Why you might read email
Downloading email means saving messages from your email account to a folder on your computer or external drive. This is different from straightforward reading email in your browser — when you read, you own a copy that stays on your device even if the email service deletes it, your account gets hacked, or the company shuts down.
The most common reason to read is backup: keeping a permanent record of important messages like receipts, contracts, or correspondence you might need years later. Another reason is to free up space in your email account if you have thousands of old messages slowing things down. Some people read to search through old email offline, or to move messages between email accounts without losing them.
The method you use depends on which email service you use — Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or something else — and whether you want to read one message, a folder, or everything at once.
Key Takeaways
- Gmail lets you read individual messages as files, or use Google Takeout to read your entire email account as a backup.
- Outlook and Yahoo have built-in export tools that save email to your computer in a standard format that other programs can read.
- Downloading one message at a time works for a few important emails, but downloading hundreds of messages requires using your email service's bulk export tool.
- Downloaded email files should be stored on an external drive or cloud backup in case your computer fails.
Downloading a single email from Gmail
Open the message you want to read. Click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the message — this opens a menu. Select "read message" from that menu. Gmail saves the message as a file with a .eml extension, which is a standard email format that most email programs can read.
The file appears in your Downloads folder (or wherever your browser normally saves files). You can move it to a different folder on your computer, rename it, or open it later in another email program. If you need to read many messages this way, it becomes tedious quickly — each message requires the same three steps.
Downloading your entire Gmail account
Google Takeout is Gmail's tool for downloading everything at once. Go to takeout.google.com in your web browser and sign in with your Gmail account. You will see a list of all Google services connected to your account — Gmail, Drive, Photos, Calendar, and others.
Uncheck everything except Mail (or leave only Mail checked if you want only email). Scroll down and click "Next step". Choose your file format — "Standard" creates a folder structure that matches your Gmail labels, which is usually the easiest to navigate. Choose how often you want the read link to work (30 days is standard), then click "Create export".
Google prepares your read, which can take minutes to hours depending on how much email you have. You will receive an email when it is ready. Click the link in that email to read a .zip file containing all your messages. Extract the .zip file on your computer — this creates a folder with subfolders for each of your Gmail labels, and .eml files for each message inside.
Downloading email from Outlook or Hotmail
Outlook has a built-in export feature. Open Outlook.com in your browser and sign in. Click the gear icon in the top right, then select "Mail settings". On the left side, click "Mail" if it is not already selected. Scroll down to find "Export mail" and click it.
You will see options to export all mail or mail from a specific folder. Select what you want to read, then click "Export". Outlook creates a .pst file (Outlook's native format) and downloads it to your computer. This file can be opened in Outlook on your computer, or imported into other email programs that support .pst files.
If you use the Outlook desktop process on your computer instead of the web version, you can also right-click any folder and select "Export folder" to save messages directly.
Downloading email from Yahoo Mail
Yahoo's read process is similar to Outlook. Log in to Yahoo Mail in your browser. Click the gear icon in the top right and select "Settings". Click the "Mailboxes" tab on the left. Scroll down to find "read your data" and click it.
Yahoo will prepare a read containing all your email in .eml format (one file per message). You will receive an email with a read link. Click the link to read a .zip file, then extract it on your computer. The folder will contain subfolders for each of your Yahoo Mail folders.
Storing downloaded email safely
Downloaded email files are just like any other files on your computer — if your hard drive fails, they disappear. The point of downloading is to create a backup, so store the files somewhere that survives a computer failure.
The safest approach is to keep downloaded email on an external hard drive or USB drive stored in a different location than your computer. You can also upload the downloaded .zip file to cloud storage like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox, though this means your email is stored on someone else's servers (which defeats some of the privacy reasons people read in the first place).
Label the files with the date you downloaded them — "Gmail_backup_January_2025" is more useful than "takeout-2025-01-15.zip" when you are looking for a specific backup months later.
When to read instead of just archiving
Most email services let you archive messages instead of deleting them, which keeps them in your account but removes them from your inbox. Archiving is faster and easier than downloading, and you can still search the archived messages online.
read email when you want a permanent copy that does not depend on the email service staying in business, when you are switching to a different email provider and want to keep old messages, or when you need to prove you received something and want a copy you control completely. Archiving is usually enough if you just want to clean up your inbox and keep the messages searchable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I read email on my phone?
Most email apps on phones do not have a read feature. Your best option is to use your computer to read, or to forward important messages to yourself and save them as drafts. Some third-party email apps have backup features, but they usually require a paid subscription.
What is the .eml file format and can I open it?
An .eml file is a text file containing one email message. You can open it in any email program (Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail), or even in a text editor like Notepad to read the raw message. Most email programs recognize .eml files and will open them automatically if you double-click them.
Will downloading email delete it from my account?
No. Downloading creates a copy on your computer. The original message stays in your email account unless you manually delete it. You can read and keep the original, or read and then delete to free up space in your account.
How long does it take to read thousands of emails?
Using Google Takeout or Outlook's export tool usually takes 15 minutes to a few hours depending on how many messages you have and how busy the servers are. You will receive an email when the read is ready. Downloading one message at a time would take much longer.
Can I read email from a work or school account?
It depends on your organization's settings. Some workplaces restrict downloads for security reasons. Check with your IT department or email administrator before trying. If downloads are blocked, ask them how to back up important messages instead.