MBOX to PDF and EML converter
Open the MBOX file from Google Takeout, Thunderbird or Apple Mail, search your messages, and export them as PDFs or individual email files. Nothing is uploaded.
How do you open and convert an MBOX file?
To open an MBOX file you need a tool that parses the mailbox and lists the messages inside it — Windows and macOS ship no built-in viewer, which is why a Google Takeout .mbox opens as an unreadable wall of text. StaysPrivate's MBOX to PDF converter reads the file in your browser, shows every message in a searchable list, and exports any of them as a PDF or as individual .eml files that import into Outlook, Thunderbird and Apple Mail. Mailboxes up to a few hundred megabytes are handled on-device; nothing is uploaded.
How to get your Gmail as an MBOX file from Google Takeout
- Go to takeout.google.com while signed into the account you want.
- Click Deselect all, then scroll down and tick only Mail.
- Optional but recommended: click All Mail data included and choose specific labels. Exporting only what you need keeps the archive to a manageable size.
- Click Next step, choose delivery by email link, and set the file type and size.
- Click Create export. Google emails you when it is ready — this can take hours or days for a large mailbox.
Your Takeout download is a .tgz, not an .mbox
This is where most people get stuck. Takeout gives you a compressed archive —
takeout-…-001.tgz (or .zip if you chose that). The mbox file is inside it:
Takeout/
Mail/
All mail Including Spam and Trash.mbox- Windows: .zip opens natively; for .tgz use 7-Zip and extract twice (once for .tgz, once for the .tar inside).
- Mac: double-click — Archive Utility handles both.
- Linux:
tar -xzf takeout-*.tgz
Drop the extracted .mbox file onto the tool above. Choosing .zip in Takeout saves you a step.
How large an MBOX can a browser handle?
Honestly: it depends on your device's memory, because the file is read on your machine rather than on a server. As a working guide, mailboxes up to a few hundred megabytes open comfortably on a typical laptop; multi-gigabyte archives may stall the tab. If yours is very large, go back to Takeout and export label by label rather than "All Mail" — smaller archives are easier to work with and faster to search. This is the honest trade-off of local processing: no upload limits, but your own hardware is the ceiling.
MBOX to PDF or MBOX to EML — which do you want?
| EML | ||
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Reading, archiving, sharing, legal records | Re-importing into a mail app |
| Opens in | Anything | Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail |
| Keeps it searchable in a mail client | No | Yes |
| Fixed layout for filing | Yes | No |
Rule of thumb: PDF if a person needs to read or file it, EML if a mail program needs to load it. Both options export as a ZIP when you select several messages.
Why not upload the mbox to an online converter?
Because an MBOX is not one email — it is your entire mail history in a single file. Uploading it hands over every message, contact and attachment at once. This tool reads it in your browser: load the page, disconnect from the network, and it still works. That property is the reason the tool exists.
Opening MBOX on Windows without special software
Windows has no built-in MBOX viewer, which is why searches for this end in download pages for paid utilities. The alternatives are: import into Thunderbird (free, but a full install and an import step), buy a dedicated Windows converter, or use a browser-based reader like this one. For reading and exporting a handful of messages, the browser route is the least friction and leaves nothing installed.
Frequently asked questions
What is an MBOX file?
MBOX is a single file containing an entire mailbox — every message stored one after another. Google Takeout gives you your Gmail as MBOX, and Thunderbird and Apple Mail use it too. Windows has no built-in way to open one, which is why it looks unreadable.
Is my whole mailbox uploaded?
No — and that matters more here than anywhere. MBOX files contain your entire email history. Everything is parsed inside your browser on your own device; nothing is sent to a server.
Can it handle a huge Takeout file?
The file is read in your browser, so very large mailboxes depend on your device’s memory. Files up to a few hundred megabytes are typically fine. If yours is many gigabytes, split it first or convert in chunks.
What do I get out?
A searchable list of every message, and you can export them as individual PDFs or as .eml files (which import into Outlook, Thunderbird and Apple Mail). Multiple exports download together as a ZIP.
Is there a limit?
Free exports up to 10 messages at a time; browsing and searching the whole mailbox is always free. Pro ($29 one-time) removes the export limit.
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