How to Import Mbox to Outlook & Transfer Your Emails

Mbox is a popular format, but it’s not natively supported by Outlook

2 min. read

Published on July 3, 2024

published on July 3, 2024

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If you’re switching from one email client to another, you might experience some compatibility issues. This is exactly what happened to users who tried to import mbox file to Outlook, and in today’s guide, we’ll show you how to fix that.

Can Outlook import MBOX format?

No, Outlook doesn’t have native mbox support and to import it you need to convert it into a PST file or convert each email into an EML file and then import it.

How can I import mbox to Outlook?

1. Use an online converter

Visit the Aspose page.
Drag and drop your mbox file.
Wait for it to convert and download it.
Drag and drop the downloaded file to Outlook to import it.

Do keep in mind that some of these services might not be 100% safe, so do the necessary research before using them.

2. Use Thunderbird

Visit the Thunderbird download page and install it.
Open Thunderbird, go to Tools and choose Add-ons and Themes.
In the search bar type import and press Enter.
A new tab will appear. Start typing import and choose ImportExportTools NG from the list.
Click on Add to Thunderbird.
After the extension is added, go to Tools. Choose ImportExportTools NG and then Import mbox file.
Next, choose Import One or More MBOX Files and select your mbox file.
After that, mbox file will be added as a separate folder.
Restart Thunderbird, choose Tools and then ImportExportTools NG. Select Export all messages in the folder and choose EML format.
Lastly, select all messages from the destination directory and drag and drop them to Outlook.

This is a more complex solution, but it works, and it doesn’t require you to rely on third-party services. In case the problem is still there, you can consider using a third-party mbox to PST file converter.

Which email client opens MBOX files?

Mbox format is used by Thunderbird, Apple Mail, IncrediMail, SeaMonkey, Sylpheed, and several other email clients.

To learn more, we have a great guide on the most common email file formats. Since PST is being used by Outlook, you might be interested more in finding the location of Outlook PST file in Windows 11.

Before you go, don’t miss our guide on how to convert PST to OST file for more useful information.