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Can’t Open MSG File on Mac Outlook? Complete Guide

  Rollins Duke
Rollins Duke   
Published: February 9th, 2026 • 6 Min Read

This article is for those who are struggling to open MSG file on Mac Outlook. If you are also having the same situation, then start reading and get a complete tutorial on how to open MSG files with Outlook for Mac. Get into the article to find out the most effective solution.

Outlook for Mac is the macOS version of Microsoft Outlook. It is designed to help Mac users manage their email accounts, contacts, and calendar events on a single platform and store them in an OLM file. Outlook for Mac does not support the MSG format, which is why some users can’t open MSG files in Outlook Mac.

MSG is a Microsoft Outlook email format for Windows that stores a single email message along with a header, body, attachment, and metadata. This article shows the complete procedure to open MSG file on Mac Outlook for both Mac and Windows users.

.msg file Not Opening in Outlook Mac? Quick Answer

Basically, .msg is a format that understands MAPI language, and it is not supported by macOS or Outlook for Mac. The MAPI language is understood only by Windows and other applications like Gmail and Thunderbird. Due to this reason, it is nearly impossible to directly view and open MSG file with Outlook for Mac.

But still, you can convert or open .msg file in Outlook Mac directly by using the dedicated MSG converter for Mac by BitRecover without any data loss or size limitations. On the other hand, you can also open MSG file on Mac Outlook by trying some manual workarounds, which are not reliable and strictly not advisable. These manual approaches are risky for your crucial data, as natively macOS does not support MSG files directly. If you want to directly open or convert your large MSG data, you can opt for this tool and try out the free demo version. Otherwise, let’s have a look at the manual methods first.

Manual Workarounds to Open .msg files with Outlook for Mac

Manually, you can open your MSG files in Mac Outlook by converting your MSG to EML or renaming the file extensions. Let’s see all three manual ways briefly.

Convert MSG to EML

  1. If you have Windows systems also, open Outlook in Windows and select your MSG files.
  2. Save them one by one as .eml.
  3. Later, transfer those EML files to macOS via Apple Mail or any other approach.
  4. Then, drag & drop your MSG files into Outlook for Mac, and from there, you can try to view your data.

Note: This method is risky and very time-consuming, plus it does not ensure a fully secure MSG conversion. If you manage to convert MSG to EML automatically using any professional tool would be a much better option.

Renaming file Extensions

  1. Browse and right-click on your MSG files.
  2. Rename the .msg as .eml.
  3. Then, open it with Mac Outlook.

Note: This method is not successful most of the time, and you cannot even consider it as a temporary approach because it does not actually convert the MSG files. It fails most of the time, does not load complete data elements like metadata attachments, and other properties.

How Do I Import and Open MSG Files into Outlook Mac?

Unfortunately, there exists no manual solution if you can’t open MSG file in Outlook Mac. The reason, as we discussed, is that Mac Outlook does not support files with .msg extension. This means that willingly or unwillingly, you will have to opt for an additional program to open the MSG files on Outlook for Mac.

There is no direct manual solution available to open MSG file on Mac Outlook; for this, you will need an automated tool only. One of the best professional suggested tools is BitRecover MSG Converter software, which is available for both Windows and Mac systems.

But as we all know, Microsoft has removed the import and export option from the New version of Mac Outlook, due to which any Mac user can neither export their Mac Outlook data nor import any file. If you have an older version of Mac Outlook available in your Mac system, follow the steps given below completely.

How to Open .msg files with Outlook for Mac? Working Steps

  1. Firstly, download and launch the software on your Mac system by clicking the download button.
    open MSG file on Mac Outlook
  2. After launching, click the Add Folder or Add File option to add .msg files to the software to open MSG file on Mac Outlook.
    browse msg file
  3. Now, you can see all the folders. Select the folder as per your need, and tap Next.
    select folder
  4. Thereafter, choose the PST as a saving option on the software panel.
    select saving option

    Note: If you have New Mac Outlook versions then select IMAP option instead of PST. After that, you can migrate your data by adding the login details of your account.

  5. After that, select the desired location by clicking the Browse button.
    destination path
  6. Finally, click the Export button to open MSG file on Mac Outlook.
    import MSG files into Outlook Mac

Import MSG Files into Outlook Mac in OLM Format

  1. Open Mac Outlook and click on File >> Import >> Outlook for Mac archive file.
    import MSG files into Outlook Mac
  2. Click on Continue and then select the file that you created during phase 1 conversion.
    select pst and open msg file on mac outlook
  3. Finally, hit the Import button if you can’t open MSG file in Outlook Mac.

Advanced Benefits of the Professional Tool

  • With the help of the tool, users may convert MSG to PDF, PST, EML, and other formats.
  • It saves time and effort for users to manage several MSG files at once.
  • Email attachments are retained during the conversion process, according to the software.
  • It maintains email organization by keeping the original folder hierarchy.
  • The tool’s user interface is simple to use and navigate.
  • Data security and conversion effectiveness are guaranteed by this tool.
  • Because it works with several email clients and versions, it is adaptable.
  • Upgrades and technical assistance are provided to users to guarantee a problem-free experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Can I bulk open MSG files into Outlook Mac editions?

A: This is a preferable method to batch open .msg into Outlook Mac without size limitations.

Q2: Does your software permit you to open MSG file on Mac Outlook with attachments?

A: Yes, the tool maintains all types of attachments when opening MSG files in Mac Outlook.

Q3: Is your software compatible with both Windows and Mac OS users?

A: Yes, you can configure this application on all the latest and previous Windows OS and Mac OS machines.

Q4: Is there software compatible with the New Mac Outlook?

A: Yes, this software is compatible with all the latest and older versions of Mac Outlook.

Conclusion

A complete solution to open MSG files on Mac Outlook, New and Older versions, is given in this post. Each step is described in detail in this post. Users who want to view MSG files in Outlook for Mac can check out this page. We assure you that you will not face any problems while working. If you are facing any problems due to the new Mac Outlook, then you can get help from our support team.


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