Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Home » File Management Tips » How to Export Gmail Emails to PST Format? Manual Methods
File Management Tips ~ 5 Minutes Reading

How to Export Gmail Emails to PST Format? Manual Methods

  author
Written By Kristian Wilson
Marco Devin
Approved By Marco Devin  
Calendar
Published On March 21st, 2023

If you are also one of those, who are looking for manual methods to export Gmail emails to PST files, then you are on the right page.

This write-up is going to explain the methods to download Gmail emails to PST format using the manual methods for free with complete information.

Most users are using the Gmail email service to send and receive emails and manage their personal and business data. But we all know that Gmail is a web-based email service and nothing is safe in this age of the internet.

Hackers usually attack Gmail by sending a Google doc that invites you and when you click on that link, the hackers get full access to your Google account. Even Google warns its users to beware of Google Doc phishing attacks.

To avoid such situations, we should try to use a desktop-based email client and when we talk about a desktop-based client, the name Outlook comes first in our mind. Because we all know that it provides advanced features and filters which strike the most users.

Because of that, users are constantly looking for ways to export Gmail emails to PST format. And we have the best and most free ways to accomplish the task. But before coming to the steps, let us know in which situation these methods will work.

Reasons to Export Gmail Emails to PST Format

There are multiple reasons to export Gmail emails to PST format. Some of the possible reasons are mentioned below:

  • Backup Purpose: Backing up Gmail email is an important step in order to protect your email in the event of accidental deletion or system failure. Save your emails in PST format for the future making emails safe and accessible in your Outlook account.
  • Switch from Gmail: Users might want to switch from Gmail to Outlook application, to accomplish this task, we need to export Gmail emails to PST files. Because Outlook only supports PST files.
  • Storage Space: If your Gmail account’s storage is full, you can export your archive and emails you no longer need in PST format to organize your Gmail inbox. Due to this, you will get more storage space in your Google account.
  • Offline Access: If you need to access your emails offline, exporting them to a PST file can be helpful. You can open and read your emails even if you don’t have an internet connection.

How to Download Gmail Emails to PST Format?

There are two manual methods available to export Gmail emails to PST format with or without Outlook email clients. Both methods are mentioned below in detail to clean your Gmail inbox:

Method 1: Export Gmail Emails to PST using Outlook

Important Note: To add a Gmail account, IMAP access must be enabled and an app password must be used instead of the normal password to avoid errors during configuration.

app password

Here we will first connect both accounts Gmail and Outlook, and then we will export the PST file. follow all the mentioned steps:

  1. Open Outlook account
  2. And click on the File >> Add Account options.
  3. Put the login details of your Gmail account.

    login details of your Gmail

  4. And enter the server details and click on the Continue button.
  5. And after all the settings, click on the Finish button.

Now your both accounts are connected successfully. Follow the other steps to export Gmail emails to PST.

  1. Restart the Outlook email client.
  2. Click on the File >> Import/Export >> Open & Export option from the list.

    Import/Export

  3. Choose Export to a File >> Next button to continue.

    Export to a File

  4. Select the Outlook Data File (.pst) option and hit the Next button.

    Outlook Data File

  5. select the folders from the connected Gmail account.

    select the folders

  6. Lastly, select the location where you want to save the PST file and hit the Finish button.

    select the location

You will get the PST file at the selected location.

Method 2: Export Emails from Gmail to PST with Google Takeout

  1. Open a Gmail account.
  2. And click on the Download Your Data option from the Data & Privacy button.

    Download Your Data

  3. Hit the Deselect All button and choose the Mail option from the list.

    Deselect All

  4. And apply the filter from the All Mail Data Included option to check or uncheck the required folders, and click on the Next Step.
  5. Apply the File type & size option as per your choice.

    File type & size

  6. Choose the delivery method according to your (We prefer to choose to Send Download link via Email) option.

    delivery method

  7. Lastly, click on the Create Export button to start the process.

    Create Export

When your emails will be ready to download, you will get a link on your Gmail account to save Gmail emails to flash drive in MBOX format.

Now we will convert MBOX to PST format by following the mentioned blog. Here you will get the complete and step-by-step guide to export Gmail emails to PST by converting the file.

Limitations of Manual Methods

  • Outlook must be installed on your system.
  • If you get Outlook Error 0X800CCC0E during IMAP Configuration, then repeat the process again.
  • Possibilities of data loss and losing or damaging email attachments.
  • Time taking and lengthy process.
  • No advanced filter is available to export specific Gmail emails to PST.

Time to Say Goodbye

Here we enlisted the best and free manual methods to export Gmail emails to PST format with or without Outlook. We have explained 2 methods, the first is to use Outlook and the second is to use Google Takeout service. Both methods are best if you have limited emails to export. But if you have a large amount of data, you should use an expert solution. Also, there are some limitations of manual methods which are mentioned above.