How to Convert Google Takeout to Outlook PST?

Google account users can use Google Takeout – a free-to-use online service – to save a local copy of the data associated with different Google services such as Gmail emails, contacts, calendars, and more.

While exporting emails, you get two options: to export all mailbox labels (folders selected by default) or select individual labels (specific mailbox folders). The former creates a single MBOX file – “All Mail Including Spam and Trash.mbox“. The latter saves the selected labels as separate .mbox files, e.g. – Inbox.mbox, Sent.mbox, Trash.mbox, Spam.mbox, etc.

In order to transfer Gmail emails to Outlook, you need to convert the exported MBOX to PST file. This is because Outlook supports .pst file format. In this post, we will explore some methods that you can use to convert Gmail emails to PST format. Let’s read further.

Why is it Required to Convert Google Takeout to PST?

Here are some reasons to convert Gmail to PST file format:

• To access archived Gmail emails in Outlook
• To transfer the mailbox data of users moving from Gmail to Windows Outlook
• With Outlook, you can access your emails even when you are not connected to the internet. This is not possible with Gmail as it is a web-based email service which requires internet connection.
• To keep a local copy of emails containing sensitive information saved in a reliable format
• To transfer mailbox data from a work account to a personal account, especially when leaving an organization

What are the Methods to Convert Google Takeout to PST Format?

If you want to convert Google takeout to PST, you can use an MBOX-supporting email client to open the exported .mbox file and save individual email messages. You can also use a specialized MBOX to PST converter for this purpose. Let’s look at both the methods in detail.

Method 1: Convert Google Takeout MBOX to PST using Thunderbird

There is a workaround that can help you convert Gmail to PST. Using Mozilla Thunderbird, you can open the MBOX file containing Gmail emails and save the required messages as .eml files. After that, you can move them into Outlook and export them as a PST. Follow the stepwise process below:

Note: Follow Google’s official documentation to download Gmail emails using Google Takeout.

Step 1: Setup Thunderbird for Import

First, you need to download and install Mozilla Thunderbird on your PC. Then, install ImportExportNG Tools Add-on in it. To do this:

• Download Thunderbird from its official website. Install it.
• Launch Thunderbird.
• Next, configure a user account in it.
• After that, install and use the ImportExportTools NG add-on to import the MBOX file in Thunderbird.

• Restart the email client.

Step 2: Save Emails as EML File

Now, select and save individual emails as EML files using the installed add-on.

• Open File Explorer on your PC and create a new folder to store EML files.
• The imported MBOX file will show on the left under “Local Folders.” Select it to display all its emails on the right.

• You can also expand the imported file to show its sub-folders.
• Press & hold the Shift key and use the left mouse button to select the required email messages.

Note: You can also use the CTRL + A shortcut to select all the emails in a particular folder.

• After selecting emails, right-click on them and go to Export Messages As > EML Message Format.
• Click on the Messages (Attachments Embedded) option.

• Select the newly created folder and click on Select Folder.

• The selected email items will be saved at the destination in EML file format.

Step 3: Import EML Files into Outlook

Now, drag and drop the .eml files into Outlook. To do this:

• Launch Outlook application on PC.
• Click on Folder in the menu bar and then select New Folder from the ribbon.

• The Create New Folder wizard will open. Give it a name, select its “Contents type” and also its place in the mailbox. Click OK.

• After that, open the folder on your PC where you have saved the .eml files.
• Select them and drag and drop them into the folder that you just created in Outlook.

Now, use the built-in Import/Export wizard in Outlook to export the mailbox folder containing Gmail emails to .pst file.

Limitations of the Above Manual Method

• You cannot save all the emails from different folders/subfolders in a single operation. You’ll need to repeat the above steps to do so. Hence, it is time-consuming and repetitive process.
• Original mailbox hierarchy (folders and subfolders) is lost.
• Sometimes, Outlook fails to show the message body of an .eml file or the attachments.
• There is a high probability of missing emails as you are manually moving them from one platform to another.

Method 2: Convert Google Takeout to PST using Stellar Converter for MBOX

The simplest way to easily convert Google Takeout to PST is to use the free MBOX to PST converter by Stellar. It is a web-based utility that lets you convert a single MBOX file of size ≤ 100 MB to PST. It doesn’t need Outlook or any additional tool installed on your computer. All you need is a stable internet connection and a web browser to access it to perform the conversion process.

Here are some highlights of this free MBOX to PST converter:

• Converts a single MBOX file (smaller than 100MB) to PST for free
• Quickly converts .mbox file to .pst format in 3 steps: Upload > Convert > Download
• No need to install Microsoft Outlook
• Preview mailbox contents via the downloadable HTML file
• Supports MBOX files of different email clients like Thunderbird, Eudora, etc.

This online utility has a Premium edition as well that converts 5 MBOX files of size ≤5GB.

If you want to directly export the mailbox data to an existing Outlook profile, use Stellar Converter for MBOX. It can convert Google Takeout MBOX file to PST without any file-size restrictions. You can use it to scan and open MBOX file, preview the contents, and convert the mailbox data to PST format with 100% accuracy. You may also use it to select and save individual mailbox items such as email messages, contacts, calendars, etc. Additionally, it can directly export the MBOX file data to an existing Outlook profile or save the mailbox items in common file formats – MSG or EML.

Key highlights of this software:

• Converts MBOX/MBX/MBS files of various email clients, including Google Takeout (Gmail), Apple Mail, Entourage, and GNU Mail
• Provides a detailed preview of emails before conversion
• Maintains folder structure and hierarchy after converting the mailbox file
• Locate MBOX files on the system/connected drives using the “Find” feature
• Compatible with different Outlook versions – from 2010 to the latest 2024
• Save specific emails using the date range filter or exclude emails by email ID option
• Auto-splits the resulting PST file at approximately 45GB in size
• Works offline, doesn’t require an internet connection to work

Here’s how Stellar Converter for MBOX works:

• Download Stellar Converter for MBOX from its official website.
• Install it on your PC and launch it.
• The Select MBOX window will show up. Use the given “Email Client” dropdown list to select Google Takeout.
• Click on the Select File button to choose the .mbox file.
• After selecting, click on Convert.

• Wait for the scan to complete.
• After that, the software will list all the mailbox items on the left (in a tree view structure). Select any item to get its enhanced preview.

• Once you have verified the data, click Save Converted File in the ribbon.
• Choose the Save As PST option from the Save As window. Click Next.

• Then, browse for a folder to save the resultant PST file. Click Save.

The PST file will get saved in the selected folder.

Manual Method vs Stellar Converter for MBOX

Here is a quick comparison between the above-discussed methods.

Conclusion

If you’ve downloaded your Gmail data using Google Takeout and want to access it in Outlook, then you can use the methods explained above. To convert a handful of Gmail emails to PST format, you can use the manual method without any issues. It is, however, lengthy and time-consuming.

In such a scenario, you need Stellar Converter for MBOX that lets you scan and open the Google Takeout emails (MBOX) without any hassle. You can use it to convert the Gmail emails to Outlook importable PST format without altering the exisiting mailbox structure.

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