How to Export Emails from Thunderbird to Apple Mail Account?

Published On

June 10th, 2025

Reading Time

6 Minutes Reading

Hey, it’s been quite some time since I’ve been using the Thunderbird email client on my windows computer to organize and manage my email communication. Recently, I bought a new Mac laptop on which I use Apple Mail account due to work requirements. Managing a Windows and Mac system at once sometimes becomes overwhelming for me. So, I decided to export emails from Thunderbird to Apple Mail account. I am looking for the solution to complete this task. If anyone knows, please help.

—Peter

Are you also one of them who decided to switch Thunderbird to Apple Mail account? Looking for a reliable solution but confused which method is good to use? If yes, you are reading a right blog. In these following sections, we will explain the full process to export email from Thunderbird to Apple Mail account. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

How to Export Thunderbird Emails to Apple Mail Account?

There are many ways available that allow you to export emails from Thunderbird to your Apple Mail account (aka Mail.app). Below, we’ll explain some popular ways that can help you accomplish this task.

Method 1: Export Emails from Thunderbird to Apple Mail Using MBOX Format

Both Thunderbird and Apple Mail email client use the MBOX file format for storing the email messages. So, this is the most common and straightforward way to accomplish this task.

Step-by-Step

Go to your Thunderbird profile and locate the MBOX files.
Each folder such as Inbox, Sent, etc. will have the MBOX file (no file extension) and possibly associated .msf index files.
Copy the MBOX files to the temporary location like Desktop.
Open the Apple Mail email account.
Go to the File menu and choose Import Mailboxes.
Choose the Files in MBOX format and click the Continue button.
Navigate and select the MBOX files you exported from Thunderbird.
After the import, Apple Mail will create the folder named “Import” in the sidebar with the imported MBOX files.

Note: This is the most common method for exporting emails from Thunderbird to your Apple Mail account.

Method 2: Drag and Drop via EML Files (Less Efficient)

If you only need to move the selected emails, you can use the following process.

Step-by-Step

In the Thunderbird account, select the message you need to export.
Right-click, save as, and choose the folder to save the emails as .eml file.
In the Finder, drag these .eml files into Apple Mail folder or open them in Apple Mail to import.

Note: This method is not great for bulk migrations but is good for selected messages.

Method 3: Export Thunderbird Emails into Apple Mail Using IMAP

This method is great if you have the IMAP account such as Gmail, iCloud, etc.

Step-by-Step Process

Add the same IMAP account in your both Thunderbird and Apple Mail accounts.
In the Thunderbird, drag and drop the email messages or folders you need to migrate into your IMAP accounts folder.
Wait for Thunderbird to upload them.
Now, open the Apple Mail account, it will automatically sync the IMAP account and show the moved email messages.

Optional But Recommended Method

You can take the help of 4n6 Thunderbird Converter for easy and reliable conversion. This app will help you export all your Thunderbird emails directly from your profile set up in the MBOX format in bulk and them you can import them to your Apple Mail account. The software offers a wide range of advanced features including:

Ability to bulk export multiple emails from your Thunderbird account at once.
You can easily export emails from Thunderbird along with attachments and headers.
It allows you to preview Thunderbird messages in different modes.
You can export emails directly from your Thunderbird setup profile.
Retains all properties while converting emails from Thunderbird to MBOX format supported by Apple Mail.

Step-by-Step

Download 4n6 Thunderbird to Apple Mail Converter and install it properly.
Click on the Open tab and the software will give you two options to upload Thunderbird files such as Open configured Thunderbird accounts or Choose folders.
The application will load your Thunderbird data on the left panel. Preview your Thunderbird emails in multiple modes.
Now, click the Export button and choose the MBOX from the saving list.
Check files or folders and choose the location where you need to save output.
Enable the required filters and click the Save button to begin the conversion process.

The app starts exporting your data in the MBOX file format. Once done, you will get the completion message. After this, import the exported MBOX files into your Apple Mail account.

These are the popular ways to export emails from Thunderbird to your Apple Mail account. It is entirely up to you which method you choose to accomplish this task. All the above methods are tried and tested.

Next Read

Frequently Asked Questions

Ques 1: Why would someone need to switch from Thunderbird to Apple Mail?

Ans 1: Users often switch to Apple Mail due to better macOS integration, simplified interface, or system performance with the Apple Mail.

Ques 2: Is it possible somehow to directly export emails from Thunderbird to Apple Mail?

Ans 2: No, there is no direct method available to export Thunderbird emails to Apple Mail account.

Ques 3: Where are the MBOX files stored on the computer?

On Windows:

~/Library/Thunderbird/Profiles/xxxxxxxx.default-release/Mail/Local Folders/

On Mac:

C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles\

Ques 4: Can I import the entire Thunderbird account including folders?

Ans 4: You can import folders but Apple Mail account doesn’t recognize Thunderbird accounts directly. You will need to recreate the folder structure if required.

Ques 5: Why I am not able to import my MBOX files into Apple Mail account?

Ans 4: Please ensure:

The file is not corrupted
File extension is correct (.mbox)

Ques 6: Do the email attachments and metadata get preserved?

Ans 6: Yes, you have exported and imported correctly and correctly the files, email content, metadata and attachments will be preserved. Also, it is recommended to use 4n6 software to export your files for accuracy.

Final Words

Exporting emails from Thunderbird to Apple Mail account is no longer a daunting task if you are aware of the best methods. In the above content, we have explained the best methods to accomplish this task. You can use any of the above methods to accurately export emails from Thunderbird to Apple Mail account without facing any kind of issues.