What "downloading an email" means and why you'd do it

Downloading an email means saving a copy of it from your email account to a folder on your computer. The email stays in your inbox online, but you now also have it stored locally — which means you can read it without internet, keep it even if your email account closes, or back it up to an external drive.

People download emails for different reasons. You might want to keep a permanent record of an important message, save attachments without losing them to a cluttered downloads folder, or archive old emails to free up space in your email account. The steps change depending on which email service you use — Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or your work email — and which program you're saving to.

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail and Outlook let you download individual emails as .eml or .msg files by right-clicking and selecting download or export options.
  • To save an email with all its attachments intact, download it as a file rather than printing it to PDF.
  • If you want to download many emails at once, export your entire mailbox through your email provider's settings or use a backup tool.
  • Downloaded emails open in your email program or a text editor, and the file stays on your computer even after you delete it from your account online.

Downloading a single email from Gmail

Open the email you want to download. Click the three vertical dots (the menu button) in the top right corner of the email. A dropdown menu appears — look for an option that says "Download message" or "Download" and click it.

Gmail saves the email as a .eml file to your Downloads folder. The file name will be something like "Subject line - sender@email.com.eml". You can move this file anywhere on your computer — your Desktop, Documents folder, or an external drive. To open it later, double-click the file and it will open in your default email program or a text editor.

Downloading a single email from Outlook (web version)

Open the email you want to save. Click the three dots menu at the top right of the email. Select "Download" from the menu that appears. Outlook saves it as a .msg file to your Downloads folder.

If you use Outlook on your computer (the desktop app) instead of the web version, the process is different: right-click the email in your inbox, select "Save As", choose where you want to save it, and click Save. The file will be a .msg file that you can open by double-clicking it.

Downloading emails from Yahoo Mail

Yahoo Mail does not have a built-in download button like Gmail and Outlook do. Instead, you can forward the email to yourself and save it, or you can export your entire mailbox. To export, go to your Yahoo Mail settings (click the gear icon), select "Download your data", and follow Yahoo's instructions to download all your emails as a .zip file.

If you only need one or two emails, the simpler route is to forward them to an email address you control, then download them from there using Gmail or Outlook's download feature. This is not the fastest method, but it works when you do not have other options.

Downloading emails from work or school accounts

Work and school email accounts often run on Microsoft Exchange or Google Workspace, which means they work like Outlook or Gmail. Check with your IT department or help desk first — some organizations restrict what you can download or require you to use specific backup tools.

If your organization allows it, follow the Gmail or Outlook steps above depending on which system your account uses. If you are unsure which one, look at the web address when you log in: Gmail accounts show "mail.google.com" and Outlook accounts show "outlook.office.com" or "outlook.live.com".

Downloading multiple emails at once

If you need to download dozens or hundreds of emails, downloading them one at a time is not practical. Instead, export your entire mailbox. In Gmail, go to Google Takeout (takeout.google.com), select Mail, and follow the steps to download all your emails as a .zip file. In Outlook, go to Settings, select "Mail", find "Download your mailbox", and choose the folders you want to export.

The .zip file you receive contains all your emails organized by folder. You can extract it on your computer and browse through the emails, or import the whole thing into another email program if you are switching services. This process can take several hours if you have years of emails, so start it when you do not need your computer for other tasks.

What to do with downloaded emails

A downloaded email file sits on your computer like any other file — you can move it, copy it, or delete it. If you want to read it, double-click it and it opens in your email program or a text editor. If you want to back it up, drag it to an external hard drive or cloud storage like OneDrive or Google Drive.

Downloaded emails do not sync with your online account. If you delete the file on your computer, it stays deleted — it does not come back from your email account. If you delete the email from your online account, the downloaded file stays on your computer. This separation is actually useful: you can delete old emails from your account to save space, but keep the important ones as downloaded files as a permanent record.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I download an email with all its attachments?

Yes. When you download the email as a .eml or .msg file, all attachments come with it. If you print the email to PDF instead, attachments do not always transfer. Downloading as a file is the right method when you need everything.

What is the difference between .eml and .msg files?

.eml is the standard format that most email programs recognize. .msg is Microsoft's format and works best in Outlook. Both can be opened in most email programs, but .eml is more portable if you plan to use the file on different computers or with different email services.

Will downloading an email delete it from my account?

No. Downloading creates a copy on your computer. The original stays in your inbox online until you manually delete it. You can download an email and leave it in your account, or delete it from your account after downloading — the choice is yours.

What if I cannot find the download option in my email?

Some email services hide the download option in a menu. Look for three dots, a gear icon, or a "More" button. If your email is through work or school, your organization may have disabled downloads for security reasons — contact your IT department to ask if it is allowed.

Can I download emails on my phone?

Most email apps on phones do not have a download feature. Your best option is to use the web version of your email on your phone's browser, or download emails on a computer and then transfer the files to your phone using cloud storage or a USB cable.