There are plenty of reasons to download emails from Gmail. You might want a copy of an important email on your computer, a backup in case you ever lose access to your account, or a safe copy of everything before you clear out your inbox.
In this guide I’ll show you how to save a single email (as a PDF or an email file), and how to download every email you’ve got in one go with Google’s free Takeout tool. Plus how to open the files once you’ve got them.
The Short Version
- One email as a PDF: open it, click the Print icon, change the destination to Save as PDF and click Save.
- One email as an email file: open it, click the three dots next to Reply, then Download message.
- All your emails: go to takeout.google.com, click Deselect all, tick Mail, then Next step and Create export.
Table of contents
How to Download a Single Email From Gmail
This saves one email, or a whole conversation, to your computer as an email file.
- Sign in to Gmail and open the email you want to download.
- Click the More icon (three dots) on the right, next to the Reply arrow.
- Click Download message.
The email goes to your Downloads folder like any other download.
What Is the .eml File?
Gmail saves the email as a .eml file, which is a standard email file. It keeps everything, including the sender, the date and any attachments, but it isn’t as easy to open as a document. Double-clicking it usually opens it in Outlook or the Mail app, if you have one.
If it won’t open, or you’d rather have a PDF, How to Convert an EML File to PDF shows you what to do. Or save it as a PDF in the first place, as shown next.
How to Save a Gmail Email as a PDF
For most people a PDF is the better choice. It opens on any computer or phone, looks exactly like the email, and is easy to print or attach to another email later.
- Open the email in Gmail.
- Click the Print all icon (a printer) at the top right, above the email.
- In the print window, click the Destination drop-down box and choose Save as PDF.
- Click Save, choose where to put it and click Save again.
Whole Conversations
If the email is part of a back-and-forth conversation, the Print all icon puts every message in the conversation into one PDF. Handy for keeping a full record of a complaint, a booking or a sale.
Save a Gmail as a PDF on Your Phone
On an Android phone, open the email, tap the More icon (three dots) at the top right, then Print. At the top, change the printer to Save as PDF and tap the PDF button.
On an iPhone, open the email, tap More, then Print. In the print options, tap the Share icon and choose Save to Files.
How to Download All Emails From Gmail
You can’t download all your emails from inside Gmail itself. Instead, Google has a free tool called Google Takeout that packs up a copy of everything and lets you download it.
- Go to takeout.google.com and sign in with your Gmail address and password, if asked.
- Every Google service is ticked to start with. Click Deselect all at the top of the list.
- Scroll about halfway down and tick Mail.
- Scroll to the bottom and click Next step.
Only Want Some of Your Emails?
Under Mail there’s a button saying All Mail data included. Click it, untick Include all messages in Mail, and tick just the folders (labels) you want. Useful if you only need, say, your Bank or House emails.
Google Takeout Options
The next screen asks how you’d like your download. The defaults are fine for most people:
- Delivery method: Send download link via email. Google emails you when it’s ready.
- Frequency: Export once.
- File type and size: .zip and 2GB. If you’ve got a lot of email, choosing a bigger size (up to 50GB) means fewer files to download.
Click Create export.
How Long Does Google Takeout Take?
Anything from a few minutes to a few days, depending on how much email you’ve got. Google says most people get their download link the same day. You don’t need to keep the page open. Just wait for the email.
When Emails Are Ready for Download
Look for an email from Google Takeout saying your export is ready. Open it and click Download your files.
If your export is big, it’ll be split into several files. Click Download next to each one. You may have to enter your Gmail password again first.
Don’t Leave It Too Long
The download links only last about 7 days, and you can download each file 5 times. After that you’ll need to create a new export.
Opening Your Downloaded Emails (the MBOX File)
Your emails arrive inside zip files. Right-click each one and choose Extract All to unzip it. How To Zip And Unzip Files On A Windows PC shows you how if you’ve not done it before.
Open the unzipped Takeout folder, then the Mail folder inside it. All your emails are in one big file ending in .mbox, usually called something like All mail Including Spam and Trash.mbox.
