How to Import Google Takeout to Apple Mail?
If you’re switching from Google Takeout to Apple Mail, or need to migrate your emails from Google Takeout (a service that allows you to export your data from Google services) to Apple’s native email client, you may find the process a bit tricky. Fortunately, it’s possible to move your emails over with patience and the right steps. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to import Google Takeout to Apple Mail, making the migration smoother.
What is Google Takeout?
Google Takeout is a service provided by Google that allows users to export their data from various Google services (like Gmail, Google Photos, Google Drive, and others). When it comes to emails, Google Takeout allows you to download all of your Gmail messages in a file format called MBOX (Mail Box format), which can be later exported into an email app such as Apple Mail.
Reasons to Export Google Takeout to Apple Mail
When moving from Google to Apple Mail or managing your emails across multiple platforms, exporting your data from Google Takeout and importing it into Apple Mail can be highly beneficial. Here are some key reasons why you might consider doing this:
Centralized Email Management
Apple Mail allows you to organize all of your emails into a single email client by importing Google Takeout data. This enables you to manage emails from several services in a single inbox, including Gmail and any other accounts you may have (iCloud, Yahoo, etc.). Accessing and organizing your emails without having to hop between email programs or services can be made much simpler as a result.
Offline Access
Apple Mail gives you offline access to your Gmail data by enabling you to download and save emails locally on your Mac. You can access your emails without an internet connection once they have been imported from Google Takeout into Apple Mail. If you frequently need to refer to previous emails when traveling or in places with spotty internet, this is helpful.
Enhanced Security and Privacy
Apple Mail runs on macOS, which is known for its robust security and privacy features. More control over your data can be achieved by importing your Google emails into Apple Mail. Users who want to manage their emails on their devices or who are worried about data privacy may find this to be very crucial.
Step 1: Export Your Gmail Data from Google Takeout
Before you can import your Gmail data into Apple Mail, you need to download your emails from Google Takeout. Follow these steps to export your Gmail data:
- Go to Google Takeout (https://takeout.google.com).
- By default, all Google services will be selected. Click on “Deselect all,” then scroll down and check the box next to Gmail.
- You’ll be given the option to choose the format of your email data. Google will typically export your emails in MBOX format. This is what you’ll need to import to Apple Mail.
- Click “Next step” and choose the delivery method. You can opt to receive a download link via email or have the data sent to your Google Drive, Dropbox, or other cloud services.
- Once the archive is created, download the MBOX file to your computer.
#2: Prepare Apple Mail
Apple Mail is capable of importing MBOX files, but it doesn’t offer a direct import tool for these files. However, you can easily add the MBOX file to your Apple Mail inbox by following these steps:
- Launch the Apple Mail on your Mac.
- In the Mail app, go to Mailbox in the menu bar and select New Mailbox.
- Choose where you want the new mailbox to be created (for example, under “On My Mac“).
- Give it a name (like “Imported Gmail”).
- Click OK.
#3: Import the MBOX File to Apple Mail
Once you’ve prepared your Apple Mail app, you can import the MBOX file into your new mailbox. Here’s how:
- In the Mail app, go to File > Import Mailboxes.
- In the import dialog, select Files in MBOX format and click Continue.
- Browse to the folder where you downloaded the MBOX file from Google Takeout and select it.
- After selecting the MBOX file, click Choose to begin the import process.
- Depending on the size of your MBOX file, the import process might take some time. Once it finishes, the emails should appear in the “Imported Gmail” mailbox in Apple Mail.
#4: Organize and Access Your Emails
After the MBOX file is successfully imported, you will see all of your Gmail emails in the Apple Mail app. From here, you can:
- Sort Emails: Organize your imported emails into different folders or mailboxes within Apple Mail.
- Set Up Mail Rules: If you want to further manage your emails, you can create custom rules to sort incoming messages.
- Sync with Your Apple Account: If you’re using iCloud or any other email service, you can now sync your newly imported emails across all your Apple devices.
Troubleshooting Tips
- Large MBOX Files: If the MBOX file is very large, Apple Mail may have trouble importing it. Try splitting the MBOX file into smaller parts using a third-party tool before importing.
- Missing Emails: If some emails are missing after importing, make sure the MBOX file you downloaded from Google Takeout was complete and didn’t get corrupted during the download.
- Backup: Always ensure you keep a backup of your Gmail emails before starting the import process. This will help avoid any data loss.
All users who wish to switch from Google Takeout to Thunderbird, Eudora, Entourage, or other MBOX-compatible apps will find this method to be quite convenient. Even so, you can convert MBOX file to a PST file and import it into Microsoft Outlook if you need to move Google Takeout to Outlook. Additionally, there exists a CubexSoft MBOX Converter that enables you to convert MBOX files to PST, PDF, EML, MSG, OLM, Thunderbird, Gmail, Office 365, and many others.
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Convert Google Takeout files to Outlook
Conclusion
We have covered the complete procedure in two sections here if you wish to import Google Takeout into Apple Mail. To save your Google Takeout emails in. mbox format, follow the steps above. You can then import them into Apple Mail with ease.
