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4 Expert Ways to Completely Backup Apple Mail to External Hard Drive

  author
Published By Jamie Kaler 
Rollins Duke
Approved By Rollins Duke
Published On April 3rd, 2026
Reading Time 6 Min Read

There are multiple ways to completely backup Apple Mail to external Hard Drive (SSD, HDD, USB) in large quantities for better data security:

  • Method 1: Built-In export option
  • Method 2: Copy-paste file from Apple Mail profile folder
  • Method 3: Using Time Machine
  • Method 4: RecoveryTools Apple Mail Backup Tool
Table of Content Hide
  1. Why Backup
  2. Data Location
  3. Backup With Export Mailbox
  4. Using Copy Paste Method
  5. Via Time Machine
  6. Automated Apple Mail Tool
  7. Key Points
  8. FAQ

Why Backup Apple Mail to External Hard Drive? Key Advantages

Here are the important reasons why all professional and home users must move Mac Mail to an external drive:

  • Avoid data loss against accidental deletion or ransomware attacks.
  • Free up Mac storage by moving large mailboxes to USB storage.
  • For migrating Apple Mail data to another device (Windows) or another email client.
  • Businesses archive Apple Mail data for legal and company policies.
  • Avoid relying solely on online server storage like iCloud.
  • Users can back up Apple Mail to PDF, DOC, and other standard formats for portable offline viewing.

Where Does Apple Mail Store Data on Your Mac Device?

The Apple Mail Library folder stores all email data in EMLX format with:

  • Attachments
  • Folder & Subfolder hierarchy
  • Mail rules and preferences

General Storage Location: ~/Library/Mail/
Local folders (On My Mac): ~/Library/Mail/V*/Mailboxes/
Configured IMAP accounts: ~/Library/Mail/V*/IMAP-/

Apple Mail only stores emails; the backup to the hard drive will not include contacts or calendars.

Method 1: “Export Mailbox” to Save Mac Mail to External Hard Drive

This method helps you selectively export Mac Mail messages in MBOX format. It is only suitable for small batches.

  1. Connect the external hard drive to your Mac device.
  2. Open Mac Mail application on your desktop.
  3. Select the mailbox (folder).
  4. Go to the Mailbox menu >> Export Mailbox.
  5. Select the external hard drive when browsing the saving location.
  6. Name the folder and press Save to back up Apple Mail to an external Hard Drive.

This method is not a complete backup; you will miss out on important Apple Mail data like Account Settings, Rules & Filters, Signatures, and metadata, and it can be time-consuming.

Note: MBOX files cannot be directly viewed on your PC. Use the RecoveryTools MBOX Viewer Tool to view backed-up data.

Method 2: Copy-Paste to Get Backup Mac Mail to External Hard Drive

It is the easiest way to move Apple Mail to an external hard drive while keeping all the data intact.

  1. Connect the external Hard Drive to your Mac device.
  2. Go to Finder and navigate to the external Hard Drive storage.
  3. Create a new folder and name it Apple Mail Backup.
  4. Now navigate to the Apple Mail storage directory on your Finder (~/Library/Mail/).
  5. Copy the Folder using Cmd+C.
  6. Paste it to the Apple Mail Backup Folder on the external drive.

When you transfer offline Apple Mail to an external hard drive, although the data remains completely intact, it is a very hard process to restore. Any accidental deletion will lead to complete data loss.

Method 3: Time Machine to Backup Apple Mail to External Hard Drive

Time Machine is a separate pre-installed application on your Mac device. It can back up all files on macOS, including Mac Mail emails.

Important: This method does not let you selectively move Mac Mail to the external drive, but moves the entire data to the hard drive.

  1. Connect external hard drive.
  2. Go to System Settings.
  3. Move to the General tab >> Time Machine.
  4. Select your external drive.
  5. Turn ON Time Machine.
  6. Hit the Back Up Now button.

It becomes extremely complicated to restore data, as you will have to filter out Mac Mail data later on.

Automated Apple Mail to Move Mac Mail to External Drive

RecoveryTools Apple Mail Converter is the specialized software for Mac & Windows to backup unlimited Apple Mail data to external hard drives with a USB synchronization feature in desired formats like PST, EML, TXT, DOC, PDF, and many more.

Free Trial of the tool is also available to store up to 25 Apple Mail emails on external hard drives selectively and while preserving attachments, folder hierarchy, and other attributes.

How to Backup Mac Emails to External Hard Drive? – Complete Steps

Note: Ensure you have already connected the external hard drive and created an Apple Mail Backup folder.

  1. Download and install the tool on your Mac OS device.
  2. Select the Add Folder(s) button.
    run apple mail backup tool
  3. Select the ~/Library/Mail/ folder.
  4. Preview & choose the desired Mac Mail mailboxes to archive.
    select apple mail data
  5. Choose the desired saving option.
    choose file format to backup mac mail into hard drive
  6. Select the external hard drive as the saving destination.
  7. Press Next to back up Apple Mail to the external Hard Drive.

Features of Apple Mail Backup Tool

RecoveryTools Mac Mail Backup Tool is the best way to archive all Apple Mail data to a USB due to its advanced features, such as:

  • Preview Mac Mail folders before conversion.
  • Conversion support in case Apple Mail crashes.
  • Advanced algorithms for fast, large-scale backup needs.
  • Preserves all emails, attachments, headers & complete metadata.
  • Filter options such as To/From, Date Range, Subject, etc.
  • Backup Apple Mail in 15+ formats with cloud archival options.
  • It has an easy-to-use GUI for non-technical users.
  • Works on all Mac & Windows machines.
  • Auto-generates error & detailed log report.

Key Points to Remember When Backing up Mac Mail

  • Close the Apple Mail or Mac Mail application when backing up data.
  • Verify backup files before taking further steps.
  • Relying only on iCloud sync for backup is not suggested.

FAQ: Backup Apple Mail to External Hard Drive

Q1: How many Apple Mail accounts can I back up using the tool?

There is no limitation on the number of email accounts or mailbox size when archiving Apple Mail emails.

Q2: Will the tool back up “On  My Mac” Apple Mail data?

Yes, the tool lets you save entire Apple Mail data in any format to an external hard drive.

Q3: Do I need the internet to back up Apple Mail to an external hard drive?

No, all the free manual & automated solutions are fully offline and secure.

Need Help Backing Up Your Apple Mail Emails?

Get in touch with RecoveryTools Apple Mail experts available 24*7 via the Live Chat option to protect your data.

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