How to Export Gmail Emails to MBOX? Step-by-step Guide
Overview: In this article, we will teach you the easiest methods to export Gmail emails to MBOX. Here, we will explain how to manually save Gmail messages in MBOX to local storage and what the alternative fast ways to accomplish the job.
Gmail is very popular and feature rich email service. From school student to working professions, everyone uses it because of the advanced functionalities compared to other email services. Its revolutionary email search function, and integration with other Google services greatly attract users. However, despite having such great functions, scanning of emails, targeted ads and free tier restrictions always worry the professionals and push them to take a step to keep a copy of important emails in the widely used and beneficial MBOX file.
Why Export Gmail Message in MBOX File?
- Insufficient space, data theft, or server failure can prevent you from accessing emails in Gmail. Having Gmail in MBOX as a backup can help you deal with such a situation.
- Keeping your Gmail emails in MBOX allows you to access them offline. MBOX is offline email file and can be opened using free and open source email clients.
- MBOX files support cross-platform. You can open them on Windows as well as macOS. Hence exporting Gmail to MBOX will not make the system dependent on accessing emails.
- An MBOX stores email in a plain text file. Because it is a text-based format, it is less susceptible to corruption compared to binary formats, ensuring better data integrity over time.
- MBOX files can store large amounts of email messages efficiently. Hence creating a single MBOX file from multiple Gmail data can make it suitable for sharing and long term archiving.
These are the basic benefits of keeping Gmail emails as MBOX file. Now, let’s take a look at the top solutions one by one to export emails from Gmail in MBOX free.
How to Manually Export Gmail to MBOX ?
In the manual way, you need to use the Google Takeout function. With this Google tool, you can quickly and free convert all your Gmail emails to MBOX with all associated data. Check-out all the steps below.
- First; open Google Takeout using with the link https://myaccount.google.com.
- Then, move to the “Data and Privacy” option.
- Select “Download or delete your data” and then “Download your data“
- Now, you should deselect all and select only “Mail” option and then press Next.
- At last, select file type, frequency and destination and then create Export.
All of your Gmail mailboxes will now save in the MBOX format. This method is although good what have some drawbacks which you must review before using it.
Limitation of the Method
- This process can take a long time. The takeout itself says data export can take hours or days.
- You don’t get any option to transfer Gmail to MBOX with specific folders.
- The process may get hit by internet connectivity and may result in data loss.
- Due to Internet irregularities, the export may stop and you’ll need to repeat the process again.
Don’t worry about these drawbacks, we have a solution to overcome them. Please refer to the below method to export Gmail to MBOX without any hurdle.
A Fast Way to Export Gmail in MBOX File
We have seen that manual solutions cannot satisfy the needs of all users. Therefore, a professional solution is required. 4n6 Gmail Backup Tool is the most reliable and instant method export emails from Gmail to MBOX. With the help of this tool, users can safely transfer all or specific Gmail labels into MBOX without losing information.
Additionally, when you archive Gmail in MBOX, this tool preserves all attributes like headers and attachments. Also, no modifications will be made to the HTML structure of emails. You can download the free version of this tool through the above button, and complete the job.
Features of the Expert Software
- Software allows you to export Gmail emails to MBOX along with all headers and attachments.
- It allows you to export all or specific Gmail mailboxes to MBOX file format.
- You don’t need to install MBOX supportive application to perform the conversion process.
- During the email transfer from Gmail account to MBOX, this utility maintains all the properties.
- You can choose the required destination path where you need to save the resultant files.
- You can export Gmail to MBOX with this tool on Windows 11, Windows 10, and earlier edition.
Author’s Suggestion
In this article we have explained how to use Google Takeout and a specialized tool to export Gmail emails to MBOX. You should use Takeout tool if you have enough time and want to export complete data without selecting important one. On the other hand, if you want to quickly archive Gmail in MBOX while selecting the preferred emails, we suggest you use the professional software. You can review both the methods given to understand which one works best for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question) How to export Gmail to MBOX?
- Download, install and start the software.
- Add your Gmail account to the software.
- Click Export and select the MBOX file type.
- Select folders to export in MBOX and save.
Question) Why would I want to export Gmail emails to MBOX?
Saving Gmail to MBOX is useful for creating a local copy of emails, and moving to a different email client.
Question) Can Google Takeout save selected emails from Gmail to MBOX?
No. With Google Takeout, you can transfer the entire Gmail data but not the selected data.
Question) Is it possible to transfer emails from Gmail inbox only to MBOX format?
Yes. You can export emails from your preferred Gmail mailbox to MBOX using 4n6 software.
Question) Can Gmail export bulk emails to MBOX format?
No. Gmail only allows you to export individual emails in EML files only. It cannot export Gmail emails to MBOX in bulk.
Question) Can I re-import my MBOX files into Gmail?
No, there is no direct way to do this. In order to import MBOX into Gmail, use the professional software.
