How to Export Old Emails from Gmail?
Gmail keeps every message you have ever received unless you actively delete it, which means decade-old emails still take up space and slow down search. Exporting older messages frees up your inbox and creates a safety copy in case of an account lockout. This guide compares three reliable methods to pull old Gmail emails into a local archive without losing folders, labels, or attachments. You will also see how to filter by date so only the truly old mail gets exported.
This blog is helpful for those who need to export old emails from Gmail account. So, read on…
On the internet, we have seen many queries related to exporting of old emails from Gmail account to another account.
Let’s mention a user query to understand the need in depth.
Hi, I am using Gmail for so long and I have a lot of important email messages. Since a few days, I cannot receive new emails in my Gmail account due to storage limitations. All emails are very important to me. I don’t want to miss a single email message. Is there a way to keep the old emails and also solve this query? “
Are you also one of those facing the same problem ?
If Yes, then leave all your worries, as we are here with the required solution.
Read Also – How to Download Old Emails from Server?
Complete Solution to Export Old Emails from Gmail
Manually, it is a very hectic and time-consuming process to move old emails from Gmail account or to save every email message individually. To cut this long process short, we recommend an easy-to-use tool called 4n6 EmailBakup, which can solve this problem in a few moments. It is one of the best and highly recommended application by users. Therefore, keep reading the article and get the step-by-step process that we are going to mention below.
Step by Step Guide to Download Old Gmail Emails
- Firstly, download the tool on your desktop or tablet and then, run the software.

- Click on the Open tab and select add account.
- Now, fill the credentials of your Gmail account.

Note: IMAP server will be (imap.gmail.com)
- After that you will see all the folders of your Gmail account are now displayed on the left panel.
- Now, click on Export button and select saving option.
List of Savings: EML, MBOX, PST, PDF, HTML, TEXT, CSV, Gmail, Yahoo, Office 365, IMAP, and all the services which uses IMAP protocol.

After selecting saving, choose the destination path and click on Save button.

That’s it. The tool starts exporting your old Gmail emails to selected account. Please wait until the process completes.
Note: If you have any kind of problem following the steps above or entering the credentials, you can contact us at any time.
Read More About Gmail Export Tool
You may be thinking why should I use a third party tool, if I can do it manually ?
Here’s the answer…
The mentioned tool is very reliable and simple to use. It’s features are so impressive that once you perform the task on the tool, you will get used to this.
User Friendly Interface: The tool is being made for user’s convenience. Once you open the tool, you will find the easy steps to be followed, for exporting old emails from Gmail account. You do not need any technical knowledge or support to use the tool.
Export Email Attachments: This software is useful to export old emails from Gmail account. The tool not only convert emails but is also supports the conversion of attachments too.
Extract Required Fields: The tool is useful in extracting the attachments, email addresses and phone numbers as per your requirement.
Advance Search Feature: This feature allows you to choose the emails from date to date. You can also search emails from different fields such as To, Bcc, Cc, sent etc. This advance feature is helpful to save time and efforts.
Preview Message Header: This tool is very helpful for Forensic Investigators. With the help of this feature, they can easily analyse the complete data. Also, if you want to check the emails in Hexadecimal form, it is possible with this tool.
Windows Compatibility: This application is compatible for every Windows platform. One can install and run it on all the latest and older edition of Windows like 10, 8.1, etc.
Time Saving and Reliable: The top most priority of the tool is to save user’s time. You can download multiple emails or, multiple folders in a single click. The tool also gives you a feature like extracting. If you want to download only attachments or email addresses associated with it, you can easily do it.
Reliable and secure: This tool is very efficient and completely free from any kind of viruses. The tool is being tested for hassle free experience. You can simply download your emails without any hassle.
The Wrap-up
In the above blog, we have covered the query “how to export old emails from Gmail account”. Hope you will find this article helpful. Also, while using our solution if you face any type of hassle, contact us anytime.
2. POP3 fetches only recent emails: Gmail’s POP3 server returns only messages received after POP was enabled by default. Open Gmail Settings, Forwarding and POP/IMAP, and pick “Enable POP for all mail” before connecting your client.
3. Exported MBOX file will not open in Outlook: Outlook reads PST, not MBOX. Convert the Takeout MBOX to PST first using an MBOX-to-PST converter, then import into Outlook.
4. Date-range filter not working in Takeout: Takeout does not support per-message date filtering. Apply a Gmail label like “before:2020/01/01”, then export only that label.
Gmail retains every message indefinitely as long as your account stays active. Even emails from 2004 are still accessible if you have not deleted them.
Q2. Can I export Gmail emails older than a specific date?
Yes. Use Gmail’s search operator “before:YYYY/MM/DD” to filter the inbox, label the matching messages, then export only that label via Takeout or a backup tool.
Q3. Will exported emails include attachments?
Yes. Takeout, POP3, and most third-party tools preserve attachments inside the message envelope. PDF exports embed attachments as appendix pages.
Q4. What is the safest format to export Gmail to?
MBOX is the most portable since it works with Thunderbird, Apple Mail, and most converters. PST is best if you plan to stay inside Outlook.
Q5. Does exporting old emails delete them from Gmail?
No. All export methods copy messages without touching the originals. You must manually delete them from Gmail afterward if you want to free up space.