How to Save Email to Desktop: 4 Easiest Methods

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Learn how to save an email to your Windows or Mac computer
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Do you want to backup all your emails so you have your own personal copy? You can do so using the Outlook app, Outlook website, and Gmail website. This downloads all your email data into a folder on your computer in .EML, .ZIP, or .PST format. You can also save an email by downloading it as a PDF file. Here's how to save emails to a computer in Outlook, Gmail, and more.

Quick Steps

  1. Open the Outlook desktop app.
  2. Click Open & Export > Import/Export .
  3. Select Export to a file and click Next .
  4. Click Outlook Data File and click Next .
  5. Select your email account and click Next .
  6. Select a save location and click Finish .
Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Using the Outlook App

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  1. 1
    Open Outlook. You can use Outlook on Windows and Mac. If it's not already installed, you can use Outlook on the web instead.
  2. 2
    Click File . This is in the top toolbar.
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  3. 3
    Click Open & Export . You can find this in the left panel.
  4. 4
    Click Import/Export . This is the third tile on the page. A new window will open.
  5. 5
    Select "Export to a file" and click Next . You may need to scroll to find this option.
  6. 6
    Select "Outlook Data File" and click Next . This file type allows you to transfer your Outlook emails to another email account if necessary. [1]
  7. 7
    Select your email account and click Next . Make sure the box for Include subfolders is checked off.
  8. 8
    If you only want to export your emails, select Inbox instead.
  9. 9
    Select a save location. Click the Browse button to open your device's file manager and select a place to save your file.
  10. 10
    Click Finish . The file containing your emails will be exported to your device.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Using the Outlook Website

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  1. 1
    Log into the Outlook website. Enter your email address and password. Outlook stores all your emails, calendar data, and contacts in your mailbox. To save your emails, you can export your mailbox.
    • The exporting process can take up to 4 days to complete, especially if you have a lot of saved data. This will save your emails and mailbox as an Outlook Data File (.pst).
  2. 2
    Click the View tab. This is at the top of your mailbox, between Home and Help .
  3. 3
    Click View settings . This is next to the cog icon, underneath the toolbar.
    • A new window will open.
  4. 4
    Click General . You can find this in the left panel.
  5. 5
    Click Privacy and data . This is in the middle panel.
  6. 6
    Click Export mailbox . This is the blue button. You'll then see Export in progress next to the button.
  7. 7
    Wait for the export to complete. Keep in mind that this process can take a few days to complete. If you need to save a specific email now, you can save it as a PDF instead.
  8. 8
    Download the file. When the export is completed, the button will no longer be grey. Click the button to select a save location for your file.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Using Gmail

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  1. 1
    Log into your Gmail account. This is your Google account.
    • Use this method to download an archive of your Google activity, including your emails in Gmail.
    • If you just want to download an individual email, skip to the last step.
    • If you have a Yahoo Mail account, you can download emails in PDF format instead.
  2. 2
    Go to the Google Takeout page. If you're logged into your Google account, you'll see a list of all data you can download.
  3. 3
    Select only Mail . If the other products are selected, click Deselect all at the top, and then click the box next to Mail to select it.
  4. 4
    Click Next step . This is at the very bottom of the page.
  5. 5
    Select a delivery method. Click the Transfer to drop-down menu and select a method of delivery.
    • You can select: Send download link via email , Add to Drive , Add to Dropbox , Add to OneDrive , or Add to Box .
    • By default, the file type will be set as .ZIP. If you want to change it to .TGZ, click the drop-down menu and select it instead.
  6. 6
    Click Create export . This is the blue button at the bottom. Your export will begin.
    • You may be asked to log in again to verify your actions.
  7. 7
    Wait for the export to complete. Keep in mind that this process can take a few days to complete.
    • If you need to save a specific email now, you can skip to the next step to download an individual email, or save it as a PDF .
  8. 8
    Download an individual email (optional). If you only want to download one or a few emails to your device, you can download it as an e-mail message (.eml). [2] Do the following:
    • Open your Gmail inbox .
    • Click an email to open it.
    • Click â‹® above the email contents.
    • Click Download message .
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Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Saving as a PDF

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  1. 1
    Open the email you want to save. This can be an email in Outlook, Gmail , Yahoo , or another provider. Use your provider's website to log in.
    • Use this method if you only need to save one email to your computer. You can use Print to PDF to save your email.
    • This method works as an alternative for email providers that don't have an export feature, such as Yahoo Mail. [3]
  2. 2
    Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or ⌘ Command + P (Mac). This is the print shortcut. If you see a print button next to the email, you can click that instead.
  3. 3
    Set it as a PDF. This will vary slightly depending on your device.
    • On Windows :
      • Click the Destination drop-down menu.
      • Select Microsoft Print to PDF or Save to PDF .
    • On Mac :
      • Click the down-arrow next to PDF .
      • Select Save as PDF .
  4. 4
    Click Print . This is usually found at the bottom or corner of the print window.
  5. 5
    Select a save location, and then click Save . The email will be saved to your computer as a PDF file.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/back-up-your-outlook-email-e5845b0b-1aeb-424f-924c-aa1c33b18833
      2. ↑ https://support.google.com/mail/answer/9261412?hl=en
      3. ↑ https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN5033.html

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