The Ultimate Guide to Backing Up Your Gmail Emails

Updated on January 18, 2024 by Savita Sharma

Nowadays, everyone can benefit from using Gmail for email communication because it has a large amount of storage space and offers various other services. Gmail has a significant number of users who don't want to leave it for various reasons: it's fast, easy to use, has enough storage space, and most importantly, it's free. But it is a cloud technology that is not much safer. If we use a cloud platform, then there are many possibilities where hackers can hack our important data. That's why your data is not safe in a cloud server.

That's why you need to backup your important data files from Gmail in the local computer for safe keep. In this article, we will discuss the best method where users can take backup of Gmail emails data without any problem. So, read the complete article and easily find a simple and easy method to backup Gmail data.

Why User Need to Backup your Gmail account data:-

  • Nothing is safe in the Cloud, therefore having a backup copy is essential.
  • If your internet connection goes down, you won't be able to access essential emails.
  • Backup your Gmail emails so you may read them in other email clients.
  • Backup superfluous data on your local computer to save space on the Gmail server.
  • Sharing essential Gmail emails with those who use different email clients.

Proven Methods For Backing Up Gmail Emails Effectively

Method #1: Backup Gmail emails Using Google Takeout

If you are looking for a free Gmail backup solution, then you can try this Google Takeout method provided by Google for its Google app users. Using this manual approach you can easily backup emails from your Gmail account in MBOX file format.

  • 1. Go to www.gmail.com in your PC browser and log in to your account using the credentials. [Please note that the Gmail account is the one whose data is to be extracted.]
  • Manual Steps to Backup Gmail mailbox by Using Google Takeout method
  • 2. Now select the Manage your account >> Data and personalization option
  • Step 2
  • 3. Now click Download your data option on the screen
  • Tutorial for Safeguarding Your Gmail with Email Backups
  • 4. Now click on Deselect all
  • Step 4
  • 5. Now choose All Mail data included option in the Mail feature as shown in the image
  • Step-by-Step Guide to Using Google Takeout for Gmail Email Backup
  • 6. Now Mail Content option tab is open and select Include all messages in Mail and rest of the items will be deselected
  • Step 6
  • 7. Click Next to go on next page
  • Step 7
  • 8. In Delivery method drop down menu, Select Send download link via email
  • Step 8
  • 9. Now select File format and Size of file before taking backup of Gmail email data
  • Guide to Backing Up Gmail Emails
  • 10. Now Hit the Create Export button to initiate the backup process
  • Step 10
  • 11. Whenever the backup is ready, you will be notified by the email.
  • Step 11
  • 12. After Gmail backup is ready, you will get the email with download link as shown in the below image. You can save the backup at your desire location. This is the most popular way to backup Google Takeout Data.
  • Step 12

Method #2: Save Gmail emails as PDF file on External Hard Drive

  • 1. First of all you need to open Gmail account on your computer.
  • 2. Now log in to your account by entering User I.D. and Password.
  • 3. Now you need to open the Gmail email which you want to save on your hard drive.
  • 4. After that you will see the 'Print All' button in the upper right corner. Click on it.
  • Manual Steps to Backup Gmail emails as PDF file on External Hard Drive
  • 5. Then when you click the Print All icon, a pop-up window will appear in front of you.
  • Step 5
  • 6. Now you have to adjust the settings to your needs and then click on Print.
  • 7. Now the 'Save As' window is displayed on the screen.
  • 8. Select PDF in the Save as type option and then click the Save button.
  • Save Gmail emails as PDF file
  • 9. After you saving the email on your computer, you can copy and paste it into your external hard drive

Method #3: Backup Gmail Emails via MS Outlook

  • 1. Launch MS Outlook on your system and log in.
  • 2. Now, click the Settings Gear button and then click the Show all Outlook settings option in the drop-down menu.
  • 3. After that click the Gmail option and hit the Sync Email option.
  • 4. A pop-up window appears on the screen, in which you must enter the display name.
  • 5. Now, click Connect your Google Account option
  • 6. Now create a new folder for the emails into which all the Gmail emails will be imported and then click the OK button.
  • 7. Now you have to choose Gmail Account from which you will import all emails into MS Outlook
  • 8. Now provide the correct credentials of your Gmail account and click Next button to move further.
  • 9. When prompted for authentication, click Allow and close the settings windows.

