Recently, I have downloaded all my email messages from my Gmail account by Google Takeout because I decided to switch the email account. So, to get my essential messages in my new account, I was head to transfer the Mbox file into my new account. I was way much surprised seeing the size of the Mbox file as it was almost 3.1GB. Then, I decided to import only the important one rather than transferring the whole file. I have had to open the Mbox file in Thunderbird.
After opening, I imported the required emails to Microsoft Outlook from Thunderbird to add it to my new email account. If you don’t know how to open MBOX in Thunderbird and how to import it in Outlook, don’t worry, you are going to know. How? Read the following.
Here, I am going to show how to open the MBOX file in Thunderbird, Microsoft Outlook, Android, and on macOS. If you want to import the file into Gmail, here are also ways for that. And if you are looking for a free or paid software to open MBOX, just go through the writing, hope you will get your query.
What is a Mbox File
The Mbox file is the acronym of the mailbox, which is basically the storage of email messages. In a Mbox file, all messages are saved one after another with a header “From” in a single file. Previously, a software named Unix was needed to view the Mbox file. One can download the messages from his/her email account if wishes for by Google Takeout. However, if you still don’t have a Gmail, learn how to properly set it up here.
You can download all the folders or specific folders as per your desire. The downloaded file is saved as .mbox format. It is easily compatible with some email applications other than Unix, such as Mozilla Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Eudora, Entourage, etc. You might need to filter spams.
The attachment with the email messages, even if the media content like audio, video, or any other file format also remain in that Mbox file.
How to Open Mbox file in Thunderbird
You may have already done this type of thing like opening DMG files on Windows, etc. To open the Mbox file in Thunderbird, we have to go through some steps. At first, Download Thunderbird Email Application from any web browser on your computer and install it on. Then, launch Thunderbird and set it up. From the add account wizard, click Cancel. From Set up An Account option, choose Newsgroup. This account needs an Identity that will appear to others who receive email from it. So, in account wizard, you need to set up Identity.
Put a User name as per your wish and an email address, e.g., [emailprotected] when prompted. Now, enter the name of your news server (NNTP), e.g., Server, and click next. After giving a name in the account name box, the created account will be viewed to verify the information. If you are already a thunderbird user, then start from here.
1. By clicking Options and then Account Settings, go to the Local Folder where thunderbird stores information.
As shown in the picture, copy the Local directory (Click ctrl+a> ctrl+c). Leave Thunderbird.
2. Now, go to the Windows Explorer, usually named as This PC, and paste the address in the address bar as follows.
3. Copy the desired mbox file and paste it in the Local directory that you found in the previous step.
4. Again, open Thunderbird by click on the icon twice. The mbox file will be shown under Local Folders.
5. Click on it to view the email messages within it.
How to Open Mbox File in Outlook
You can find MS Outlook in your Office 365 or Office desktop package. You might have tried to open the Mbox file in Outlook but failed because Outlook doesn’t support opening the Mbox file directly. It supports the .pst format to store the file. So, what can you do? You may follow the steps below and try further to open it.
As we know, there must be two solutions to anything, i.e., manual and automated. We will show both. Firstly, go for the manual one.
How to Open Mbox File in Outlook from Thunderbird
In the previous module, I have shown you how to add a Mbox file in Thunderbird. If you want to view an email of the Mbox file in Outlook. Simply do as follows-
1. Open Thunderbird, and you can see the Mbox file in the local folders. Click on that folder, and the emails are shown in that. Select the email you want to open in Outlook and drag it to any of your desired folders in Outlook. But, be sure that you are logged in with your email account in Outlook.
After dragging the file in Outlook, it will look like it. Click on it to view.
How to Open Mbox File in Outlook Using Converter
As we know, Outlook doesn’t support the Mbox file but support the PST file. So, we can convert the Mbox to .pst file to open it in Outlook yet in a smart way by some software. While converting the file, you definitely want to choose the best converter. Still, in this context, we can’t say any one of these converters best. Because every software has pros and cons, we have to see the reliability through the demo version. I can mention the name of some software such as-
- Systool MBOX Converter
- Softaken MBOX to PST Converter
- Kernel for MBOX to PST
- Gaintools MBOX Converter
- Betavare MBOX to PST Exporter
- Datavare MBOX to PST Converter Expert, etc.
You can check out the software and try its demo version to choose which one meets your requirement. You can also search on your own to find more software name regarding this.
