Running Gmail in the cloud has some real benefits: You can get at your emails from a browser tab on any internet-connected device, you don’t need to install any additional software to access it, and all of your messages are safely backed up on Google’s servers, should something happen to your laptop or phone.
However, there might be times when you want local copies of your Gmail emails as well. Perhaps you’re expecting to be without regular internet access, or maybe you want to protect yourself in case Gmail on the web goes down. Maybe you just prefer the feel of a local email client.
You’ve got a couple of options for downloading your Gmail inbox and archive, which are useful in different ways. Note that following these steps won’t affect your emails in the cloud—they’ll remain where they are, unless you actively start deleting messages or decide to close your Google account.
Downloading Gmail emails to a local email app
If you use an email application running on your computer, like Outlook or Apple Mail, you can use it to get at your Gmail inbox through a standard protocol called IMAP (or Internet Messaging Access Protocol).
It means a selection of messages—usually from the last few weeks or months—are kept in sync with your local computer. Any changes made on the web are reflected in your local email client, and vice versa. Technically, it’s more syncing than downloading, but it does mean copies of recent emails will be stored on your computer as well as the web.
To make this work, first you have to enable IMAP from Gmail on the web:
- Click the gear icon (top right), then See all settings.
- Open the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab, then select Enable IMAP.
- Click Save Changes to confirm.
On the same page you’ll see options for how the syncing between your local email app and Gmail on the web is handled, which you can also tweak. Perhaps the most…
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