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Conversation View
Idea shared by Brett Humphries - 12/4/2015 at 7:22 AM
Under Consideration
B
I have gotten a lot of feedback from our users that it would be helpful to be able to change the view in webmail. Specifically, the ability to view messages in a conversation format.
 
Much the way the iPhone or Gmail handles the inbox. Instead of seeing 18 different messages at the inbox level, there's only the most recent, but upon clicking on that message, all related messages in that thread are available.
Brett, this is a good suggestion. As you mentioned, many users are familiar with Gmail and get used to the conversation view. You might want to change the subject of your post above to "Conversation View" to attract more votes.
--Kevin
B
Will this be something that gets added to version 16?
Personally I do not like the conversation view, but it sounds like a feature that some would welcome.
Let's add to this request a user setting to turn it on/off, similar to Gmail.
j
I am wondering if there was anymore thought about the Conversation view for SM? Now that SM16 is out I am wondering if this could be a minor upgrade at some point. Most people who like the way their Gmail looks do not even know it is called Conversation view or that it is optional and they can turn it off as it is set as the default view. Some of my users would like it so please let me know if this is even in the works for the next update?
Any update on this feature request ?
Bumping this question back to the top as I have clients who want to use conversation view too. Switchable, the way it is in Outlook.
Git 'er done !! Customers like conversation view.
Share the Road
Kyle Kerst Replied
6/24/2019 at 3:55 PM
Employee Post
Hello everyone. I wasn't able to find confirmation that this got submitted to our development team, so I've gone ahead and done so. If we find out later we already have an active task for this, I'll reach out with an update. Otherwise keep an eye out for responses here and on release notes for further updates on this front. 
Kyle Kerst
Lead Internal Network/System Administrator
SmarterTools Inc.
Another vote from us on conversation view please.
Please make sure that any implementation of this feature can be completely disabled by the individual user, on demand. While Conversation View is welcomed by some, others just hate it. 
J
Any update on Conversation View?
update from ST?
Since this thread is going on 5 years old, probably should switch to G Suite if you want conversation view... :)
Is Conversation / Threaded View coming anytime soon. Its important to know this. 
I have somebody who needs a unlimited user license, the deal breaker being the lack of Conversation View.
If its coming in a few weeks or two-three months and is in the roadmap i can have the customer hooked on else he will goto gmail.
Arpan Arora / Director / Everbiz Solutions Pvt Ltd.
I want this too.
This feature is very important because, when I check mail, I can see previous content and I can remember what I have discussed with "the sender" of this conversation.
N
Any update on this?
I had a customer ask about this today as well. They would love to see it as a part of SM :)
Linda Pagillo
Mail's Best Friend
Email: linda.pagillo@mailsbestfriend.com
Web: www.mailsbestfriend.com
Authorized SmarterTools Reseller
Authorized Message Sniffer Reseller
 
It would be a big feature for SmarterMail and compare to other products out there.
T
1 day from 2023 and still no conversation view :(

We have conversation view on some of the cheapest webmail options but not SmarterMail.

I don't understand why this is so complicated to develop. 
C
Can someone from SM let us know if the conversation view will ever be added? This ability has been around for decades in almost every other email server I have used. This post alone is over 10 years old. 🤣
I suspect it may have something to do with browser load.

Something ive notoced is with some long email threads when the previous email is quoted in each reply.

The browser window for the email becomes super sluggish almost to the point of unusable and cpu geta high fans start to kicl in etc.

only truncating (deleting) the previously quoted chats will reduce  the cpu load back to normal.

Im theorosing this behaviour would be amplified with threading.

Just a thoight.

Not sufe if this behaviour also exists with other mail services that have threading.

Ta
C
I also agree - this would be a great feature that would make Smartermail even more competitive. 
A
Google is forcing people off SMTP connections to external email, like my smartermail accounts. After 20+ years of using gmail I'm super used to conversation view. I'm guessing a lot of people are going to have to migrate off gmail for their smartermail email and may want to use the smartermail UI, like I'm trying to do. Would be great if conversation view could be added as an option to smartermail UI.
Tim Uzzanti Replied
4/8/2026 at 8:56 AM
Employee Post
As much as conversation view is mentioned, we have worked with a variety of email client companies who know the telemetry of who enables and disables conversation views.It's a feature people like to request, but 70% of people like to disable.  

That’s not to say we are not going to provide the feature, but there is very little standardization on how it is done.  We are working closely with eM Client, which is our preferred email client provider, to ensure people see similar conversation views in the client and in Webmail.  

In mobile apps, it's a different story and some people are used to seeing conversations not contain the same messages because most messages aren't on the mobile device.  Mobile devices often only handle 30 days of email.

We have some exciting new features coming to Webmail prior to this as we evolve Webmail into a full email client. More information will be released in May.  
Tim Uzzanti
CEO
SmarterTools Inc.
Just my $0.02... but rather than always presenting as Conversation view, it would be useful to be able to right-click and select something like "View Conversation History" that would THEN pull in all related messages.  Obviously storage of said relationships has to be done and such, but I don't find Convo view as a standard useful at all.  The ability to see it when needed, yeah, I'd use that.

Thanks for your message. I’m really looking forward to the webmail update you described. I think you made a typo—you wrote that there would be more news in March, but it’s already April :)

Best regards, Roger
Tim Uzzanti Replied
4/8/2026 at 10:29 AM
Employee Post
Roger,

Appreciate you brining that to my attention.  I've edited to May.  
Tim Uzzanti
CEO
SmarterTools Inc.
Tim Uzzanti Replied
4/8/2026 at 10:31 AM
Employee Post

Rod,

That has been an internal debate, and it would remove a lot of load from the server. I prefer conversation views not in the message list, but instead associated with the message I’m reading. I do appreciate that eM Client supports this, and I’d love to hear others’ opinions.
Tim Uzzanti
CEO
SmarterTools Inc.
J
+1 on Rod's recommendation 
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