Now, I am going to show the conversion of Mbox to PST and show how to open Mbox in Outlook using the demo version of Systool MBOX Converter below-
- Open Systool MBOX Converter and then from the navigation-window, Select Add File from the left side of the screen, and then the following window will open. Choose MBOX Files and then click Next.

- Click Export and choose the folder in the mbox file which you want to import in Outlook.

Export as PST files and change the location as per wish.

- Open Outlook and click File and then Open & Export. Now, click Import and Export and choose Import from another program or file and click Next.

- Now, Choose Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.

- After browsing for the folder where the converted file is saved, click Open to import the file in Outlook.

Emails within the file will be added to the email account after doing the steps correctly.
How to View Mailbox Emails Using Free Software
This is going to be the easiest way to view the email message. To do this, first, go to the address https://sourceforge.net/projects/mbox-viewer/ by any of the browsers on your PC. Then, download it and extract the Zip file from the directory to where it is saved. After extracting, drag the Mbox view application to the taskbar to pin it on.
Then, click on it, and from the left corner of the navigation-window, click File and choose the Select Folder (or Press F2). Now, browse for the folder in which the Mbox file located. After doing that, you can click any of the emails and can read it.
How to Open Mbox File on Android
It might have happened that your computer is not nearby to your hand, but you have to open a Mbox file to see some emails within that file. But, the Mbox file is not compatible with your android phone. As far as I know, there is no other option left but only the conversion of that Mbox file into PDF file online. Then, the file can be viewed on an android.
The conversion of Mbox to pdf is quite easy in online. By searching in the browser with “Convert Mbox to PDF Online”, heads you to the websites. Simply upload the Mbox, or drag the Mbox file to that page or give the URL of the file (they only allow the limited size of the Mbox file), and then click convert and download the resulted file. You can use the PDF in desktops too, with a good PDF viewer.
There are also some apps named Open ERP Mobile, File Viewer for Android, MBOX, etc. to view the mbox file on your phone.
How to Open Mbox File on Mac
If you are a Mac user, you can view your mbox file by importing them in Mac Mail App or in Outlook for Mac.
This isn’t a task of hard. Instead, you can do it at ease by doing as I say. So, I am proceeding-
How to Open Mailbox email using Mac Mail App
- Open the Mail App from “Applications” on your Mac device.
- Now, give a right-click on “File” you will see the drop-down menu. Choose “Import Mailboxes” from it. Then, don’t forget to select “File in MBOX format“. You need to click continue to browse for the file, which is saved as .mbox on this device.
- Now, choose the desired file to move it, and then all the windows will disappear. Again, land on the Mail app. Click on the Mailboxes, and that will let you see folders on the left side of the screen.
- To read the Mbox file, first, choose and then click on that file.
How to Open MBOX File on Outlook for Mac OS
You can also do import a Mbox file in Outlook for Mac just by converting them in PST format. Methods for converting it in the PST format is described above, and also more are readily available on google. By logging in Outlook on your Mac OS, Click File and then Import. To import an Outlook Data File(.pst) in it, choose the data file type and then click Next. Locate the file and click Import. And you are done.
How to Open MBOX File in Gmail
If you want to import the Mbox of one mail account to another, or if you want to import the old Mbox file (which was previously saved on your hard drive), in the meantime, you are versed well in the methods for doing that. You can do it by-
a. Converting mbox to Outlook data format (Mbox to PST conversion)
b. By converting .mbox to .eml (See ‘’How to Open Mbox File in Outlook from Thunderbird’’).
Note. You must need to log in Outlook with an email address before doing the stated steps.
Summing Up
Hopefully, you got quite help reading this. I have tried to show most of the trouble-free processes to open the Mbox file both for windows and Mac. And also, some automated ways are stated to lessen your time and effort. There are also other ways to import it, you can simply head to it by googling. The most important note for you is that while choosing the third-party software, be aware of the viruses and the malware, choose the most reliable one.
FAQs
How do I open an MBOX file on a Mac? ›
To get to the Mail folder on a Mac, click the desktop to make sure you're in the Finder, press and hold the Option key, choose Go > Library, then select the Mail folder. If you're importing messages from a Windows or UNIX computer, select “Files in mbox format,” then locate the folder containing the files.
