Windows 10 will reach EOS (end of support) on October 14, 2025. For more information, see this article.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Sync Address books across computers

  • 4 replies
  • 0 have this problem
  • 7 views
  • Last reply by Wayne Mery

more options

Hello:

I'd like to sync my address books across several computers and my Android phone.

I don't know about the security of Carddave or Exchange, like, is the traffic encrypted, and is the database at the cloud end encrypted too.

Since I can log on to my Google account, and see and edit my address book, I expect those address are not encrypted.

Rather, I'd like to use my syncing program (Mega) to sync the sqllite files (I guess T-Bird used to call them MAB files) and any other needed files directly.

Question 1) How do I find the name of the address book (abook-n.sqlite-wal) related to the name like "Family Contacts"?

Question 2) What other files will I need to sync? any index files? a master list?

Question 3) If I install Thunderbird for Android, where should I put these files so Android finds them?

Thanks for taking the time to read this and any help you may offer.

Mark.

Hello: I'd like to sync my address books across several computers and my Android phone. I don't know about the security of Carddave or Exchange, like, is the traffic encrypted, and is the database at the cloud end encrypted too. Since I can log on to my Google account, and see and edit my address book, I expect those address are not encrypted. Rather, I'd like to use my syncing program (Mega) to sync the sqllite files (I guess T-Bird used to call them MAB files) and any other needed files directly. Question 1) How do I find the name of the address book (abook-n.sqlite-wal) related to the name like "Family Contacts"? Question 2) What other files will I need to sync? any index files? a master list? Question 3) If I install Thunderbird for Android, where should I put these files so Android finds them? Thanks for taking the time to read this and any help you may offer. Mark.

All Replies (4)

more options

Do you understand encryption? There are many kinds and I do not claim to understand exactly how they all work. I place my faith in folk that do. Perhaps you should as well.

What you are suggesting is simply not supported. Perhaps adopt the Thunderbird sync what is comes out of the beta program.

Helpful?

more options

IMHO, trying to roll your own is asking for trouble. Especially given the knowledge you seem to not have based on your questions, including the current state of your data in Google, and whether carddav can be done securely, which it can. Address book properties in Thunderbird for carddav - https://www.googleapis.com/carddav/v1/principals/email-address@gmail.com/lists/default/ (https is secure)

Furthermore, ...

Syncing likely should be done at the record level, not database.

Syncing should be done within Thunderbird if syncing happens while Thunderbird is running and you are expecting data integrity within Thunderbird.

Helpful?

more options

> Perhaps adopt the Thunderbird sync what is comes out of the beta program.

Double checking what you meant to say ...

If you mean Thunderbird Pro, that won't offer the sync capability.

What I think you meant to say, is adopt the Thunderbird sync WHEN IT is comes out of the beta program?

Helpful?

more options

FWIW, for non-carddav sources you might try https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/tbsync/

I haven't used it myself.

Helpful?

Ask a question

You must log in to your account to reply to posts. Please start a new question, if you do not have an account yet.