Exporting Your Swishmail Mailbox Using Apple Mail on a Mac

1. Purpose of this article

This article explains how to export (archive) your Swishmail mailbox using the Apple Mail application on a Mac (MacBook or iMac). Exporting creates a backup file of your mailbox that you can store safely outside of Apple Mail, such as in iCloud Drive, OneDrive, or another cloud storage service.

2. Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure:

• You are using a Mac computer (MacBook, iMac, or Mac mini).
• The Mail (Apple Mail) app is installed and opens without errors.
• Your Swishmail account is already added and visible in Apple Mail.
• You know where you want to save the exported mailbox file (e.g., Desktop, Documents, iCloud Drive, OneDrive folder).

3. Step-by-step: Export your Swishmail mailbox

1. Open Apple Mail

   • Click the Mail app icon in your Dock or open it from Applications > Mail.

2. Select the Swishmail mailbox to export

   • In the left sidebar, find your Swishmail account.
   • Click the mailbox you want to export (for example, Inbox, Sent, or a specific folder under Swishmail).

3. Open the Mailbox export option

   • In the top menu bar, click Mailbox.
   • From the dropdown menu, select Export Mailbox….

4. Choose where to save the exported file

   • A file browser window will appear.
   • Navigate to the folder where you want to save the export, such as:
     • Desktop
     • Documents
     • A folder within iCloud Drive
     • A folder linked to OneDrive, Dropbox, or another cloud storage provider.

5. Confirm and export

   • (Optional) Rename the file if needed to something descriptive, such as Swishmail-Inbox-Backup.mbox.
   • Click Choose (or Save, depending on your macOS version).
   • Apple Mail will create an .mbox file in the selected location.

6. Verify the export

   • Open Finder and navigate to the folder you selected.
   • Confirm that the .mbox file is present (for example, Mailbox.mbox or your custom name).

4. Storing your exported mailbox safely

To protect against data loss, store the exported .mbox file in a secure and backed-up location:

• Move or save the file directly into:
  • iCloud Drive
  • OneDrive
  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox
  • A company-approved network drive or backup location
• (Optional) Keep a second copy on an external drive for additional redundancy.

5. How to use the exported file later

The .mbox file is a standard mailbox archive format. It can be used to:

• Re-import messages into Apple Mail (using File > Import Mailboxes…) if needed.
• Provide a backup copy of your Swishmail messages if your account changes or is removed.
• Migrate or access messages from another compatible email client that supports .mbox imports.

6. Troubleshooting

The “Export Mailbox…” option is greyed out

• Make sure you have selected a mailbox (e.g., Inbox or a folder) in the sidebar before opening the Mailbox menu.
• Try clicking a different mailbox and then reopening Mailbox > Export Mailbox….

I can’t find my Swishmail account in Apple Mail

• Confirm that the Swishmail account has been added under Mail > Settings… (or Preferences) > Accounts.
• If not, add the account again using your Swishmail email address and password.

I don’t see the exported .mbox file where I expected

• Repeat the export process and pay close attention to the selected folder path.
• Use Spotlight search (Command + Space) and type .mbox or the file name you used to search for the file on your Mac.

7. Notes and additional information

• Exporting a mailbox does not delete the messages from Apple Mail or your Swishmail server; it only creates a copy.
• Large mailboxes may take several minutes to export depending on your Mac’s performance and the size of the mailbox.
• For regular backups, consider repeating this process on a monthly or quarterly schedule and naming exports with the date (e.g., Swishmail-Inbox-Backup-2026-01.mbox).