Explore Google Takeout MBOX File in Simple Ways on Windows
Tags: mboxfile, googletakeout, readmboxfile
Published: 2024-02-01 06:15:40

Google Takeout is used to export your Google data. So, if you have takeout files and want to see the contents of them, this article will explain ways to explore Google Takeout MBOX file.

Nowadays, Google is the most used search engine to provide information to users. Besides that, it provides many services like Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Google Docs and Sheets, etc. Most users use these products in their daily work. However, losing important data is one of the main concerns for every user. That’s why Google launched the Google Takeout tool, where you can export your data to a file for future use. It can also be used as a backup file to restore your deleted data.

The takeout file exports your data as an MBOX file because it makes it easier to download multiple files at the same time. And you can easily open any email program that uses an MBOX file. Now, to view Takeout MBOX file, there are some methods.

## Methods to Explore Google Takeout MBOX File
As the takeout files are in MBOX format, you can use any program that supports the MBOX file format. To open the file in Thunderbird, you have to use the Import/Export add-on, and then you can read Google MBOX file. A third party can also help you directly examine your file without any difficulties. So, there are two ways to view Takeout MBOX file.

- Import the MBOX file in Thunderbird and see the content.
- Use the software to open and directly view your files.

##Explore Google Takeout MBOX File using Thunderbird
Thunderbird is one of the email programs that are used on Windows, Mac, and Linux. So, if you have the program, you can definitely read takeout MBOX file.

1. First, open Thunderbird and click on the **Tools** button.
2. Select the **Add-ons** option and search **Import/Export Tools NG**.
3. Click on the **Add to Thunderbird** option.
4. After that, **restart **the program. Now, open the program again.
5. Go to the **Tools **option and then the **Import/Export add-on**.
6. Click on the **Import** button. **Browse **your MBOX file and press the **Import **button.

###Limitations of the Manual Method
This method is simple, but it has some issues you may face, such as.

- The addon only allows emails with the file to be imported.
- You can have issues regarding the installation of the addon.
- It doesn’t have any advanced options to analyze the files.

Therefore, it is better to use the software to read Google MBOX files. It does all the things that the manual option does not.

###Explore Google Takeout MBOX File by Thunderbird
In this, we will use the **[professional MBOX File Reader](https://www.freeviewer.org/mbox/) provided by FreeViewer**. This software allows any MBOX file from Thunderbird, Google Takeout, etc. Here, the tool gives a complete view of your MBOX file, and you can see attachments as well as the properties of the file. Advanced options like advanced scan and search help users scan their files for corruption issues or search any selected file. Moreover, there are other features you can use.

###Features of the Software

- You can easily see contacts and calendars in the MBOX file.
- The tool is available on almost all Windows systems, like 11, 10, 8, etc.
- There are no restrictions on viewing an oversized MBOX file.
- It has many preview modes, like HEX, HTML, RTF, MIME, attachments, etc.
- Users get the option to add a file or folder to see it in the tool.
- Full preview of the MBOX file with the attachments.

####Steps to Explore Google Takeout MBOX File

1. Download and install the software.
2. Click on the **Add File** option, and then select the **File** option.
3. Now, **browse** the file by clicking **…** button. Search the file and open it. Hit the **Add** option.
4. After that, the tool asks permission to scan your files; click **Yes or No** to scan your files.
5. Your file is ready, and you can now read the data and **preview** it.

**Note**: If you want to temporarily read Google MBOX file, then you can use the **[Online MBOX Viewer](https://www.mbox-viewer.com/)**, free of charge. Here, you have to just import your file, and it immediately shows your data.

####Conclusion

Google Takeout is used as a backup file, and you can use it to recover your deleted data. In order to explore Google Takeout MBOX file, this article describes two methods. First is a manual way where we use Thunderbird to import and read the file. The third-party tool is the best one, as you can directly open, read, and analyze the MBOX file, whether it is from Google or not.