fidzu : thunderbird

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The following changes have been pushed to bugzilla.mozilla.org:

• Bug 1205300 - Missing: related documentation "Reporting"
• Bug 2068120 - Thunderbird access to "Iteration" and "Due Date" fields
• Bug 2066252 - Prevent save if keyword checkin-needed-tb exists without target milestone
• Bug 2070017 - Reinstate web bounty form
• Bug 2059948 - Do not offer printable recovery codes to Duo users

Discuss these changes in the BMO Matrix Room

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10 Sep 2026 2:34am GMT

Bugs resolved in Moz-Phab 2.19.0:

• bug 1987220 moz-phab patch --apply-to here should apply to the original base revision and rebase, rather than applying the raw diff on HEAD
• bug 2016442 add moz-phab list subcommand

Discuss these changes in #engineering-workflow on Slack or #Conduit Matrix.

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09 Sep 2026 8:59pm GMT

Our goal for this phase of work is to remove the technical jargon, use plain language, and make it effortless for everyone to make informed decisions about their settings. With over 250 blocks of settings content to untangle, we aimed for incremental improvements rather than striving for perfection.

While our previous research leaned heavily on our technical power users, this round intentionally focused on new users to make sure Thunderbird is intuitive from day one.

Summary of research

• The new copy tested well: We achieved >80% comprehension across our tested copy for Notifications, Appearance, and Composition settings.
• High confidence levels: Users felt confident to change settings without external help (asking someone, referencing docs, or using AI for support).
• Interactions need refinement: We found spots where the interface didn't always match expectations, like using a checkbox instead of an on/off toggle.

Using our content guidelines, we audited all 250+ content blocks to check accuracy, what was overly technical, and if anything was outdated. Our strategy was built up into steps to make it more achievable.

Step 1: Research & prioritization

Last month, we conducted research where we used a card sorting method to understand what users actually care about most and where they expect settings to live. Catch up on the Research Summary.

Step 2: Inventory audit

We mapped every piece of text in the app to build a full content inventory, assessing each piece of text for accuracy, freshness, and 8th-grade readability.

Step 3: Content redesign

We removed any developer or system updates from the interface and replaced it with language that speaks to what the setting actually does for the user.

Our findings

We tested prototypes for Notifications, Appearance, and Composition and asked 4 questions to test the purpose of each setting category, scenario comprehension, and user confidence. Our target threshold was 80% comprehension.

Here is how the new copy tested with room for improvement around the interactions, visuals, and how the language can be even more clear and user friendly.

Settings Category	Purpose Comprehension	Scenario Accuracy	Confidence Score (out of 5)
Notifications	86%	71%	4.00
Appearance	86%	86%	4.14
Composition	100%	100%	4.43

What's next

• Improve the interactions: Aligning component types with immediate vs. batch actions so the UI behaves the way people expect.
• Sharper indicators: Testers liked the visual diagrams for Threaded, Unthreaded, and Grouped messages, but they need a bit more detail to make the visual distinction instant.
• Continue iterating on copy: Cleaning up remaining awkward phrasing (like Autosave 5 seconds) that still makes the experience feel slightly dated.

Next, we are taking everything we learned from this copy testing and applying it to the overall settings navigation and layout structure.

Redesigning settings isn't always glamorous, which is why our team internally nicknamed this effort "Project Toto" inspired by high-tech Japanese toilets. Settings are something most people prefer not to think about, but when they are designed thoughtfully, the experience becomes seamless, intuitive, and surprisingly delightful.

As our new designs take shape, we'll be reaching back out to both new and long-time users for feedback. Stay tuned for our next update, and let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The post Desktop Settings: Removing technical jargon appeared first on The Thunderbird Blog.

09 Sep 2026 3:25pm GMT