Download an email
last updated at: Jun 8, 2026
You can save any message from Mail to your computer as a file. The file is in .eml format, the standard format
for a single email, so other mail programs can open it and you can keep it as a record.
Download a message you're reading
- Open the message in the reading pane.
- Click the More actions menu (the ⋮ button) in the toolbar above the message.
- Choose Download.
The message is saved to your computer as an .eml file.
Download a message from the list
You don't have to open a message first.
- Right-click the message in the list.
- Choose Download from the menu.
This works when you have one message selected. If you've selected several at once, Download doesn't appear, so pick a single message.
What you get
The file is the whole message, in .eml format. That includes the sender, the recipients, the subject, the date,
the full text, and any attachments, all in one file.
.eml is a standard format, so the file opens in most desktop mail programs (such as Apple Mail or Outlook) and
in many other apps. Keep one as your own copy of an important message, or move a message to another mail account.
The file is named with the message's identifier. You can rename it to anything you like once it's on your computer.
If you only want the files that came with a message, not the whole message, open the attachment from the reading pane instead. See Read and reply to email.