How to Import MBOX Files into Thunderbird?

author
Jamie Kaler   
Published: Oct 4, 2023 ~ How to

You have got an MBOX file and now you are planning to import it into your Thunderbird profile. To continue reading this blog to know every step to import MBOX file into Thunderbird, as well as this blog, is also useful for Mac users.

Mozilla Thunderbird is one of the most widely used desktop email clients. Most users look for ways to import MBOX files into Thunderbird since MBOX is a file extension used to store emails by many desktop-based email clients such as Eudora, Entourage, Opera Mail, Thunderbird, and others.

Since there is no inbuilt feature available within Thunderbird that allows you to directly import MBOX files into Thunderbird, you need to install an Add-on called “ImportExportTools” to your Thunderbird profile.

In this article, we will give you complete information on how to import MBOX to Thunderbird manually. But this blog is not for Windows users. We provide you with full details on how to import MBOX files to Thunderbird for Mac.

Read More: How to Fix Import MBOX File Greyed Out Error in Thunderbird

Know More about MBOX File

Before describing the procedure; one thing I want to explain to you is that Thunderbird stores all its data in MBOX file format. You can locate MBOX files at Thunderbird storage location.

Apart from MBOX files, there are many other files in that Thunderbird storage folder like .msf or .msd, but these files do not contain any of your Thunderbird messages. So, for any type of conversion; whether it is MBOX for Outlook or MBOX for Thunderbird, these files are of no use.

Also Read: How to Export Gmail Emails to MBOX File with Attachments?

What is “ImportExportTools” Add-on?

It is an extension provided by Mozilla to perform various operations in Thunderbird related to import/export or backup as per your needs. It allows users to import and export folders or messages with multiple options. With this Add-on you take a scheduled backup of all the files of a profile or only the mails, and now you can import any saved profile too. This Add-on is compatible with all versions of Mozilla Thunderbird and can be easily downloaded from the web.

User Concern about Import MBOX file to Thunderbird

“Hello, I was using Apple Mail at my old workplace, but I just moved jobs. I have an MBOX file that was generated from Apple Mail and I want to import it into another email client. Because I am using Thunderbird at my new workplace, I need to transfer my files as soon as possible. Could someone assist me in the same way?”

Manual Way to Import MBOX in Thunderbird

First, you need to install Add-ons in Thunderbird for the importing process.

#1: Step to Install Add-ons

The ImportExportTools NG add-on works on Thunderbird 60.* –  78.* versions.

  1. Firstly, open the Thunderbird application on your system.
  2. Secondly, click on the three vertical lines on your upper right corner screen.

    import MBOX file in Thunderbird

  3. After selecting the Add-ons option, type ImportExportTool NG (NextGen) in the search bar.

    select Add-ons option

  4. On the next screen, click on the “Add to Thunderbird” option and add the plugin to Thunderbird successfully.

    Add to Thunderbird

#2: Import MBOX File to Thunderbird

  1. Open the Thunderbird application.
  2. Right click on the Thunderbird profile.
  3. Then, mouse over to the ImportExportTools NG >> Import MBOX file option.

    import MBOX to Thunderbird

  4. Select the “Import directly one or more mbox files” option.

    choose import directly option

  5. Choose the MBOX file from your local system.

    choose MBOX file

After attempting all the steps, you can see the MBOX file import in Thunderbird successfully.

Limitations of the Manual Process

  1. This method will take time and effort.
  2. To opt for all these steps, you should know the technicalities.
  3. Maybe in this importing process, you lost your attachments.

For Mac User

Unfortunately, Thunderbird on Mac only supports importing data from configured email accounts such as Apple Mail, Eudora, or any client installed on that machine.

#1: Step to Import MBOX file in Apple Mail

  1. We opened Apple Mail, which was already configured on his machine, and created a new mailbox in it.
  2. Next, we have chosen the “import MBOX file on Mac” option to import the MBOX files from the machine to Apple mail.
  3. After successfully importing all the data into Apple Mail, we opened a Thunderbird account and imported the data from Apple Mail into Thunderbird.

#2: Import MBOX to Thunderbird on Mac

  1. Open, Thunderbird on a Mac machine.
  2. Click on the Menu Icon >>Tools >> Import option.
  3. On the next screen, select the Mail option and hit the Next button.
  4. Select the “Apple Mail option” and click the next tab.
  5. Apple Mail MBOX data will be visible in Thunderbird under the folder “Apple Mail Import.” All of your Apple Mail data will be saved in this folder.

Limitations

  1. There is no direct method to import MBOX files into Thunderbird for Mac.
  2. The time-consuming process
  3. You must install Apple Mail on your Mac machine.
Suggestion: Aside from that, you may need to import Thunderbird emails into MS Outlook at some point. Because MS Outlook is a commonly used e-mail program by both business and home users, it is likely that you want to switch from Thunderbird to Outlook. In this case, all you need to do is save Thunderbird MBOX into MS Outlook PST file format.