Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about MailVault.
Getting Started
What MailVault is, which email providers it works with, what it runs on, and how it keeps your mail private.
7 questions
Storage and Your Vault
Where MailVault keeps your mail on disk, how much of it stays on this computer, why it uses .eml and Maildir, and how to move the vault to another drive.
8 questions
Email Providers
Connecting Gmail, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com and Proton Mail, and sending from an alias.
6 questions
Free and Premium
What every MailVault user gets for free, and what MailVault Premium adds on top.
4 questions
Backup and Restore
How MailVault archives mail, what archiving then deleting does to the server copy, when automatic backups run, and how to export and re-import your vault.
6 questions
Explorer and Insights
Grouping a mailbox by date, sender or conversation, and reading the sender map, timeline and activity views.
8 questions
Scheduled Send
Sending an email at an exact date and time in any time zone, the suggested recipient zone, and managing the Scheduled folder.
7 questions
Troubleshooting
Fixes for the problems people hit most: the Gmail daily bandwidth cap, spellcheck underlining nothing on Linux, and a folder added on the server not showing up yet.
4 questions
All questions
Nothing on the site matches that search.
Storage and Your Vault
- Can I change the vault storage format?
- Where are my emails stored?
- How much of my mail stays on this computer?
- What are .eml files and Maildir? Why does it matter?
- Can I access my emails offline?
- How are attachments handled?
- Can I store my mail somewhere other than the default application folder?
- What is the external backup location (second copy)?
Scheduled Send
- What is Scheduled Send?
- Can I schedule an email in someone else’s time zone?
- How does MailVault know the recipient’s time zone?
- How do I change, reschedule or cancel a scheduled email?
- Does MailVault have to be open for a scheduled email to go out?
- What happens to scheduled emails if my subscription ends?
Still have questions?
Quick answers about local email backups
Can I keep emails after deleting them from the server?
Yes, if you archive them first. Messages saved in your MailVault vault remain on your computer after the server copy is deleted. Messages that exist only on the server are not protected. Verify the local copies and make a separate backup before deleting server mail. Read more.
Does MailVault save email as .eml files?
MailVault stores archived messages as individual .eml files in a Maildir structure on your disk. A local archive lets you read saved messages offline. Keep a second copy on another drive to protect against loss of your computer. Read more.
Can I use MailVault on Mac, Windows and Linux?
MailVault is available for macOS, Windows and Linux. Download the build for your operating system and connect a supported account to start archiving locally. Read more.
Is manual email archiving free?
Manual email archiving is included in the free edition. Premium adds workflows including Archive & Delete and scheduled backups. See the Premium FAQ for details. Read more.