How do I open an MBOX file in Windows? ›- Free Download MBOX Viewer Tool and in Windows OS.
- Next, Click on Add File to Browse Single or Multiple MBOX Files.
- Also, You can Directly Load MBOX Files from Configured Email Clients.
- Get a Preview of MBOX File Emails with Attachments.
MBOX files are a convenient and flexible file format that can be opened in any text editor -- including Microsoft Notepad, Apple TextEdit or GitHub Atom. They can also be opened in through email client applications on both MacOS and Windows.
Can Windows mail open MBOX files? ›The Mbox format can be opened by Apple Mail and other mail clients, but unfortunately, Microsoft Outlook cannot open Mbox files directly on Windows. One way around this is to use another mail client, like Thunderbird, to convert Mbox files to a format compatible with Microsoft Outlook.
How do I open an MBOX File in Chrome? ›Steps to Convert MBOX to HTML and Open MBOX files in chrome
Now the user will see two options to load orphaned MBOX files into the software. 1) Select MBOX Files 2) Select MBOX folders. Choose any one option of them and add the MBOX file from the source location, then press the Next button.
- Log into your UMD Google account and find the data file email.
- Open the email and click the Download archive button.
- The Download your data: archives window will open. ...
- Go to your browser's downloads and double-click the folder listed to open it. ...
- The downloaded mail folder will be called Takeout.
Kernel MBOX Viewer is designed to open MBOX files on your system without having email applications. This is a free utility with which you can open MBOX files created with email clients like Thunderbird, Gnu, AppleMail, Eudora, Postbox, Opera, PowerMail, etc.
How do I convert MBOX to PDF? ›- On your Windows PC, download and run the MBOX Migration tool.
- Click on Add File button and select the MBOX file from the saved location.
- Apply specified filters to MBOX emails with attachments.
- Choose a destination folder and convert MBOX emails to PDF files.
- Click inside the file drop area to upload a document file or drag & drop a document file.
- Your document file will be automatically rendered for you to view instantly.
- View and navigate between pages.
- Set page view zoom-in or zoom-out.
- Print the document using print button.
So here is the solution. Users can open MBOX files into Gmail using the manual approach. Manually users have to convert MBOX into PST and then import PST file into Gmail using the GAMMO tool by google.
What is MBOX file extension? ›
MBOX (sometimes known as Berkeley format) is a generic term for a family of related file formats used for storing collections of electronic mail messages. MBOX formats store all of the messages of an entire folder (not an entire mailbox) in a single database file and new messages are appended to the end of the file.
Can you import MBOX files into Gmail? ›Select the MBox file. The MBox will appear under Thunderbird's local folders. If you wish to import the mbox into your UMD gmail account, click and drag the folder to your @umd Inbox. Once this is completed then you can log in to your Gmail account online and you should see all of the emails restored.
How do I import mbox into mail app? ›Select Files in mbox format and then click Continue. Locate the mbox from your Google Takeout download and click choose. The mbox will be imported locally to Apple Mail and will be located in an Import folder under the On my Mac heading.
Can you import mbox into outlook? ›Outlook doesn't support MBOX files; there is no option available to import MBOX files. Importing MBOX files into Outlook needs email files conversion, i.e. you have to convert your MBOX files into PST format.
Does Outlook support mbox format? ›An mbox is a way of storing mail messages and is supported by common mail clients like Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Apple's Mail program.
Is MBOX viewer safe? ›The software is designed with an algorithm which maintains all MBOX e-mail data files created with Google Takeout, Thunderbird, Pocomail, Spicebird, Entourage, Netscape, Apple Mail,Opera, Eudora, Spanning backup, Backupify etc. The software is fully safe and secure to access.
How do I open an MBOX file on my phone? ›How to Open Google Takeout MBOX Files with MBOX Viewer Tool
Is MBOX free? ›Download Now and Install for FREE. Download FREE to use MBOX viewer for Windows. Complete freeware utility to help users view mbox files without requiring any native email application installation.
How do I download from MBOX? ›- Step 1: Download Your Gmail Data With Google Takeout. First, you need to download the export of your Gmail data from Google Takeout. ...
- Step 2: Import Your Gmail MBOX Into Thunderbird. ...
- Step 3: Use Thunderbird as an Offline Archive.
To migrate or move data from one account to another, you would download the MBOX file from the source account and then connect Thunderbird to the new account you want to import MBOX files back to. Simply import the MBOX file to a folder contained in your Gmail account and your data will be effectively moved/migrated!
