How to Back Up Your Gmail with Google Takeout & Thunderbird (2025)

Are you changing jobs and want to create a personal, offline backup of your Gmail? This step-by-step guide shows you exactly how to use Google Takeout to export your Gmail and view it on your personal computer using Mozilla Thunderbird. *IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:* This video is for informational purposes only. Before exporting any data, you MUST check your company's IT, data security, and employee offboarding policies to ensure you are authorized to create a personal copy of your work email. ⬇️ WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO ⬇️ ✅ How to use Google Takeout to export ONLY your email data (MBOX file). ✅ How to set up Mozilla Thunderbird with a placeholder account for offline viewing. ✅ How to import your complete email archive while perfectly preserving your folder/label structure. 🕒 TIMESTAMPS / CHAPTERS 🕒 0:00 - Why You Need to Back Up Your Work Email 0:20 - CRITICAL: Check Your Company Policy First! 0:37- How to Use Google Takeout to Export Mail // Link: takeout.google.com 2:05 - Setting Up Thunderbird (The Right Way) // Link: thunderbird.net 3:35 - How to Import Your Email Archive (with Folders!) 4:15 - Your Complete Offline Email Backup --- Making the world a more productive place—one training at a time. Subscribe for more Google Workspace tips and tricks that will help you manage your data and workflow! #GoogleTakeout #GmailBackup #GoogleWorkspace #DataManagement #MozillaThunderbird