How to Backup Gmail Emails to Computer in Easy Steps

Many professionals and enterprises do not treat their Gmail inbox as an inbox. Rather, it’s the vault of years of business emails, contracts, and client relationships. After a few years, wouldn’t you feel uncomfortable losing that as an email account? But trusting the cloud can pose a risk because it leaves a single point of failure. So, what to do, find out here.

What Makes it Necessary to Save Gmail Emails to Computer?

The act of backing up Gmail isn’t because you don’t trust Google; it’s about building resiliency. The main factors include:

• They protect against accidental deletions or hacks, or willful malicious user behavior.
• Enterprises need the ability to archive data for some length of time to rely on offline data retention regulations (GDPR, HIPAA, ISO compliance, etc.).
• Allows access to your Gmail email archives when in remote areas or when you are offline or have low connectivity.
• Moving from Gmail to Outlook, Apple Mail, or other email clients typically requires some form of export.

Manual Tricks to Backup Gmail Emails to Computer

Use either of the two methods given below to ensure you secure your Gmail mailbox on the system without much hassle. The step-by-step process for these methods is defined as follows:

Method 1: Backup Gmail to Computer by Google Takeout

1. Visit https://takeout.google.com/. Google Takeout shows up.
2. Here, you find a Deselect All button; click it.
3. Then, to select data to include, browse down and pick Mail.
4. When selected, click Next Step to choose file type, frequency, and destination.
5. Further, in the destination, opt for Send download link via email (the easiest).
6. Set your frequency to Export Once, and after that, size as desired.
7. In the end, with the file type as .zip, click Create Export, and the process begins.
8. Once it finishes and you get the link on your Gmail, download it and extract the ZIP contents.

That’s it! You receive the Gmail emails on your computer in MBOX format, which can be accessed with any other client.

Pros: Free and official, and takes a complete backup in a single go.

Cons:

• To access the data in Outlook or WLM, you need to change the file format.
• Large mailboxes take time and sometimes result in incomplete or corrupt downloads.
• Unsuitable for recurring and automated backups of the data.

Method 2: Backup Gmail Emails to Computer via IMAP

1. First, enable IMAP access within your Gmail account you want to take a backup of.
2. Next, either start your Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird account.
3. Depending on the account chosen, use its Add Account option to sync Gmail.
4. Once Gmail gets configured, all its folders and labels appear in the IMAP-based account.
5. Now, using the ImportExport option in the specific account, take a backup of Gmail emails in PST, PDF, CSV, EML, or MBOX format as desired.

Pros: Direct access to the desired email client, and a few saving options are available.

Cons:

• The process is time-consuming, and you may not get direct support for contacts and calendars.
• Requires technical setup and so can have risk with sync or human errors, which may result in data loss.
• Also, an active internet with good speed and admin credentials are needed for successful backup.

You must be wondering which tool was so efficient and reliable? To find out, check below.

Professional Technique to Backup Gmail Emails to Computer

Manual processes often work well on a personal level. But when managing multiple accounts or terabytes of mail data, automation, speed, and data integrity become challenging. At this time, SysInfo Gmail Backup Tool is your option to perform secure and instant backups in bulk. Using it, you can export Gmail Contacts to VCF or save email data in PST, EML, MSG, PDF, or many other formats. In addition, you can be assured of proper backup without worrying about losing any data. Moreover, the excellent tool even supports bulk accounts and is the perfect solution for businesses.

Simple Steps to Backup Gmail to Computer

1. Launch Gmail Backup and select to log in using any one mode.
2. Then, enter your credentials and click Sign In to check the folders.
3. Afterward, pick the root folders from your Gmail mailbox and click Next.
4. Later, select any desired File Format to take a backup in and apply filters.
5. Finally, click Next and use the Save Path button to pick a destination. Tap Download.

Conclusion

The task to backup Gmail emails to computer is not simply an IT process, but a strategic precaution. Free options like Google Takeout work well for individual users, but often run into problems for enterprise users. IT admins and the enterprise must use a dedicated tool that provides speed, reliability, and compliance.

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About The Author:

Suman Rawat

Suman Rawat is a technical content writer and expert in the fields of email migration, data recovery, and email backup. Her passion for helping people has led her to resolve many user queries related to data conversion and cloud backup.