Need to download an Outlook email to your device?
In this guide, let’s talk about how you can quickly download emails from Microsoft Outlook to your device.
Let’s get started.
Downloading Emails in Outlook for Windows
This one is easy:
Find the email you want to download, and you can right-click on it, click save as then select the format you want it to be.
You can also do this when clicking the ellipsis button (top-right) of the email:
Note that I’m using the New Outlook since it’s likely the version that would stay with us, but the steps also work in the old version.
Update: The UI of the new Outlook is quite the same with the web app, so you can apply the same steps here to the browser version.
Now, as you can see, there are two formats available:
- EML
- MSG
An EML file is the standard email format used by multiple email clients and can save the email as a single file including attachments.
MSG is a Microsoft Outlook-specific format, which stores the email along with all its metadata (headers, attachments, etc.)
In short, choose the file type based on how you want to use the downloaded copy, whether or not it will be outside Outlook. 
If you want the email to be in PDF, the option isn’t in the “save as” feature, but you can just print the email in PDF.
There should be a print icon in the home tab on whatever Outlook version you’re using:
You can also open the print option through the more actions ellipsis button or by pressing control + ‘p’ on your keyboard.
Make sure to select the Microsoft Print to PDF option in the printer.
Exporting Multiple Emails Using Outlook Data Files (.pst)
If you want a copy of a lot of your emails, let’s say, you want to back them up, you can simply export them from Outlook.
Note that this needs the classic Outlook app on your desktop as you need to go into the File tab, then the import/export option:
This will open a new window or a dialog box with various choices for importing and exporting email files.
Choose the Export to a file option, then go for the Outlook Data File (.pst) option on the next screen:
The PST format is better since it includes attachments and formatting, which is nice if you need them for backup or migration.
CSV will only save the email data in a spreadsheet format together with its basic details minus attachments, formatting, etc.
On the next page, select the folder that you want to export, which is likely the inbox or another folder with your emails.
After that, you simply need to pick a save location, set a password (optional), click the finish button, and you’re done.
By the way, if you’re thinking about backups, it might be unnecessary anymore if you’re using Outlook as it’s automatically synced.
The only reason I can think of for this is when you need them for audits/legal matters or freeing Outlook account storage.
Saving Emails on Mobile Devices
If you’re using your phone, you can either use the mobile app or the web app (and follow the steps in the first section).
For the mobile app, open the email, then tap the three dots (more actions) in the top-right corner of the screen:
Find the print option, which should be there on both iPhone and Android phones, then a print preview will appear.
If there’s an option to print conversation, go for it, otherwise, there should be a Share option there (see screenshot).
If you’re using an iPhone, save it to your files:
Unfortunately, saving Outlook messages on mobile is limited to PDFs.
On the other hand, you can also try forwarding the email, or better yet, just take a screenshot!
Do you have any questions about downloading emails from Outlook to your device? Let me know.
For any business-related queries or concerns, contact me through the contact form. I always reply.
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