How to Open MSG File on Mac and View Them Without Outlook

Let’s Know About the MSG File

The .msg file format was developed by Microsoft to store Outlook items like emails, tasks,  contacts, and calendar events. These files can be easily opened in Outlook in Windows, but not on a Mac device. While you can still share emails and appointments between Mac and Windows in other ways. Opening a .msg file directly on a Mac can be quite hectic.

Reasons to View MSG File on Mac

Many professionals may have different reasons to open a MSG file on a Mac. Let us see some of the top reasons:

• When switching from Windows to Mac, you might need to open a “.msg” file to access your old Outlook emails and data.
• MSG files are often used in forensic investigations to examine email data closely. But if you are a Mac user, then opening these files can be a real challenge.
• Moreover, for Mac users, open MSG File on Mac can be tricky. You have to find a method to access the email content stored in the file.

How to Open .msg Files in Outlook on a Mac? Methods 

A Mac user can not open a MSG file because they are not compatible even with Mac Outlook. Don’t worry, here are some easy methods to open MSG on Mac. Let’s explore them one by one.

Method 1: Open MSG File on Mac Using Outlook Web App

The easiest way to open an MSG file on a Mac is to use Outlook’s web version. Just send the .msg file to your Outlook email, then open it in your browser by clicking on the attachment.

If you’d like to open the MSG file directly in Outlook on your computer, just follow these steps:

1. First, perform a right-click on the MSG file.
2. Then, choose Get Info from the menu.
3. Now, in the Info window, look for the Open With section.
4. Then, pick Outlook from the drop-down list.
5. After that, press “Change All” to apply this setting to all MSG files.
6. At last, confirm when prompted.

Method 2: View MSG File on Mac with SeaMonkey from Mozilla

Apart from Outlook, you can also open .msg files on a Mac with SeaMonkey. It is an older internet suite from Mozilla, the maker og Firefox. Go through the steps to use this method:

1. First, download and run the SeaMonkey application on your Mac device.
2. Now, navigate to Window and then select Mail & Newspaper from the menu.
3. After that, press Cancel when the application asks you to add a new account, then hit Exit.
4. Then choose File and pick Open File from the menu.
5. At Last, choose your MSG file to view its content.

Method 3: Open MSG File on Mac by Utilizing TextEdit App

To open an Outlook MSG file on a Mac using TextEdit, follow the steps mentioned:

1. First, do a right-click on the MSG file.
2. Then, go to “Open With” and choose TextEdit.
3. After this, your file will open, but the content looks very complicated with codes and email data mixed.

      Note: This method is not ideal for reading emails clearly, but can be used to view raw text content.

Method 4: By Changing the MSG File Extension

This trick can work sometimes, especially if the MSG file wasn’t made by Outlook. Just change the file extension to a format macOS supports. To perform this method, follow the mentioned steps:

1. First, do a right-click on the MSG file and choose Get Info.
2. Then, Extend Name & Extension Option.
3. Here, change the .msg to another extension ( such as .txt or .eml).

Method 5: Open a MSG File on Mac by Opening Windows on Mac

The easiest way to run Windows on a Mac is by using Parallels, a tool that lets you use Windows and its apps on your Apple computer.

Steps to do this method:

1. First, install the Parallels Desktop installer on your Mac device.
2. Now, configure Windows within Parallels.
3. Now, when Windows is running, install Microsoft Outlook.
4. Then, access all your MSG files just like your Windows PC

Limitations of Using These Methods

• If you open an MSG file in TextEdit. You will mostly see messy code and technical details, not the actual email. So it’s hard to read or understand.
• In manual techniques, there is no Batch opening option. That means you’ll need to open each MSG file individually.
• Moreover, the manual methods might be hectic for non-technical users.
• Additionally, there is a high chance of data loss and data corruption if you mistakenly miss any of the steps.
• Furthermore, Manual methods don’t let you view or extract attachments included in the MSG file.

Open MSG File on Mac with a Professional Toolkit

Earlier, we looked at various methods to view MSG files on Mac, but unfortunately, none of them are reliable for keeping your data safe. That’s why we recommended a powerful and more effective solution: the MSG Converter Tool for Mac. It’s a strong yet user-friendly tool that makes it easy to open Outlook MSG files on a Mac.

Advantages of this toolkit

• This tool quickly converts MSG files to formats such as EMLX, PDF, PST, MBOX, MHT, HTML, TXT, and EML.
• Moreover, it allows you to export the MSG file to Mozilla Thunderbird and other email services like Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, and many others with ease.
• Additionally, this tool has a simple and easy-to-use interface that makes it user-friendly for all kinds of users.
• Furthermore, this tool lets you open MSG files in batches.

Steps to use this Utility

1. First, open the MSG Converter Tool for Mac on your Mac device.
2. Now, choose the MSG file and click the Next button.
3. Here, check and preview the folder from the tree hierarchy. Hit Next.
4. Then, pick a saving format of your choice and utilize the additional features of this tool.
5. After that, browse a saving location for the converted file.
6. Finally, hit the Convert button and open the file in your selected format.

Conclusion

In this blog, we have covered various ways to open a MSG file on a Mac. Since there is no simple or direct manual method to access MSG files created in Windows Outlook, the best option is to use the Professional MSG Converter Tool for Mac. It’s a safe and reliable way to open MSG files on your Mac without the hassle or risk of manual steps.

About The Author:

Rohan Wiese

As a lead technical writer, I know the technical problems faced by office and professional users. So, I decided to share all my technical knowledge through this blog. I love helping you with tough challenges when dealing with technical issues.

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