How do I open archive in Gmail? ›
Open All Mail
If a message has been archived, you can find it by opening the All Mail label. On your computer, go to Gmail. On the left, click More. Click All Mail.
Gmail is perhaps the most famous MBOX user. And it offers a simple 'export' feature for your mailbox. There are about a dozen email clients that use the MBOX format. For example, Mozilla Thunderbird, Mac/Apple Mail, Opera Mail, Spicebird, Entourage, Eudora, and more.
Do MBOX files contain attachments? ›An mbox file is a standard format for storing messages. It contains all the details for the exported messages, including message text and any attachments. The metadata file reflects the message metadata as recorded by Google.
How do I access Google Takeout files? ›- Step1: First of all, download and install the Google Takeout opener software. ...
- Step 2: Now, choose the Google Takeout archives which you have downloaded and tap on the OK button.
- Step 3: At this step, you can open the Google Takeout files in the software panel.
It is very simple task to export Mailbox to PDF Adobe documents, just follow these steps. Step 1: Download & install MacUncle MBOX to PDF Tool. Step 2: Upload MBOX files using Add File(s) or Add Folder(s) button. Step 3: Choose Embed attachments, Convert attachments, save attachments or Black & White Mode.
What is MBOX file on Mac? ›An MBOX file is a mail storage format i.e. mailbox that comprises saved email messages. You may want to open MBOX files backed up from your Gmail account to preserve your important data and reduce the risk of losing it.
How do I convert MBOX to excel? ›- Open our free MBOX to XLS converter website.
- Click inside the file drop area to upload MBOX file or drag & drop MBOX file.
- Click on Convert button. ...
- Download link of result files will be available instantly after conversion.
- You can also send a link to the XLS file to your email address.
- On your Android device, open Files by Google .
- On the bottom, tap Browse .
- Navigate to the folder that contains a . zip file you want to unzip.
- Select the . zip file.
- A pop up appears showing the content of that file.
- Tap Extract.
- You're shown a preview of the extracted files. ...
- Tap Done.
- Run Apple mail in your system.
- Go to File >> Import mailbox option.
- Now select the source of the MBOX file and click continue.
- On browse location, choose MBOX file then click continue.
- After the import process complete, click done.
How do I import MBOX files into Google workspace? ›
Secondly, upload the MBOX file from your system by clicking the Select Files or Select Folders option. Thirdly, check the mailbox file from the software interface that you want to import MBOX file to Google Workspace. After that, type in your G Suite account credentials (Username and Password).
How do I convert MBOX to CSV? ›- Open our free MBOX to CSV converter website.
- Click inside the file drop area to upload MBOX file or drag & drop MBOX file.
- Click on Convert button. ...
- Download link of result files will be available instantly after conversion.
- You can also send a link to the CSV file to your email address.
- Download and launch the Gmail Backup tool on your machine.
- Login with your Gmail account credentials.
- From the drop-down list choose MBOX format.
- Select the file saving path to store Gmail emails as MBOX.
Open Thunderbird, click on Tools, select ImportExportTools, and click Import MBOX file. In the pop-up, the option Import directly one or more MBOX files is set by default; click Ok. Browse for the MBOX file in the specific location. As shown below, after the import, you can see all your mailbox items.
How do I import Google Takeout data to Gmail? ›Sign into your Lafayette Gmail account and go to takeout.google.com/transfer. Enter the email address of the destination Google account. Select Send code. Check your personal Gmail account for the confirmation email, and in the email select Get confirmation code.
Can I use Thunderbird with Gmail? ›Thunderbird can be configured to work seamlessly with Google's Gmail service. Messages are synchronized between your local version of Thunderbird and the web-based Gmail.
How do I import an mbox File into Outlook for Mac? ›Manually Import MBOX to OWA Mac
Right-click and go to Save As. Now, store the files in a specific location. And then open an Outlook account. Then drag and drop the saved mbox files to a new folder.
At the current pace (and if the progress bar is to be trusted), it will take about 12 days to import all mailboxes and email messages.
How do I open Google Takeout on Mac? ›- Launch the Application on Mac OS.
- Now Choose the MBOX Files using Either Add File or Add Folder.
- Select the required folder from the software interface and click on the checkbox.
