Home » Blog » How To » How to Backup Emails from StartMail to Local Computer Format ?

How to Backup Emails from StartMail to Local Computer Format ?

  author
Published By Jamie Kaler 
Rollins Duke
Approved By Rollins Duke
Published On December 10th, 2025
Reading Time 7 Min Read

Many StartMail users struggle with the lack of a built-in option to back up or download their StartMail emails, which puts important messages and attachments at risk of accidental deletion, account issues, or migration problems. This article solves that problem by explaining how to perform a secure StartMail email backup, covering why backup is necessary, the available manual and professional methods, the limitations of manual approaches, and the most reliable way to safely backup StartMail emails without data loss.

What is StartMail?

StartMail is a secure email service and its main focus is privacy. It also helps users keep their StartMail emails protected from tracking, spam, and unwanted access by using strong encryption and strict privacy policies.

This service supports standard email protocols and offers useful features like alternate email addresses and strong spam control. However, StartMail does not offer a built-in tool to download or back up emails, which leads many users to search for a secure StartMail email backup solution.

Why Do You Need to Backup StartMail Email?

  • Important StartMail emails can be lost due to accidental deletion or account access issues.
  • Relying only on an online mailbox puts messages and attachments at risk.
  • Old emails can be lost over time when messages are deleted or cleared.
  • It gives you offline access to important StartMail emails anytime.
  • It helps to save your StartMail emails for future use.
  • Backing up StartMail emails also prepares you for future email migration or account changes.

Methods to Backup StartMail Email

Here are the two main methods to perform a StartMail email backup:

  1. Manual Method
    With the help of this method you can connect your StartMail account to an email client using IMAP to save emails locally. It is time-consuming and won’t be able to preserve all email data.
  2. Professional Method
    It uses a dedicated backup tool to securely download StartMail emails with folders, attachments, and details preserved. This is the safer and more reliable option.

Manual Process to Backup StartMail Emails

Use an email app like Outlook, Thunderbird, or Apple Mail to manually backup StarMail emails. Follow these simple steps for manual backup:

  1. Enable StartMail for IMAP Access
    You have to log in to your StartMail account, open the settings and enable IMAP access.Then create a device password-this is the password you’ll use when setting up your StartMail account in an email client.
  2. Select an Email App
    Now, you have to install an email program such as Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, or Apple Mail.
  3. Enter StartMail Account Address
    Add a new email account in the app. Enter your StartMail email address, IMAP server details, and the device password you created. Finish the setup so the app can connect to StartMail.
  4. Let Your Emails Sync
    Give it some time to download all your StartMail emails and folders. If you have a lot of mail, don’t worry—it may take a while, that’s normal.
  5. Export or Save Emails Locally
    • In Outlook, export your mailbox as a PST file.
    • In Thunderbird, export folders as “MBOX” files or you can save them in local folders.
    • In Apple Mail, transfer or copy StartMail emails to “On My Mac” or export the mailbox.
  6. Check Your Backup
    To check your backup you need to open the saved file or local folder and review a few messages to confirm the backup was created successfully.

Why the Manual Method is Not the Best Choice?

  • The manual method is not secure and reliable.
  • It is time-consuming, especially when backing up large mailboxes.
  • Sometimes, IMAP syncing errors occur during the download process.
  • It does not save some folders, attachments, or Startmail email details properly.
  • The process depends heavily on email clients and manual steps.
  • There is a higher risk of incomplete backups or data loss.

Because of these issues, many users choose a professional tool for a safer and more reliable StartMail email backup.

Professional Tool to Backup StartMail Email

If you want a tool that works on both Windows and Mac systems, then you should use RecoveryTools IMAP Backup Wizard. It allows users to back up StartMail emails while keeping the original folder structure, attachments, and StartMail email details intact. This tool supports multiple export formats, making it easy to store emails locally for future access or migration. By using this method you can reduce the risk of errors and technical problems which makes it a dependable option for a complete and secure StartMail email backup.

Backing up StartMail emails manually works in theory, but in real use it often becomes frustrating-especially if you have a large mailbox. Syncing StartMail emails through email apps can take hours, and if the process stops halfway, you usually have to start again from scratch. This is where a professional backup tool makes a real difference.

Steps to Backup StartMail Emails Securely

  1. Download and install the IMAP backup software on your system, then open it.
    Download the software
  2. Select IMAP as the email source and enter your StartMail email address, device password, and the correct IMAP host and port details.
    enter startmail address
  3. After connecting to your account, let the tool load all mailbox folders and select the folders you want to back up.
    select the folders
  4. Choose your preferred saving format from the available options to backup your StartMail emails.
    choose saving format
  5. Choose any Advanced Filters such as date range or folder selection to perform a selective backup.
    choose advanced filters
  6. Lastly, click on Backup to start the StartMail email backup process securely.
    click on backup

Benefits of Using a Professional StartMail Backup Tool

  • With this tool you can backup multiple StartMail accounts at once using batch mode.
  • Gives you plenty of saving options, including file formats, email clients, and cloud services.
  • Helps you back up only what you need with advanced filter options.
  • It has a built-in scheduler to run IMAP backups, so you don’t have to do it manually.
  • Makes PST backups easier with dedicated options like split PST files.
  • Works smoothly on both Windows and Mac systems.
  • Allows you to try a demo version before deciding to upgrade.

Further Asked Questions

Q1. Does the software work on Windows Server 2016 computers ?
Ans: Yes, the software supports all editions of Microsoft Windows as well as Server editions.
Q2. Can I install this application on Mac OS X editions ?
Ans: Yes, you need to download the Mac edition of this application to backup StartMail Email on Mac.
Q3. Does the utility keep my StartMail email properties after completing the process ?
Ans: Yes, the software maintains all the properties after completing the StartMail backup process.

Note: – If you need more help regarding any issue, you can contact us on live support chat.

Conclusion

Relying only on a web-based mailbox can put important StartMail email messages and attachments at risk due to accidental deletion, access issues, or future migration needs. While the manual method is available, it often takes a lot of time and does not always guarantee complete or secure results.

For users who want a safer, faster, and more reliable solution, using a professional backup tool is the better choice. It can preserve StartMail emails with their folders, attachments, and details intact and reduce the risk of errors.

 

Also Read

Backup Gandi Webmail Emails to Computer

Backup Liquid Web User Email Accounts