How to Download All Your Emails on Mac

To download all your emails on a Mac, choose between an Apple Mail mailbox export and a dedicated local archive. The important part is completeness: Inbox alone is rarely the whole account, and a synced mailbox can still reflect server deletions.

Option 1: export mailboxes from Apple Mail

Connect your account in Apple Mail and allow it to finish fetching messages. Check Inbox, Sent and every folder you need, including older mail.
Select the mailboxes you want in the sidebar, then choose Mailbox → Export Mailbox.
Choose a folder on your Mac or an external drive. Apple Mail exports mailbox data in MBOX format.
Keep a second copy and test an import using File → Import Mailboxes. Open representative messages and attachments from the imported copy.

These menu names and the MBOX format are documented in Apple’s mailbox import and export guide. An exported mailbox is a separate artifact: simply leaving the account connected in Mail is not the same backup.

Option 2: make a searchable EML archive with MailVault

Download the macOS build from Get started and add your email account. Use Google or Microsoft sign-in where available.
Make a folder checklist: Inbox, Sent, custom folders and any labels containing mail outside the Inbox. Make archived or hidden provider folders visible to the connection if needed.
Use bulk operations to select the required folders and dates, then choose Archive. Wait for completion and investigate any failures or skipped folders.
Switch the source to Vault to inspect the independent local copies. Messages in the vault use .eml files; those only visible under Server are not part of the archive yet.

Verify the archive before relying on it

Switch the message source to Vault, rather than Server or All. Search for an old message you recognize.
Disconnect from the network and open a few archived messages from different folders and years. Open their attachments too. A subject line in a list is not proof that the message body is saved.
In Settings, open Backup & Restore and use Export Backup. Choose a location on a second drive. The ZIP contains the vault, accounts and settings; it excludes messages that only exist on the server.
Check that the ZIP opens, contains .eml files, and includes the folders you intended to preserve. For important mail, test restoring a copy in a separate installation before deleting anything.

Short demo: search your local archive

Demo with fictional mail, edited from the existing macOS demo recordings. Account sign-in and some preparation happen off camera; this is not a live provider connection.

Read the demo description

The demo searches fictional mail in a prepared vault. Verify your own archive by opening old messages and attachments while disconnected, then keep a second copy on a different drive.

Why “all emails” needs a folder checklist

A desktop connection can only archive what the provider exposes to it. Hidden Gmail labels, a second account, an online archive, or an administrator restriction can leave gaps. Compare the folder list in the provider’s web app with the app’s list, then sample the oldest and newest messages in each important folder. Gmail label overlap can also make raw counts misleading; the same message may appear under more than one label.

For account-specific instructions, read Gmail to EML, Outlook to EML or export iCloud Mail. If you are moving from a Windows archive tool, start with MailStore alternatives for Mac.

Download MailVault for free to make your first local archive. Manual archiving is free; automated archiving, scheduled backups and Archive & Delete require Premium.

More practical guides: How to Back Up Gmail to EML Files · How to Export Outlook Email to EML · How to Back Up Email on Linux as EML · A Local Email Archive for Linux: What to Check