After exporting, if you then want to get rid of a mailbox's messages, you will need to delete the mailbox or, if you want to keep the mailbox but not its messages, you will need to move all of its messages to Mail's trash. Now, exporting a mailbox does not clear out its contents. mbox file but creates a new file - Completed Tasks 2.mbox, for example.) (Note: if you export the same Mailbox after it fills up again with messages, Mail does not overwrite the first exported.

Alternatively, you can right-click on the mailbox in the sidebar and choose Export Mailbox. To export a mailbox, select the mailbox from the sidebar and choose Mailbox > Export Mailbox. So already, you are gaining some semblance of control over your Inbox. You can drag and drop messages to your mailboxes, which removes them from your Inbox in the process. Your mailboxes show up in the left sidebar of the Mail window. To create a mailbox, open Mail and go to Mailbox > New Mailbox. mbox file on your computer.įirst, let's back up. If you do, however, you can then export your mailboxes, which creates an. That is, you'll need to create mailboxes for groups of messages. Full disclosure: using this feature requires a bit of upfront work on your work. Or you can archive messages, which keeps them in Mail and still accessible in the All Mail mailbox.Ī better way is to use Mail's Export Mailbox feature. You can simply delete messages (while remembering to empty Mail's trash on occasion). The way I see it, you have three options with the Mail app in OS X to keep a lid on the number of emails flooding your inbox. This is where you'll go to find out how to release your Mac's potential and make the most of your purchase. We'll talk performance upgrades (for old and new models), hardware hacks, and workflow tips. Welcome to Mac Mondays! Each Monday, the team at CNET How To goes in-depth on ways you can improve your Mac.

Backing up mail on mac