How to add Send Later functionality to Thunderbird

I have, on occasion, needed to compose an email and send it at a more apropos time. 

When such an instance arises, if I’m using either Gmail or Apple Mail, sending later is very simple. 

However, if I’m using Thunderbird, that option isn’t built into the app.

Since Thunderbird is the email client I use the most, having that functionality is pretty important.

Also: How to encrypt email in Thunderbird (and why you should) 

There is a way to add it to Thunderbird, and I’m going to show you how.

How to add Send Later functionality to Thunderbird

Requirements

To add a send later functionality to Thunderbird, you’ll need an updated version of Thunderbird and that’s it. It doesn’t matter what operating system you’re using, as the process is the same. I’ll be demonstrating on Pop!_OS Linux.

Using Send Later

Using the newly-added Send Later feature is simple. Compose an email and you will now see the Send Later button in the top-right corner of the compose window. Before you click that button, make sure to compose the email first. Once you’ve finished writing the email, click Send Later and a new popup window will appear, where you can set the exact time for the email to be sent, as well as set a recurrence (if needed). If you opt for a recurring email, you can set a general time frame for it to be delivered, as well as specific days of the week or during a period of days.

After you configure the time, click the gray button associated with the exact time you’ve set, and the email will be saved and sent at the specified time. 

Also: How to create message filters on Thunderbird to keep your inbox organized

You’ll also notice a few pre-configured Send Later buttons, which make it easy to send the missive 15 minutes from now, 30 minutes from now, 2 hours from now, or Send Now. 

Congratulations, you’ve just added a new feature to Thunderbird that you’ll probably use more often than you assumed.