It's really like shooting fish in a barrel to download a re-create of your Gmail information cheers to Google Takeout. Even so, Google gives you an MBOX file, and what can you exercise with that? In fact, y'all tin can do a lot. Information technology's ideal for keeping an offline backup or moving all your emails to a new email service or Gmail account.

Nosotros're going to testify you how to use Google Takeout, how to create an offline backup using Thunderbird, and how to move your Gmail data to a new email service.

Footstep 1: Download Your Gmail Data With Google Takeout

Google Takeout mail

First, you demand to download the export of your Gmail information from Google Takeout.

Past default, all of your Google service information will be selected, so this includes stuff like Chrome and Drive. If you but want Gmail, click Deselect all at the acme of the list. Whorl down toMail and tick the box.

You will encounter that MBOX format has been selected. You can click this, simply yous cannot change the format for Mail, though y'all can for other Google services.

By default, all your Gmail messages from all your categories volition be included. If you lot want to accommodate this, click All Mail service data included, remove the checkmark fromInclude all letters in Mail, choose the folders you desire, then click OK.

Whorl down and click Next. Here you can choose your Commitment method, Frequency, and File type & size. You can leave everything as default, only change them if you want. When set, click Create export.

Your export will and then process. You will receive an email notification when information technology'southward ready. If yous merely included Postal service in the consign, it won't take too long---merely look on the page for it to cease. When it has, click Download.

Open the compressed file on your computer and export it. The necessary MBOX file is in the Takeout > Mail service folder.

Stride 2: Import Your Gmail MBOX Into Thunderbird

Y'all tin can import your Gmail data into any e-mail client that supports MBOX. You could also apply a utility like Windows MBox Viewer.

If you employ a Mac, y'all can import the MBOX file into your Mac'due south Mail app by clicking File > Import Mailboxes. If y'all apply Microsoft Outlook, yous'll accept to commencement catechumen the MBOX file into some other format Outlook supports---Outlook has no native way of importing MBOX files.

For the detailed steps of this guide, we'll use Mozilla Thunderbird because it'due south gratis, open source, and supports MBOX files natively. Information technology also runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

So, install Thunderbird on your reckoner and open it.

Follow the magician to add whatsoever electronic mail business relationship to Thunderbird. You lot don't accept to actually use the email account for anything; this will simply ensure Thunderbird is gear up properly for email.

Shut Thunderbird subsequently adding an email account. You at present need to navigate to a specific Thunderbird folder on File Explorer so that you tin can place your Gmail MBOX in it. Here'south how to do that.

Press Windows fundamental + R to open Run, input %appdata%\Thunderbird\Profiles\

And then click OK.

Thunderbird Local Folders

This will open File Explorer. You should meet a binder in hither called xxxxxxxx.default, where the x is eight random characters. Navigate inside this folder and then get to Mail > Local Folders.

Become the MBOX file y'all downloaded earlier and place information technology within the Local Folders folder. You can left click and drag the file across between the open windows or utilize re-create (Ctrl + C) and paste (Ctrl + V).

Run Thunderbird again. The downloaded contents of your Gmail account volition appear under Local Folders in Thunderbird.

Step iii: Use Thunderbird equally an Offline Archive

Thunderbird as an offline archive

Thunderbird now provides an offline way to read your downloaded email. You tin can browse through information technology, read messages, search, grab file attachments---anything you lot could do with Gmail online.

This is an excellent backup solution that provides peace of mind. Y'all can store an offline backup of your Gmail account in MBOX format on an external hard bulldoze or USB somewhere, along with all your other important fill-in files. Of course, you'll want to regularly download a new MBOX backup file if you lot're withal using Gmail, simply to go on your backups upward to date.

Whether you lose access to your Gmail account, Google shuts down Gmail, or the entire internet collapses, you'll always have a way to access your email archive.

Import Your Emails Into Some other Email Service

You tin likewise use the offline copy of your Gmail to import your Gmail data into other email accounts. This play tricks just requires that the email services support IMAP and then yous can access it from Thunderbird. The erstwhile POP3 protocol won't work, we need IMAP.

Here's our guide on the departure betwixt IMAP and POP3 if you desire that explained.

With this trick, you lot can import your emails into another Gmail business relationship, motion them to a Microsoft Outlook.com business relationship, add together them to a Yahoo! Mail account, or import them into any other IMAP-supporting service. This is useful if you desire to motility to another service and get out Gmail behind or if you've decided you but want a new Gmail accost as your master Google account.

To practise this, yous'll need to add the other email account to Thunderbird. On the left pane, click the peak level e-mail address to get to the Thunderbird overview section. From here, beneathAccounts > Set upwardly an account, clickEmail.

Thunderbird setup account

Enter your mail account details. Thunderbird will attempt to automatically download the appropriate server information so you don't have to configure information technology by hand, just click Manual config to check the details. Ensure the Incoming server selection is set to IMAP.

Thunderbird may not automatically detect your email service'south configuration, then you lot may need to await upward your email service's IMAP hostname, port, and SSL configuration. Refer to your provider'due south help documentation if this is the instance.

Once y'all've gear up your email business relationship, it will appear in Thunderbird's sidebar. You lot can drag and drop emails between your local Gmail backup and the IMAP account. In fact, y'all can even motion all the emails from your MBOX file to somewhere in the other IMAP account. Thunderbird volition upload them and they'll appear in your new account.

This trick takes advantage of the mode IMAP works, equally it allows you to upload messages and motion them around. The other email service doesn't accept to know anything virtually MBOX files or Gmail; it only has to support IMAP.

You tin too import your Gmail to another account without using a downloaded MBOX file. Just add both email accounts to Thunderbird, and so drag and driblet messages between them. For some other instance, here's how to set up Gmail in Microsoft Outlook.

The Best Free Email Clients

That's everything you need to know about how to grab an annal of your Gmail information and how to read an MBOX file with ease.

We used the free Thunderbird as the email client hither, but information technology's not the only i. Hither are our recommended best free email clients for your computer.

Plus, y'all might besides like to know how to export emails from Outlook.

Image Credit: Cairo/Flickr

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Nearly The Author

Joe Keeley (835 Manufactures Published)

Joe was built-in with a keyboard in his hands and immediately started writing about engineering. He has a BA (Hons) in Business and is at present a total-time freelance writer who enjoys making tech simple for everyone.

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