How to Open MBOX Files on Your Mac System?

Read time: 5 minutes

MBOX is the most widely compatible format, supported by several email applications. Users often use them to store old emails, which continue to hold relevant information that can be used in the future. These MBOX files have a simple format and can be opened on Windows as well as Apple environments. If you are a Mac system user, it might be a bit tricky to read them directly due to their formatting. But to get out of this problem, there are a few approaches that will help you to open an MBOX file in Apple systems as well. You can also transfer the files from Apple Mail to PST, which is another suitable format to store the information.

MBOX is a simple format that stores all the messages of the mailbox in a single text file. All the emails are saved in a back-to-back format which can be differentiated only by the ‘From’ header. It is not a convenient way to store a series of emails holding relevant information, but still, users decide to use it. Also, multiple email clients extend their support to MBOX files, including Thunderbird, Apple Mail, Opera Mail, Spicebird, Entourage, Sylpheed, Eudora, Sea Monkey, etc.

Methods to open an MBOX file on Mac

Since all the Mac systems have a different environment altogether, they are not compatible with all the existing file formats. But that is not the case with MBOX. This format is well supported and can be opened on a Mac system using two of its own applications-

• A text editor
• Apple Mail

The procedures for both have been discussed at length here-

The easiest way to open an MBOX in a Mac system is through Finder and a text editor. It will help you to search for all the existing files on the system, and further change their display settings or even remove them.

1. Open Finder and click on the Spotlight icon. It acts just like the Quick Search option available on iPhones and iPads.
2. Type the desired files, and it will locate all of them.
3. Right-click on the selected files. Click on Open With and choose a text editor to view the files.

The slight issue with this approach is when the files and all their contents are merged. It gets difficult for the user to separate different emails among the entire files.

You can simply use Mail, the default email application of all Mac systems. This will make the email and structure clearer and easier to understand. The files must be imported first to Apple Mail, and then you can view them easily.

1. Open the Mail application and select the File menu.
2. From the drop-down menu, click on Import Mailboxes.
3. You need to select the source of the file.
   • If you are importing it from the same or another Mac system, then select Apple Mail.
   • If you are importing the files from Windows or UNIX systems, select Files in mbox format.

   Click on Continue to find the files.

4. Browse through the files and select the required ones. Click on Choose.
5. You will receive a message informing you about the new folder’s name in the list of mailboxes that holds all the MBOX files. Click on Done. The importing process will begin.
6. The folder will be added to the Mail sidebar, and you can view them whenever needed.

Another solution that you can opt for is using the Kernel Mac MBOX Converter. It is a powerful software that can convert MBOX files from several email clients into a more secure PST format that can be accessed anytime. This entire conversion process is conducted, maintaining the properties and structure of the data without data loss. The tool does not limit the size and number of files, and it can be best used to take backup of all the essential data which the MBOX files have.

Conclusion

An MBOX file is the simplest form of file format, which is widely accepted by multiple email clients. It can be easily opened in a Mac system as well using a text editor and Apple mail applications. Finder directly searches for the existing files on the system and displays them using a text editor. Whereas, if you are interested in viewing it in email form, then you need to import the MBOX file into Apple Mail and then view it without any interruptions. To deal with oversized MBOX file issues and convert the MBOX files into PST format, a professional utility can be used.