MBOX to PST Converter

How to Transfer Emails from Mac Mail to Outlook?

Written By Keshav Katyal
Approved By Kuljeet Singh
Updated on 14 Jan, 2026
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Summary: Mac Mail and Outlook use different data file formats for storing mailbox items, such as emails, contacts, attachments, etc. So, you cannot directly transfer the emails and other items from one email client to another. In this guide, you will learn about Stellar Converter for MBOX – an advanced MBOX to PST converter tool that can help in transferring Mac Mail to Outlook.

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You cannot directly transfer Mac Mail to Outlook. You need to first export the mail items to MBOX file, move this file to a Windows system, convert this file into Outlook-supported PST file format using an MBOX to PST converter tool, and then import the PST into Outlook. In this guide, we’ll be discussing the step-by-step procedure to migrate Mac Mail to Outlook.

Why you can’t Directly Transfer Mac Mail to Outlook?

Apple Mail, also referred to as Mac Mail or Mail, is the default email client in macOS machines. The application stores the mailbox items, such as emails, attachments, contacts, etc., in the MBOX file format. On the other hand, Outlook supports PST file format. So, if you want to migrate Apple Mail emails to Outlook, there is no direct way to do so. The most efficient way to do it is by converting the Apple Mail MBOX file to Outlook supported PST format and then importing the PST file into your Outlook account.

What are the Reasons to Migrate Apple Mail to Outlook?

There are several reasons why users look for ways to migrate Mac Mail to Outlook. Some of these are listed below:

To access Mac Mail data on the Windows PCs.
To access emails, contacts, calendars, etc., without the internet as Outlook stores mailbox data in Offline data file (Exchange and Microsoft 365 accounts).
To leverage the functionality of Microsoft’s tools, such as Word, Teams, PowerPoint, and more.
To access the mailbox data from anywhere and from any device via Outlook on the web.

What are the Steps to Migrate Mac Mail to Outlook?

Follow these steps to quickly and accurately migrate Apple Mail to Microsoft Outlook without any risk of data loss.

Step 1: Find MBOX Files on your Mac

Apple Mail or Mac Mail stores the mailbox items (MBOX files) at the following location:

~/Library/Mail

To navigate to this location and copy MBOX files, follow these steps:

Open a Finder window. Press command + shift + G to open the Go to the folder window.
Type ~/Library/Mail and press return.

Find and open the subfolder named Vx. Here, x represents the version number of macOS. If you’re using macOS Sequoia, double-click on the V10 folder to open it.

You will find folders containing MBOX files of various mailbox items.

Copy all the folders containing MBOX files and transfer them to the Windows PC where Outlook is installed.

Copy all the folders containing MBOX files

Alternatively, you can export individual mailbox folders, i.e., Inbox, Drafts, Outbox, etc., to MBOX files manually. Follow these steps:

Launch Apple Mail (Mail) from the Dock on your Mac system.

Select the mailbox folder that you want to export to Outlook. Then, click on Mailbox > Export Mailbox.

Select a location to save the MBOX file. You can also select an external/USB drive to save the MBOX file.
Click Choose to begin the export.
The wizard will create a folder by the name of exported mailbox folder. For example, if you select Inbox, it will create “Inbox.mbox” at the selected destination path.

When you open the folder, you will find an “mbox” file and another file named “table_of_contents.”

You will have to repeat the above steps to export other mailbox folders to MBOX files. Now, transfer these files to a Windows PC.

Step 2: Convert MBOX Files to Outlook PST

After transferring the Mac Mail MBOX files to Windows PC, you need to convert the exported files to PST format. To convert the MBOX files, you can use Stellar Converter for MBOX – a specialized MBOX to PST converter tool that can convert MBOX files of any size to PST with 100% data integrity and accuracy.

Apart from the PST file format, this tool can save the MBOX file items in various other file formats, such as MSG, EML, RTF, HTML, and PDF. It supports MBOX files of 15+ prominent email clients, including Apple Mail, Google Takeout (Gmail), Eudora, and Mozilla Thunderbird.

Here is how you can use Stellar Converter for MBOX to convert MBOX file to PST file.

Download Stellar Converter for MBOX on the Windows PC where you have configured Outlook.
Install the software and launch it.
The Select MBOX window will appear. Click on Select Mail Client and select Apple Mail from the list.

Next, click on the Select Identity button and select the folder containing your Mac Mail MBOX files. The software will add all MBOX files from the folder for conversion. Alternatively, you can click on the Select File option to select an individual MBOX file.

After selecting the file, click on the Convert button.

The software starts converting the MBOX file. After conversion, it lists all the mailbox items in a preview window. You can click on any item to see its preview.

Select the mail items you want to save to PST (transfer to Outlook) and click on Save Converted File in the ribbon.

Note: To save the converted mailbox items, you need to activate the software.

click on Save Converted File in the ribbon

On the Save As window, select the Save As PST option and click Next.

Click on Browse to choose a location on your PC to save the PST file.

Click on Browse to choose a location on your PC

Click Save after selecting the destination path.

Click Save after selecting the destination path

Wait for the saving process to complete. You’ll see a Saving Completed message, when the process is finished.

There is also a free online MBOX to PST converter tool by Stellar that lets you convert MBOX files of ≤100 MB in size to PST. It comes in handy if you don’t have access to a Windows computer. You can simply use it to convert your Mac Mail MBOX file to PST using a web browser. There is also a premium version of this online tool that can convert MBOX file of up to 5 GB.

Step 3: Import PST File into MS Outlook

Once you have successfully converted the MBOX file to PST format, you can import it into your Outlook profile where you want to transfer the Mac Mail emails. The steps are as follows:

In MS Outlook 2021, 2019, 2016, or 2013, go to File > Open & Export and click Import/Export.

Choose Import from another program or file and click Next.

Choose Import from another program or file

Choose Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.

Click Browse to select the PST file. Select an option for duplicates and click on Next.

Select an option for duplicates and click on Next

Click on Include subfolders checkbox, select an option for the import items, and then click Finish.

Outlook will start importing the contents from the PST file and display a progress bar. When finished, you can access the exported emails from Mac Mail in Outlook profile.

Conclusion

Apple Mail (Mail/Mac Mail) and MS Outlook use two different data file formats. To migrate Apple Mail to Outlook, you need to first convert the Mac Mail’s MBOX file to Outlook PST format and then import the PST file into Outlook. To easily convert the MBOX file to PST format, you can use Stellar Converter for MBOX. This helps you to quickly migrate your emails, contacts, attachments, and other mailbox items from Apple Mail to MS Outlook with 100% integrity and accuracy.

How to Open MBOX File in Outlook?

How to Import an MBOX File into Outlook?

Can I only export emails from Mac Mail?

Yes, it is possible to export only emails from Mac Mail. While exporting mailbox data from Apple Mail, it shows a window where you can select the type of mailbox items you want to export. By default all items (emails, contacts, journals, etc.) are selected.

Can the MBOX to PST converter tool import Apple Mail (MBOX file) into Office 365?

The technician version of Stellar Converter for MBOX lets you directly import mailbox items from Apple Mail MBOX file to Office 365.

What if I have a large MBOX file?

If you have a large MBOX file, Stellar Converter for MBOX offers an option to auto-split the large converted PST file into smaller, manageable parts. This helps prevent file corruption or performance issues in Outlook.

About The Author

Keshav Katyal

A passionate writer driven by his interest in everything tech, Keshav Katyal has always been captivated by the latest gadgets since childhood. His interest in technology grew when he got his first gaming console, the Nintendo Game Boy Advanced. Hours and days of tinkering with old & new gadgets made his inner geek passionate about technology.