Ultimate Guide to Export Gmail to MBOX Files Easily

Export Gmail Emails to MBOX: What and How?

When we say that a user wants to download Gmail as an MBOX file. It not only includes the email content within Gmail, but also a lot more than that. And what can it be? Look at the following to identify what items you save from Gmail as an MBOX file:

• Message content and headers
• Attachments
• User-defined labels & IMAP keywords
• End time of snoozed messages
• User settings such as:
• Email signature
• Delegated sender address
• Other accounts/Forwarding/Blocked addresses
• Filters, and
• Out-of-office response message and subject.
• Gmail labels for the following:
• Messages in different folders (Say, Inbox, Drafts, Sent, Bin, etc.)
• Important/Archived/Muted messages
• Snoozed/Scheduled/Opened messages
• Template responses, and much more

After finding out how much data you are exactly moving from Gmail, let’s see the best methods for it, too.

Which Top Methods to Use to Export Gmail to MBOX?

To decide the best method, you need to explore both the free way and the dedicated tool in detail here. But before that, there are some pro-tips you must ensure for a smooth Gmail to MBOX export, especially in the manual process :

• Audit the email size and clean the bulky mailbox. Find the attachments with a size larger than 10 MB and remove those that are not needed.
• Preserve your folder labels to avoid confusion when you import MBOX in Thunderbird/Apple Mail, or other clients.
• Schedule the exports to create quick, fresh backups and avoid delays in times when you need data urgently.
• Ensure you de-duplicate the emails to ensure unique data is retained after the import.

Now, follow the guide for the methods below. We will first begin with the manual method for those who want a free solution.

DIY to Free Convert Gmail Emails to MBOX

1. Browse to https://takeout.google.com/ on the web to start Google Takeout.
2. Then, you can find the Deselect All option, check the box beside it.
3. Moving ahead, further, click on Mail to export Gmail to MBOX and press Next Step.
4. Afterward, select your frequency (Export Once), size of choice, and type (.zip).
5. Also, choose the delivery method as “Send download link via Email”.
6. Finally, press Create Export and wait until the process completes. And you get a link in your Gmail.
7. Later, click Download Archive, and once you get it, open the created ZIP file and extract the data from it.
8. The Gmail data from the ZIP file is in the MBOX file format.

What Shortcomings Manual Method Possess?

Despite being free and a built-in service from Google, this process has the following cons:

• Lengthy and takes up to 2-3 or more days to create the ZIP. (Though it depends on the file size.)
• You can only have a maximum of 50 GB file, and for more volume of data than that, you need to create many exports.
• There are no customization or duplicate removal options in this method, and that’s a loss.

So, what can you do instead? Download the professional Gmail Email Backup Tool and streamline your export in no time. For more details, look at the section below.

Recommended Method to Export Gmail to MBOX

SysInfo Gmail Backup Tool eliminates the manual hassle and directly saves bulk data in the MBOX format. Using it, you can import Gmail Contacts to Thunderbird and more on any Mac or Windows OS with full ease. Additionally, this expert tool has features for duplicate removal, data sorting, and so on. Moreover, it retains the structure and keeps data safe with its simple and easy-to-use GUI.

Quick Steps to Export Gmail Emails to MBOX

1. Initially, begin with the download and launch of the Gmail Mail Backup Tool.
2. Then, you can see a whole list of root folders, select them, and tap Next.
3. Further, from the Save in File Format list, choose the MBOX option. Also, apply the respective filters you require.
4. Click Next and, with the Save Path button, opt for a folder location to store emails.
5. Lastly, press Download to finalize the process of the email export.

Furthermore, take a look at the following to understand how beneficial this tool really is for your Gmail exports.

Conclusion

Think when you export Gmail to MBOX, it’s like packing for a big move. You can do it manually, slowly, carefully, and with a little difficulty. Or you have professional software that makes sure it is all packed, labeled, and delivered properly. Choosing the appropriate method, you not only save time but also the effort, ensuring important emails and attachments are all safe. Your data deserves a safe export, so give it one.

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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.