Limitations of Manual Methods

  • These manual solutions take hours or possibly days for backing up your Gmail account data.
  • The Google Takeout backup solution, takes the back up of your Gmail emails and save them in MBOX format only.
  • While using Google Takeout method you have to save all the files manually every time. No automatic backup option.
  • All of these manual solutions require space for all archives. In addition, the archive must be properly managed, which time is consuming too.
  • There are limited attempts to download the archive. If the download attempts reach their limits, the user must request the archive again.

There is a time uncertainty in this process because it only takes a lot of time and the user has to wait a long time for its completion.

But don’t worry! Here we would like to propose an alternative solution that is secured and works instantly to backup Single / Multiple emails from Gmail accounts to computer. Regain Gmail Backup Tool is the professional software that can easily backup Gmail emails with selective backup’s options and mass migration functions.

An alternative method to Backup Gmail mailbox data

  • 1. Download and Launch the Regain Gmail Backup Software on your computer.
  • How to Backup Gmail Emails
  • 2. Enter the Credentials of your Gmail Account and log in to backup your G-mail account data.
  • Step by step manual guide to Backup Gmail
  • 3. Now software will show you Preview of all available Mailbox Folders, you can Select or De-Select folder for selective backup.
  • Free manual tips to backup Gmail completely
  • 4. Choose the File Format of your choice in which you want to backup Gmail data.
  • Step 4
  • 5. Now software will shows the backup progress report in details.
  • Step 5
  • 6. Once the backup process completes, a confirmation message will be shown, then click on "finish" tab.
  • Step 6

Benefits of Using a Professional Tool

  • It provide fast and easy backup of Gmail mailbox with all components.
  • There is no chance of data loss and it saves a lot of time of the user.
  • This is an advance tool that supports the backup of Gmail data even without installing MS Outlook.
  • Using this tool you can take backup Gmail account to PST, MSG, MBOX, EML, EMLX, HTML, MHTML, PDF format.
  • This software is designed with GUI, so you did not require any technical expertise to backup all the emails from Gmail to a Hard Drive.
  • The backup process is simple and quick to backup single or multiple Gmail accounts selectively.
  • It backup users account data while maintain data integrity and folder structure.
  • The best part of this tool is that it provides free demo version to users, so that you can check its working performance before purchasing it.

Final Conclusion:

In this blog, we explain all possible solutions to back up Gmail emails to your system. We describe 3 manual methods and 1 professional tool. All the manual methods are too long to back up Gmail data and are risky. Because it requires some technical skills. Manual methods have some limitations as well. While the Automated Regain Gmail Backup tool does not require anything. Anyone can use this tool to back up Gmail data in any email format. You just need to follow the instructions given by the software to back up Google data. Now it is up to you which method you prefer. If you still have any queries, contact us at support@regainsoftware.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ques1. How does Regain Software help me to Backup Gmail data to an external Hard Drive?

Ans. Regain Gmail Backup software allow the user to back up data into various email formats such as PST, MSG, MBOX, EML, EMLX, HTML, MHTML, and PDF file. After scanning the Gmail account by software, it will ask you to Select the destination location and the saving file format. This way you select the location which you prefer.

Ques2. I don't want to lose my email attachment, does this tool help me to back up complete Gmail data?

Ans. It is embedded with a feature to deeply scan the data, retrieve everything, and saved into a desired format. This tool is able to back up all Gmail folders like attachments, contacts, calendars, drafts, archives, etc.

Ques3: Does Google Takeout provide the option to back up Gmail emails in PST file format?

Ans: No, with the Google Takeout, you can’t backup in PST file format. It only allows backup in MBOX file format compressed in the ZIP.

Ques4: Will I get an incremental backup facility with Google Takeout in a manner to backup Gmail emails?

Ans: No, incremental backup is not facilitated with the Google Takeout. If, for any reason, the process gets interrupted, then you have to restart.

Ques5: Can we take Gmail backup time and again using the Regain Gmail Backup Tool?

Ans: Yes, you can back up multiple times in various file formats using the Regain Gmail Backup Tool. There is no such type of limitation.