How to Download All Gmail Emails and Attachments to Your Computer in 2026 (Complete Guide)

How to Download All Gmail Emails and Attachments to Your Computer in 2026

Having a complete local copy of your Gmail account is one of the smartest digital habits you can develop. Whether you want an offline backup, need to free up cloud storage, plan to switch email providers, or simply prefer keeping important emails and files on your own laptop, downloading your entire Gmail data is both possible and straightforward.
This guide walks you through the two most reliable methods to download all emails + attachments + media files from Gmail to your computer in 2026. Both approaches are free, official or open-source, and preserve the full content of your messages.

Why You Should Download Your Gmail Data

• Full offline access to years of emails and files
• Protection against accidental deletion or account issues
• Easy extraction of all attachments (PDFs, photos, videos, documents)
• Freedom to store or migrate your data without relying on Google’s servers

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Visit takeout.google.com and sign in with the Gmail account you want to export.
2. Click Deselect all at the top of the page. This prevents Google from including unnecessary data from Drive, Photos, YouTube, and other services.
3. Scroll down and check the box next to Mail.
4. (Optional) Click the button labeled All Mail data included. Here you can choose to export everything or only specific labels such as Inbox, Sent, or custom labels.
5. Click Next step.
6. Configure the export settings:

• Delivery method: Choose Send download link via email (recommended) or save directly to Google Drive.
• Frequency: Select Export once.
• File type: Choose .zip.
• Maximum archive size: Select 50 GB (or a smaller size if your mailbox is modest). Google will automatically split large exports into multiple files.

  7. Click Create export.

Google will process your request. Depending on the size of your mailbox, this can take anywhere from a few hours to several days. You will receive an email containing the download links once the archive is ready.
What You Receive
You will get one or more ZIP files containing .mbox files. These MBOX archives hold every email along with the original attachments (photos, documents, videos, and other media) embedded inside each message.

How to Open the MBOX Files and Extract Attachments

• Download and install the free Mozilla Thunderbird email client.
• Install the free add-on ImportExportTools NG.
• In Thunderbird, right-click Local Folders, choose ImportExportTools NG, and import the MBOX file(s).
• Once imported, you can browse all emails offline. Use the same add-on to extract every attachment into regular folders on your hard drive.

Method 2: Mozilla Thunderbird (Best for Everyday Use and Easy File Extraction)
If you prefer a fully searchable and usable local copy of your emails rather than a static archive, Thunderbird is the better choice. It downloads complete messages with attachments and keeps them organized in familiar folders.

Setup Instructions

1. Download and install Mozilla Thunderbird from the official website.
2. Add your Gmail account. Thunderbird will automatically detect the correct settings. Sign in with your Google account when prompted (OAuth authentication is used).
3. Configure full synchronization:

• Go to Account Settings → select your Gmail account → Synchronization & Storage.
• Enable Keep messages in all folders for this account on this computer.
• Click Advanced and make sure every folder and label is selected.
• Under Disk Space, choose Synchronize all messages locally regardless of age.Go to Account Settings → select your Gmail account → Synchronization & Storage.
• Enable Keep messages in all folders for this account on this computer.
• Click Advanced and make sure every folder and label is selected.
• Under Disk Space, choose Synchronize all messages locally regardless of age.

   4. Allow the sync process to complete. For large accounts this may take several hours. You can accelerate it by selecting File → Offline → Download/Sync Now.

Once finished, every email and its attachments reside on your laptop.
Pro tip: Install the ImportExportTools NG add-on. It allows you to export entire folders as MBOX files for backup and, more importantly, to extract all attachments into normal folders so you can access photos, PDFs, and other media as regular files.

Important Tips for a Successful Download

• Check your Gmail storage usage beforehand (found in Gmail Settings or at myaccount.google.com) so you know how much free space you need on your laptop.
• Large mailboxes can take significant time. Keep your computer powered on and connected to the internet during the process.
• Both methods described above are secure. Avoid third-party websites that ask for your Gmail password.
• IMAP access is enabled by default on personal Gmail accounts in 2026, so no extra toggle is usually required.

Final Recommendation

• Choose Google Takeout if you want a clean, one-time complete archive of your entire Gmail account.
• Choose Thunderbird if you want ongoing offline access, easy searching, and the ability to quickly extract all attachments as individual files.

Either method gives you full ownership of your emails and media. Once the download is complete, store the files on an external drive or secondary backup location for long-term safety.
Following these steps ensures you have a reliable, offline copy of everything important in your Gmail account — emails, documents, photos, and more.

BY AZZANI