Windows can’t open an MBOX file on its own, but the free Thunderbird email program can. How to Open an MBOX File takes you through it step by step, including how to save any of the emails as PDFs.
Back Up Your Gmail Automatically (for Free)
Google Takeout can repeat the download for you. On the options screen, change Frequency to Export every 2 months for 1 year. You’ll get six backups over the year without having to remember.
For a proper backup, keep the files somewhere other than your Google account. Leave the delivery method on the email link and save the files to an external drive, or choose Add to Microsoft OneDrive if you use it. Choosing Add to Drive puts the backup in the same Google account, and it counts towards your 15GB of storage.
How to Download Attachments From Gmail
- One attachment: point at it at the bottom of the email and click the Download arrow.
- All the attachments in one email: click Download all, next to the attachments. They come as a single zip file.
- Attachments from lots of emails: Gmail can’t do this in one go. Google Takeout includes every attachment inside the MBOX file, and Thunderbird can save them out.
For opening, printing and saving attachments, see How to Add, Open, Print and Save Email Attachments.
Troubleshooting
The Takeout Email Never Arrived
Big exports can take a few days. Check your spam folder, and go back to takeout.google.com and click Manage exports to see whether it’s still in progress.
The Download Link Has Expired
Links only last about 7 days, and each file can be downloaded 5 times. Create a new export and download the files as soon as the email arrives.
I Can’t Open the Downloaded File
A .zip file needs unzipping first. A .tgz file needs a program such as 7-Zip, so choose .zip next time. A .mbox file needs Thunderbird, and a .eml file opens in Outlook or the Mail app. Or see How to Convert an EML File to PDF.
Downloading Didn’t Free Up Any Space
Downloading makes a copy. Your emails are still in Gmail until you delete them. Gmail Storage Full? Here’s Why (and How to Fix it) explains how to get your space back.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I download all my emails from Gmail?
A: Use Google Takeout at takeout.google.com. Click Deselect all, tick Mail, click Next step, then Create export. Google emails you a link when your download is ready.
Q: How do I save a Gmail email as a PDF?
A: Open the email, click the Print all icon, change the Destination to Save as PDF and click Save.
Q: How do I download a single email from Gmail?
A: Open the email, click the three dots next to Reply and choose Download message. It saves as a .eml file.
Q: How long does Google Takeout take?
A: Anything from a few minutes to a few days, depending on how much email you have. Most people get their download link the same day.
Q: What format does Gmail download emails in?
A: A single email downloads as a .eml file. All your emails from Google Takeout come as one .mbox file inside a zip file.
Q: Does downloading my emails delete them from Gmail?
A: No. Downloading makes a copy. Your emails stay in Gmail until you delete them.
Q: Can I back up Gmail automatically?
A: Yes. In Google Takeout, set the frequency to export every 2 months for a year. You get six backups without having to remember.
Q: How do I open the files I downloaded with Google Takeout?
A: Unzip the download, open the Takeout and Mail folders, and open the .mbox file with the free Thunderbird email program.
Q: Can I download all attachments from Gmail at once?
A: Only from one email at a time, using Download all. To get attachments from every email, use Google Takeout, which includes them in the MBOX file.
Summary
Saving a single email is quick: a PDF is the easiest to open later, or Download message keeps it as an email file. For everything at once, Google Takeout packs up all your emails for free, and it can make a fresh backup every couple of months.
Remember that downloading only makes a copy. Your emails stay in Gmail until you delete them, so if you’re freeing up space, How to Delete All Emails in Gmail at Once is the next step.
Related Posts
How to Delete All Emails in Gmail at Once
How to Print an Email in Gmail
Gmail Storage Full? Here’s Why (and How to Fix it)
Gmail says it’s full even when you’ve deleted all your emails. Unfortunately your Gmail storage space isn’t only used for emails. So lets look at why your Gmail may be reporting as being full.
You can find this and other related step by step guides in – At Home Computer Gmail Guides
Written by Jeff Porter. I’ve been fixing Windows PCs since 2010 and I’m CompTIA Network+ certified. More about me