FIELD GUIDE / MBOX ARCHIVES
How to open and browse an MBOX file on Mac
Open an MBOX mail archive on Mac, browse its messages, search correspondence, and create a local PDF without uploading the archive.
Open the MBOX file in MailFolio, select messages from the archive list, and read or export them entirely on your Mac.
TESTED 3 AUGUST 2026 · MAILFOLIO 1.0
THE LOCAL ROUTE
Four steps. No upload.
- 01
Locate the archive
Find the .mbox file exported by your mail service or another application. If you have a folder ending in .mbox, choose the actual mailbox data file inside it.
- 02
Open it in MailFolio
Control-click the file in Finder, choose Open With → MailFolio, or use Open inside MailFolio and select the archive.
- 03
Browse the messages
Use the archive list to move between messages. Inspect recipients, dates, bodies, headers and attachments without importing the archive into a mail account.
- 04
Export a durable copy
With Pro, export a selected message or create a searchable PDF of the entire archive, then choose where to save it.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Useful MBOX workflows
- Review an old mailbox without configuring an email account
- Search an exported correspondence archive
- Extract individual attachments
- Create a readable PDF copy of multiple messages
TRY YOUR OWN FILE
Three successful imports are free.
No account and no subscription. Pro is a $9.99 one-time purchase shared across iPhone, iPad and Mac.