Getting Started with mbox Files

What is an mbox file?

An .mbox file is a common format for storing email messages. Gmail and other email providers allow you to export your emails in this format.

How to get your .mbox file from Gmail:

  1. Go to Google Takeout and sign in with your Google account.

  2. Under “Select data to include”, click “Deselect all” first. Then, find Gmail in the list and check the box next to it. Make sure only Gmail is selected.

    A screenshot showing the 'Deselect all' button and 'Gmail' checkbox selected in Google Takeout
    Selecting only Gmail in Google Takeout

  3. Scroll down and click “Next step”. On the “Choose file type, frequency & destination” screen, configure your export options:

    • Delivery method: “Send download link via email” is usually easiest.
    • Frequency: Select “Export once”.
    • File type & size: Choose .zip for the file type. For the size, we recommend selecting the largest option (e.g., 50GB) to minimize the number of split files, especially if you have a large email archive.
    • Click the “Create export” button.
    A screenshot showing Google Takeout export options: Delivery method, Frequency, File type & size, with '50GB' size selected
    Setting export options in Google Takeout

  4. Wait for Google to prepare your export. This can take hours or even days depending on the size of your mailbox. You will receive an email from Google when your export is ready. Follow the link in the email to download your data. This will be one or more .zip files.

  5. Extract the downloaded .zip file(s). Inside the Takeout folder, navigate to the Mail directory. You will find your .mbox file here (it might be named something like All mail Including Spam and Trash.mbox).

  6. Launch LegacyMail and open the .mbox file you extracted!

Launch MBOX Reader