Written by Jennifer Walsh. Reviewed for technical accuracy by Shubham Dixit, Independent Expert in Email Forensics and Data File Conversion.
Shubham is an independent external reviewer and not an employee of PCDOTS.
Quick answer. Apple Mail exports mailboxes as .mbox, but Outlook does not read .mbox directly, so the route depends on your Outlook. For Outlook 365 or Outlook.com, add the account to Apple Mail and drag the old mail in, and it syncs across free. For Outlook on Windows, convert the .mbox to a PST and import it.
On this page
First, which Outlook?
This job trips people up for one reason. Apple Mail can hand you your mail as an .mbox file, but Outlook does not open .mbox at all. So there is no single import button, and the right path depends on which Outlook you are moving to. If it is Outlook 365 or Outlook.com, you can skip files entirely and let the account sync your mail across for free. If it is Outlook on Windows that keeps your mail in a PST, you convert the exported .mbox to a PST and import that. Pick your side below.
The account syncs to 365 for free, a Windows Outlook wants the mail as a PST.
“The mistake I see most often is treating Outlook as one thing. It is not, and the .mbox that Apple Mail gives you is not a format Outlook reads, so the destination decides the method. When people are heading to Microsoft 365 I tell them to add that account in Apple Mail and drag the mail in, the server does the rest and it costs nothing. Only when the target is a Windows Outlook that stores a PST does a converter genuinely earn its place, turning the .mbox into a PST you can import.” Shubham Dixit, Email Migration reviewer (draft, pending approval)
Free, if it is Outlook 365 or Outlook.com
If your Outlook is the cloud kind, Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com, this is the easiest route and it costs nothing. The trick is to let the mail server carry your messages over instead of shuffling files.
In Apple Mail, go to Mail, Settings, Accounts, and add your Outlook or Microsoft 365 account. Once it appears in the sidebar, open your old Apple Mail folders, select the messages, and drag them into a folder under that Outlook account. Apple Mail uploads them to Microsoft, and from that moment they live in your Outlook, on the web, on Windows, on your phone, everywhere you open it. Nothing to convert, nothing to buy.
Add the account, drag the mail in, and the server puts it in Outlook for you.
Export the mailbox from Apple Mail
For the Windows route you need the mail as a file first, and Apple Mail makes that easy. Select the mailbox or folder you want in the sidebar, then use the Mailbox menu and Export Mailbox, and choose where to save it. Apple Mail writes out an .mbox package holding that folder, attachments and all. Do this for each folder you need. That .mbox is the portable copy you will turn into a PST next.
For Outlook on Windows, make a PST
Classic Outlook for Windows keeps mail in a PST file and imports one happily, but it will not read the .mbox as it stands, so the .mbox has to become a PST. Because this converter runs on Windows, copy the exported .mbox from your Mac to a Windows PC first, then convert it. The PCDOTS MBOX Converter reads the Apple Mail .mbox and writes a PST, keeping your folder structure and attachments, with a free version that handles the first ten items per folder so you can test it. Then in Outlook use File, Open and Export, Import / Export, and import the Outlook Data File. One note, the newer Outlook for Windows does not import PST, so use classic Outlook for this, or the account sync route above.
The Windows route, the .mbox becomes a PST that classic Outlook imports.
Here are the converter steps with the screens.
Step 1. Install and run the software on Windows, then open the menu.
Step 2. Choose MBOX files and add the exported .mbox so it loads.
Step 3. Open the Export menu and choose PST.
Step 4. Pick a destination and Save, then import the PST into Outlook.
Since this hinges on the .mbox, our guides to import MBOX files to Outlook and export Apple Mail to EML go deeper, and for the reverse trip see move Outlook PST to Apple Mail.
The methods compared
Match the route to the Outlook you are moving to.
| Route | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Add account, drag mail | Outlook 365 or .com, free | Syncs across, no files |
| Convert .mbox to PST | Classic Outlook on Windows | Copy the .mbox to a PC first |
Frequently asked questions
Can Outlook open an Apple Mail .mbox directly?
No. Outlook does not read .mbox. For a cloud Outlook you sync the mail through the account, and for a Windows Outlook you convert the .mbox to a PST first.
How do I move Mac Mail to Outlook 365 for free?
Add your Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com account to Apple Mail, then drag your old messages into a folder under that account. They upload and appear in Outlook everywhere.
How do I export a mailbox from Apple Mail?
Select the mailbox, then use the Mailbox menu and Export Mailbox, and choose a location. Apple Mail saves it as an .mbox package.
How do I get the mail into Outlook on Windows?
Convert the exported .mbox to a PST, then in classic Outlook use File, Open and Export, Import / Export, and import the Outlook Data File.
Does the new Outlook for Windows import a PST?
No, the newer Outlook dropped PST import. Use classic Outlook for the PST route, or sync the mail through a Microsoft 365 account instead.
The converter is Windows only and my mail is on a Mac, what do I do?
Export the .mbox on the Mac, copy that file to a Windows PC, then convert it to a PST there and import it into Outlook.
Which Outlook are you moving to?
It really does come down to that one question. Moving to Microsoft 365 or Outlook.com? Add the account inside Apple Mail, drag your old mail into it, and let the server do the work for nothing. Moving to a classic Outlook on Windows that lives in a PST? Export the .mbox, carry it to a Windows PC, turn it into a PST, and import. Either way the mail arrives whole, folders and attachments intact. So before you download anything, ask yourself which Outlook is waiting at the other end, and the right path picks itself.
