FIELD GUIDE / WINMAIL.DAT

How to open Winmail.dat on iPhone or iPad

Open a Winmail.dat attachment on iPhone or iPad and extract its email content and files locally without an online TNEF converter.

Short answer

Save the Winmail.dat attachment to Files, open it with MailFolio, then read the decoded message and save any attachments you need.

FILE FORMAT GUIDE · MAILFOLIO

THE LOCAL ROUTE

Four steps. No upload.

  1. 01

    Save the attachment

    In Mail or your messaging app, touch and hold Winmail.dat, choose Share, then Save to Files.

  2. 02

    Open MailFolio

    Tap Open in MailFolio and select the saved Winmail.dat file. You can also share the file directly to MailFolio when that option is available.

  3. 03

    Inspect the decoded content

    MailFolio decodes classic and MAPI-packed TNEF locally, showing the available subject, message body, recipient details and attachments.

  4. 04

    Save the real files

    With Pro, open an attachment to preview it or use its action menu to save it back to Files. Sharing and professional exports also require Pro.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Why you received Winmail.dat

  • It is a Microsoft TNEF container, not the intended document itself.
  • Outlook can package formatting and attachments inside it.
  • The sender usually does not need to resend the email if the container decodes correctly.
  • MailFolio performs the extraction on your Apple device.

TRY YOUR OWN FILE

Three successful imports are free.

No account and no subscription. Pro is one purchase shared across iPhone, iPad and Mac. Check your local App Store for the current price.

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