The Free Zimbra webmail combines messaging, contacts, and calendar in a single interface accessible from a browser. However, with automatic filters, storage quotas, and synchronization settings, not all functions are found in the same place. This article measures the gaps between the different access and management methods to identify the one that suits each use case.
Free Zimbra Filters: Automatic Sorting vs. Manual Filters
Free Zimbra offers two parallel filtering systems, and confusing them can lead to message losses. The first is an automatic sorting provided by Free directly from the page zimbra.free.fr: it classifies commercial emails into a “Commercial” folder and social media notifications into a “ReseauxSociaux” folder. This sorting relies on a tag inserted in the message header via the X-ProXaD-SC field.
The second system corresponds to custom filters created within the Zimbra interface itself (Preferences > Filters). These rules allow you to redirect, delete, or label a message based on the sender, subject, or other criteria.
A point often overlooked: the old filters created via mfilter.free.fr no longer work with the Zimbra architecture. They must be recreated manually in Zimbra. Anyone who used the old Roundcube webmail and relied on its existing filters should check their migration.
To access all these settings, the Free Zimbra portal to read emails remains the main entry point at zimbra.free.fr.
| Filter Type | Creation | Customization | Compatibility with Old Filters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Automatic Sorting | One-click activation on zimbra.free.fr | Limited (Commercial / ReseauxSociaux) | Not applicable |
| Manual Zimbra Filters | Preferences > Filters in Zimbra | Complete (sender, subject, size, etc.) | Not applicable |
| Old mfilter.free.fr Filters | Old interface | None (obsolete) | Non-functional under Zimbra |
Zimbra Free Storage Quota and Increase Procedure
The storage capacity of a Free Zimbra mailbox can be increased for free to 10 GB from the Free subscriber area. This option remains available, but its procedure does not appear in the Zimbra interface itself: you must go through the Free account management space, which is separate from the webmail.
Without this increase, the default quota is significantly lower. When it is reached, new emails are rejected by the server, without notification in the inbox. Regularly checking the used space prevents this type of silent blockage.
Monitoring Your Quota in Zimbra
The quota indicator is located at the bottom left of the Zimbra interface. It displays a percentage of usage. When the gauge exceeds three-quarters, two concrete actions can reduce occupancy:
- Empty the “Trash” and “Junk Mail” folders, which count towards the total quota but are often forgotten
- Delete large attachments by sorting by size (right-click on the column header > Size)
- Archive old messages locally via an IMAP client like Thunderbird, then delete them from the Zimbra server
Zimbra Free Account Without Freebox Subscription: A Little-Documented Access
Existing guides present Free Zimbra as a service reserved for Freebox or Free Mobile subscribers. In reality, a “free access” pathway allows you to create a Free email account without a subscription. Creation goes through the page subscribe.free.fr/accesgratuit, requiring personal information, postal address, and acceptance of the terms and conditions.
This account provides access to the same Zimbra interface, the same filters, and the same expandable quota. However, some features related to the Freebox (voicemail, secondary aliases managed from the Freebox OS interface) are not available.
Differences Between Subscriber Account and Free Account
A Freebox subscriber can create multiple secondary addresses from their subscriber area. Each secondary address has its own Zimbra access with distinct username and password. The free account, however, is limited to a single address.
For daily email management (reading, sending, filters, contacts, calendar), both types of accounts offer an identical interface. The difference lies in account administration, not in the use of the webmail itself.
Synchronization After Migration to Zimbra: The Two Available Methods
The migration from the old Roundcube webmail to Zimbra has not always transferred all messages. Free offers two catch-up methods, accessible from the page zimbra.free.fr.
The first involves checking the option “I want to resynchronize my mailbox” on the Zimbra homepage. Free then restarts its automated procedure. A warning accompanies this option: some emails may be duplicated after resynchronization.
The second method, more reliable for advanced users, involves using an IMAP client. The old account remains temporarily accessible on the server imap-old.free.fr. You just need to configure two accounts in Thunderbird or a similar client (one on imap-old.free.fr, the other on the current Zimbra server) and then drag the missing folders from one account to the other.
- Automatic method: quick, risk of duplicates, no control over synchronized folders
- Manual IMAP method: longer, total control over transferred messages, requires an email client
- Post-migration verification: check subfolders, filters, and contacts, which are not always automatically carried over
The temporary coexistence between Roundcube and Zimbra has been a source of confusion, but Free designed the migration to avoid data loss. Checking the proper recovery of folders, filters, and subfolders remains the most useful precaution once synchronization is complete.
The choice between these two methods depends on the volume of mail involved. For a few dozen missing messages, automatic resynchronization is sufficient. For archives spanning several years, the IMAP method offers a cleaner result, without duplicates to sort later.