Introduction
In this article we will explain how to safely backup your email data with Mailbird. This action might be a wise course of action in a small number of cases, such as:
- If you have a POP3 email account
- To understand if you have a POP3 email account or not, please refer to this article
- If you are moving Mailbird onto a new device
- If you would like to backup data as a general precaution
Unlike other email platforms, Mailbird can proudly offer a simple and effective way of backing up important email data, such as information about your contacts, the emails themselves, and much more.
How to backup your email data
In order to backup your data, you will need to go here: C:\Users\"your user name"\AppData\Local
If you aren't familiar with how to reach this location, we will provide you with a step-by-step guide below which will take you there.
Note:
Some of the directories mentioned in this article might be hidden by default by Windows. In the "Folder Options" of Windows Explorer there is a setting to show hidden folders - this needs to be enabled.
For Windows10, at Windows Explorer, click the "View" tab, enable the "Hidden Items" (see screenshot below):
- First of all, please make sure that you quit Mailbird completely (i.e. it isn't running in the background).
- Next, type in C:\Users into your Filer Explorer (as shown in the screenshot below)
- Then click on the folder highlighted at the top of the menu
- In the folder which has now appeared on your screen, double-click on the folder with your username to open it
- Then, double-click on the AppData folder to open it
- Remember: if you can't see this folder, you will need to enable 'Hidden Items' in the 'View' tab
- Next, double-click on the Local folder to open it
- Finally, you should be able to see a folder called Mailbird
- Right-click on the folder, and from the pop-out menu click on on copy
- Then right-click somewhere on your desktop where there aren't any icons, and click Paste
- Do not click on Paste shortcut, since this will not copy the data but simply create a shortcut
And that's it! You can now open and use Mailbird on your new device or PC with all your existing settings and emails.
Additional information
If you have backed up your data because you are looking to move Mailbird over to a new PC or device, simply go to the same location mentioned above on your new device (i.e. C:\Users\"your user name"\AppData\Local) and paste/overwrite the existing Mailbird folder with the backup that you created on your old device. You can move the folder from one device to another using a USB stick for example, or via file-sharing.
If you need to move emails from one server to another, then, unfortunately, there's not much you can do in Mailbird. You can ask your email provider if they offer any kind of a backup tool, or use a 3rd party service such as Google Takeout for Gmail:
Also, if you are using Gmail, there are a number of Chrome extensions (like the aptly-named Save Emails to PDF) that allow you to export, download, or print your messages as PDFs, including multiple emails at a time.
Another useful tool which you may wish to explore is called Mailstore
As always, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us via our Contact Form, and we will do our best to help with any problems or doubts.