- Finally, click on the MBOX email file to read the files on the Software GUI.
- Step 1: Run MBOX to Microsoft 365 Migrator.
- Step 2: Select MBOX files to import.
- Step 3: Choose with/without impersonation.
- Step 4: Input Microsoft 365 creds to login.
- Step 5: Set filters & import MBOX to Microsoft 365.
How do I convert MBOX to PST for free? ›
- Step 1: Save MBOX Emails as EML Files. Launch MBOX's email client. ...
- Step 2: Drag & Drop EML Files into Outlook. Open the folder where the EML files are kept. ...
- Step 3: Export Emails to PST File. ...
- Step 4: Alternative Method for Converting MBOX to PST.
- Click inside the file drop area to upload MBOX or drag & drop them.
- Click on Convert button. ...
- Download link of converted EML files will be available instantly after conversion.
- Check the MBOX to EML conversion results and send your feedback.
On the Source file selection window, select either one from 'Select folder' or 'Select File' and click on the Browse button. Select the MBOX folder and click on Ok. On the next window click on Finish.
How do I convert MBOX to PDF on Mac? ›- Step 1: Download & install MacUncle MBOX to PDF Tool.
- Step 2: Upload MBOX files using Add File(s) or Add Folder(s) button.
- Step 3: Choose Embed attachments, Convert attachments, save attachments or Black & White Mode.
- Step 4: Press Export button to start MBOX to PDF conversion task.
- On your Windows PC, download and run the MBOX Migration tool.
- Click on Add File button and select the MBOX file from the saved location.
- Apply specified filters to MBOX emails with attachments.
- Choose a destination folder and convert MBOX emails to PDF files.
An mbox file is a standard format for storing messages. It contains all the details for the exported messages, including message text and any attachments. The metadata file reflects the message metadata as recorded by Google.
How do I open Google Takeout? ›- Step1: First of all, download and install the Google Takeout opener software. ...
- Step 2: Now, choose the Google Takeout archives which you have downloaded and tap on the OK button.
- Step 3: At this step, you can open the Google Takeout files in the software panel.
- Click inside the file drop area to upload a document file or drag & drop a document file.
- Your document file will be automatically rendered for you to view instantly.
- View and navigate between pages.
- Set page view zoom-in or zoom-out.
- Print the document using print button.
MBOX files are a database of emails. But they're really just text files that you can open using any basic text editor like Notepad++ on PCs and TextEdit on Macs. (This means you always have the option of quickly scanning through your emails without using an email client.)
How do I convert MBOX to excel? ›- Open our free MBOX to XLS converter website.
- Click inside the file drop area to upload MBOX file or drag & drop MBOX file.
- Click on Convert button. ...
- Download link of result files will be available instantly after conversion.
- You can also send a link to the XLS file to your email address.
How do I open an MBOX file on my phone? ›
How to Open Google Takeout MBOX Files with MBOX Viewer Tool
What is the file extension for MBOX? ›The MBOX file extension was developed for an E-mail Mailbox File that is used in organizing messages sent and received as emails. Normally considered as a generic term, electronic messages are stored and consolidated in a single file as plain text.
Can you import MBOX files into Gmail? ›Select the MBox file. The MBox will appear under Thunderbird's local folders. If you wish to import the mbox into your UMD gmail account, click and drag the folder to your @umd Inbox. Once this is completed then you can log in to your Gmail account online and you should see all of the emails restored.
What is Gmail MBOX? ›The MBOX is a file format used by several email clients, including Thunderbird and Postbox. Postbox is a commercial email client, but Thunderbird is open source and can be downloaded for free. You might have used Thunderbird to store your emails and then want to import them to Gmail.
What is archive of Google data? ›In the archive you're about to download, you'll get a copy of nearly everything Google has stored on its servers, including Gmail contacts, Chrome bookmarks, transactions from various Google services, locations stored in Google Maps, and more. You'll find all sorts of data, including (in my case, dating back to Nov.
How do I find archived files in Google Drive? ›- Click the Google Drive folder.
- Create a new folder and rename it "My Archives" without the double quotes. Below the folder "My Archives" is highlighted. Sometimes it is necessary to rename your file.
- Click the "All Mail" label, located on the left sidebar in your Gmail account. If you do see this label, click "More" to display additional labels.
- Locate the archived message among all the emails displayed. ...
- Click the archived message to open it and view the contents.