You can export Thunderbird emails to MBOX format manually, as Thunderbird already stores its email data in MBOX files by default. Each mail folder in Thunderbird (such as Inbox, Sent, or Custom Folders) is saved as a separate MBOX file without any file extension. To manually export these files, you need to access Thunderbird’s profile directory on your system.
Steps to Export Thunderbird Emails to MBOX File Manually:
- Close the Thunderbird application.
- Press Windows + R , type
%appdata%and hit Enter. - Navigate to Thunderbird > Profiles > [YourProfileName] > Mail or ImapMail folder.
- Locate the folder (e.g., “Inbox”, “Sent”, etc.) you want to export — these are MBOX files with no extension.
- Copy the desired files and paste them into your preferred backup location.
This method gives you access to your Thunderbird email data in native MBOX format, but it may be confusing for non-technical users and doesn’t allow selective export through the interface. However, using Advik Thunderbird Converter, you can instanly convert Thunderbird emails into MBOX format.