Want to backup Gmail emails to computer or desktop? If yes, then great! This blog will guide you on how to download emails from Gmail account step by step. Here we discuss three workable methods to save Gmail emails to hard drive. You can go with any method that fulfills your requirements.
Gmail is a well-known free email service offered by Google. It is used by billions of users to communicate with others. Many organizations use Gmail to do their daily tasks like sending or receiving emails, adding contacts, setting reminders in the calendar, creating tasks or events, etc. It offers great features to manage data and better security for its users.
However, there is always a risk of losing Gmail account email data due to many reasons such as account hacking, ransomware attacks, emails accidentally deleted, etc. Losing any information is a big loss, especially for any organization. To secure your emails, backup is the only solution that everyone must follow in their daily work or tasks.
Now the question that arises in the user’s mind is how to backup or download all Gmail emails to hard drive or computer.
Methods to Save Gmail Emails to Hard Drive or PC?
There are various methods to backup Gmail emails to computer. However, not all methods are workable for all users as some have technical knowledge and some do not. Here we explain three working methods to help you download emails from Gmail account to your PC. The methods include:
- Using Google Takeout
- Using MS Outlook
- Using Automated Email Backup Wizard
In the following section, you will get the steps of all three methods with screenshots for easy understanding.
Method 1: Backup Gmail Emails Using Google Takeout
Google Takeout is a free service provided by Google to export data from Google apps such as Gmail. The data is downloaded in a ZIP file that you can extract with any zip extractor. After that, all your emails will be saved in MBOX file format. Follow the below steps to achieve this:
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- First, go to https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout and sign in to your Gmail account which you want to create backup.
- In the Select Data to Include section, first deselect all and select Mail to download all Gmail emails.
- Then Choose file type, frequency & destination according to your needs.
- Under Destination, you can select “Send download link via email”. Or you can another option as per your needs.
- In Frequency, choose Export Once or Export every month for 1 year.
- Under File Type & Size, choose .zip as a file type and choose size according to your choice like 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, 10 GB, and 50 GB.
- After that click on the Create Export button and you will get a message “Google is creating a copy of files from Gmail”.
- Once a copy of your Gmail emails is created, you will receive a message in your Gmail ID. Open the message and click on Download your files.
- Afterward, download your emails to your computer.
- Then extract the zip file and get your emails in MBOX file format.
Method 2: Download Emails from Gmail Using Outlook
This method is also very helpful for you to backup Gmail emails to computer. This method is divided into two parts.
Step 1. Enable IMAP in your Gmail Account and Set App Password 
Step 2. Add Gmail Account to Outlook Application
- Click on the File menu, Info, and select Add Account.
- Now, enter your Gmail email id and click Connect.
- After configuring your Gmail account with Outlook, you can export your emails to the PST file on your PC.
- For this, click File, Open & Export then select Import/Export.
- Then select Export to a file and click the Next button.
- Choose Outlook Data file (.pst) and again click Next.
- Now, choose a folder from which you want to export emails.
- Afterward, choose a location to save the exported file and hit on the Finish button.
Done.
Method 3: Download All Gmail Emails Using the Automated Tool
Yota Gmail Backup Wizard is the best and quick solution to backup Gmail emails to computer or local drive. It helps you to save your Gmail emails along with all attachments. With this, you can export Gmail emails to several email and document formats.
The software provides you an option to download Gmail emails from all folders like inbox, sent items, draft, and others at the same time. It also shows you a quick preview of emails including all attached information before creating a backup. Users can also select a location where they want to save the downloaded emails on their PC.
The tool does not need the installation of any supportive program, you can download emails from Gmail account without Outlook, Thunderbird, etc. The best part of Gmail Backup Wizard is that it works with all versions of Windows such as 11, 10, and others.
To start with the process, first, download the software and install it on your system.
How to Backup Gmail Emails to Computer Instantly?
Steps to download all emails from Gmail account to hard drive are:
- Run Gmail Backup Wizard and go to the Open. Click Email Accounts and select the configured account or click on Add Account option.
- Now, enter your Gmail account email address and app password.
- After previewing emails, go to the Export option and select the desired saving format.
- Choose a destination to store downloaded emails and click on the Save button.
Finished.
Last Notes
Here you have learned the three ways to download emails from Gmail account. All methods are helpful to accomplish this task. However, if you want to backup Gmail emails to computer without limitations, with kept folder hierarchy, and without installing the Outlook application on the system, then you need to use Gmail Backup Wizard. With it, you can download all Gmail emails with attachments in just a few clicks.