable OpenPGP support, follow the instructions on the Thunderbird wiki.