How to Export Gmail with Google Takeout (and Open the MBOX File)

Google Takeout is Google's free tool for downloading a copy of your data. For Gmail, it gives you your email as MBOX files inside a ZIP. People use it to back up a mailbox, keep a copy before closing an account, hand email to a lawyer, or answer a records request.

This guide walks through each Takeout screen, explains what is inside the download, and shows how to open and search the MBOX file once you have it.

Before You Start

• Use the right account. Takeout exports the Google account you are signed in to. If you use several Gmail or Google Workspace accounts, check the account picture in the top right corner first.
• Work accounts may be blocked. Google Workspace admins can turn Takeout off for their users. If the Mail option is missing or the export fails, ask your admin. Admins who need to export someone else's email for a legal matter usually use Google Vault instead (see our Google eDiscovery guide).
• Expect a wait. A small mailbox can be ready in minutes. A mailbox with years of attachments can take hours or longer.

How to Export Gmail with Google Takeout

Step 1: Open Google Takeout

Go to takeout.google.com and sign in. You will see a long list of Google products, most of them checked.

Step 2: Select only Mail

Click Deselect all at the top of the list, then scroll down and check Mail. Exporting only Mail keeps the download smaller and faster.

Step 3: Choose all mail or certain labels

Under Mail, click All Mail data included. You have two choices:

• Keep "Include all messages in Mail" checked to export the whole mailbox. You get one large MBOX file with every email, including Spam and Trash.
• Uncheck it and pick labels to export only part of the mailbox, such as Inbox, Sent, or a project label. You get one MBOX file for each label you pick.

Picking labels is the best way to keep the export small. It also helps if the tool you plan to use has a file size limit.

Step 4: Choose how to receive the export

Click Next step. Choose a delivery method. "Send download link via email" is the simplest. You can also send the export to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Box.

Choose Export once unless you want Takeout to repeat the export on a schedule.

Step 5: Choose the file type and size

Choose .zip as the file type. It opens on Windows and Mac without extra software, and most tools that read Takeout exports expect it.

The file size setting controls when Takeout splits the export into several ZIP files. If your mailbox is larger than the size you pick, you get several parts with names ending in -001, -002, and so on. Pick a larger size to get fewer parts.

Step 6: Create the export and download it

Click Create export. Google emails you when it is ready. Download every part from the link in that email. The link expires after about a week, so download soon.

What Is Inside the Takeout Download

When you unzip the download, the email is in a folder called Takeout/Mail. What you find there depends on the choice you made in Step 3.

You exported	What you get
All mail	One file named All mail Including Spam and Trash.mbox, plus a User Settings folder with your filters, forwarding addresses, and vacation responder
Certain labels	One .mbox file per label, such as Inbox.mbox and Sent.mbox

A few details are worth knowing before you open the files:

• Labels are kept inside each email. Gmail writes each email's labels into a hidden header called X-Gmail-Labels. A good MBOX viewer reads that header and rebuilds your folders.
• The same email can appear in several files. If you exported by label, an email with three labels is copied into three .mbox files.
• File names can change. Takeout replaces some characters in label names, so a nested label like Clients/Acme becomes a file called Clients_Acme.mbox. The label inside each email keeps its real name.
• "Archived" and "Opened" are not folders. Takeout adds them to describe an email's status. "Archived" means the email was not in your Inbox.

For more on how MBOX compares to PST, EML, and MSG, read our guide to email file formats.

How to Open and Search the MBOX File

Search it in ViewExport

ViewExport's MBOX viewer opens Takeout exports without any unzipping. Upload the Takeout ZIP as Google gives it to you, or upload a single .mbox file. ViewExport turns each Gmail label into a folder, merges duplicate copies, and lets you search every email by keyword, sender, recipient, and date. You can export the results to CSV, JSON, or PDF.

This is the best fit when you need to review the email rather than just read it, for example for a lawsuit, an HR investigation, or a data subject access request. ViewExport also handles Slack exports and PST files, so you can search a person's email and chat history in one place.

Open it in Thunderbird

Thunderbird is a free email app for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Install the ImportExportTools NG add-on, then use it to import the .mbox file into a local folder. Thunderbird does not read Gmail labels, so the whole file appears as one folder.

Open it in Apple Mail

In Apple Mail on a Mac, choose File > Import Mailboxes, pick "Files in mbox format", and select the folder that holds your .mbox file. The email appears under "On My Mac". Apple Mail also ignores Gmail labels.

Common Questions

How long does a Gmail Takeout export take?

It depends on the size of the mailbox. Small exports are often ready within an hour. Large mailboxes with many attachments can take a day or more. Google emails you when the export is ready.

Can I import the MBOX back into Gmail?

Gmail has no direct MBOX import. You can import the file into Thunderbird or Apple Mail with a Gmail account connected, then drag the email into Gmail folders, but this is slow for large mailboxes.

Why is my export so large?

Attachments make up most of the size of a typical mailbox. Spam and Trash are also included when you export all mail. To get a smaller file, export only the labels you need.

What is the difference between Takeout and Google Vault?

Takeout is for people exporting their own account. Google Vault is an admin tool in some Google Workspace plans that lets a company search and export many users' email for legal holds and investigations. Both produce MBOX files. Our Google eDiscovery guide covers Vault in more detail.