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How to back up your Outlook emails

In this collection

Don’t waste time picking and choosing individual emails. Save your inbox as a single file to take away with you. You never know what emails and contact details you might need later.

Which Outlook do I have?

In your Outlook app, look in the top right corner.

If you see a toggle for New Outlook, you have Legacy Outlook.

If you don’t have that option, you probably have the New Outlook and you need to revert to the Legacy Outlook app before you can export or import emails.

How do I revert to Legacy Outlook?

  1. Select the Help menu.
  2. Select Revert to Legacy Outlook

It will take a minute to revert. You are likely to receive a million pop-up meeting reminders from the past. Dismiss all.

Ok I have the Legacy Outlook app, how do I get my emails out of here?

  1. Select the Tools menu
  2. Select the Export icon
  3. Select what you want to back up
  4. Select continue
  5. Select Save where you want to save the .olm file (or .pst email archive file for Windows)
    Don’t forget to take this file with you.

I’m somewhere new, how do I import my emails?

Easy, just the reverse. In the Legacy Outlook app only:

  • Select the Tools menu > Import > Outlook for Mac/Windows archive file > Continue.
  • Select the .olm/.pst file you previously exported.