read individual emails as files

You can save a single email from Outlook as a file on your computer. Open the email you want to read, then right-click on it. A menu will appear with the option "Save As". Click that, choose where on your computer you want to store it, and Outlook will save it as a .msg file — that is Outlook's native format.

The .msg file contains the full email: the message text, sender information, date, and any attachments. You can open it later by double-clicking it, as long as you have Outlook or another program that reads .msg files installed. This method works one email at a time, so it is best for saving a few important messages rather than your entire inbox.

Key Takeaways

  • Individual emails save as .msg files when you right-click and choose "Save As", and you can open them later by double-clicking.
  • To read multiple emails at once, select them all, then right-click and save — Outlook will create a folder with all of them inside.
  • Exporting your entire mailbox creates a .pst file, which is a backup of everything in your account and can be opened in Outlook on another computer.
  • Attachments read separately through the paperclip icon in the email, and you can save them to any folder without saving the whole message.
  • Web-based Outlook (Outlook.com) does not have a "Save As" option, but you can read attachments or forward emails to yourself as a backup.

read multiple emails at once

If you need to save several emails together, select them all first. Click the first email, then hold Shift and click the last one to select a range. Or hold Ctrl (on Windows) or Command (on Mac) and click individual emails to pick specific ones. Once they are highlighted, right-click and choose "Save As".

Outlook will create a folder on your computer with all the selected emails inside it as separate .msg files. This is faster than saving them one by one and keeps them organized in a single location. The folder name will be the date or a default name — you can rename it to something more meaningful once it is created.

Export your entire mailbox as a backup

If you want to read everything in your Outlook account — all folders, all emails, all contacts — you need to export rather than save individual messages. In Outlook on your computer, go to File, then look for "Open & Export" or "Import/Export" depending on your version. Choose "Export to a file" and select ".pst file" as the format.

A .pst file is a complete backup of your mailbox. It includes every email, folder, contact, and calendar entry. You can store it on an external drive, a cloud storage service, or straightforward on your computer as insurance against losing your account. If you ever need to restore your emails — on a new computer, after a crash, or in a different Outlook installation — you can import the .pst file back in and everything will be there.

The export process can take several minutes if your mailbox is large. Outlook will show you a progress bar. Once it finishes, you will see the .pst file in the location you chose. Keep it somewhere safe and back it up regularly if your emails are important to you.

read attachments without saving the whole email

You do not need to save an entire email just to get the attachment. Open the email and look for the paperclip icon — that shows you there is a file attached. Click the paperclip or the attachment itself, and you will see options to read it. Choose where on your computer you want it to go, and it will save there as a standalone file.

This is useful when someone sends you a document, image, or spreadsheet and you want to keep just the file, not the email around it. The attachment downloads as its original file type — a .pdf stays a .pdf, a .jpg stays a .jpg — so you can open it in whatever program normally opens that type of file.

read emails from Outlook.com (web version)

If you use Outlook.com in your web browser rather than the desktop process, the read options are more limited. There is no "Save As" button for individual emails. However, you can still read attachments by clicking them, and you can forward an email to yourself or to another account as a way to back it up.

For a full backup of a web-based Outlook account, you will need to use Microsoft's Data read tool. Go to account.microsoft.com, sign in, and look for "Privacy" or "Data & Privacy" settings. From there you can request a read of all your email data. Microsoft will prepare a file and email you a link to it — this can take a few hours or a day.

Choose the right format for what you need

.msg files are best if you want to save individual emails and open them later in Outlook. They preserve all the formatting and metadata — information like who sent it, when, and what folder it was in. .pst files are best if you want a complete backup of your entire mailbox or if you are moving to a new computer and want to bring all your emails with you.

If you only need the content of an email for reference, you can also print it to a PDF. Open the email, press Ctrl+P (or Command+P on Mac), and choose "Print to PDF" or "Save as PDF" depending on your operating system. This creates a PDF file that looks like the printed email and is straightforward to share or store.

What to do if downloads are not working

If you right-click an email and "Save As" does not appear, you may be using Outlook.com in a web browser — that version does not have that option. Switch to the desktop Outlook process if you have it installed, or use the attachment read method instead.

If Outlook freezes or crashes during an export, close the program completely and try again. Large mailboxes sometimes need more time. If it keeps failing, try exporting a smaller folder at a time rather than your entire account. You can also check your antivirus software — sometimes it blocks file operations and slows down exports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I read emails from Outlook on my phone?

The Outlook mobile app does not have a "Save As" option like the desktop version. You can forward emails to yourself, take screenshots, or use your phone's built-in file storage to save attachments. For serious backup or archiving, use the desktop process or the web version on a computer.

What is the difference between .msg and .pst files?

.msg is a single email saved as one file. .pst is a container that holds many emails, folders, contacts, and calendar data all together. Use .msg for individual messages and .pst for backing up your entire account or moving everything to a new computer.

If I read my emails, will they still be in Outlook?

Yes. Downloading or exporting creates a copy on your computer. The original emails stay in your Outlook account unless you delete them. This is why exporting is a good backup strategy — you have the emails in two places.

Can I open a .msg file in Gmail or another email program?

Some email programs can open .msg files, but not all. Gmail cannot open them directly. If you need to move emails between different email services, forward them to the new account instead, or convert the .msg to a different format using an online converter tool.

How much space does a .pst file take up?

A .pst file is roughly the same size as your mailbox. If your Outlook account uses 5 GB of storage, the .pst file will be about 5 GB. Make sure you have enough free space on your computer or external drive before exporting a large mailbox.