How to Open MSG File on Mac Without Outlook- Easy Methods

Summary:- Like PST, MSG is also an Outlook for Windows file. It is created when one saves individual Outlook emails by drag-and-drop or the Save As function. However, this can only be accessed through Windows Outlook, consequently, it is a challenge to open MSG files on Mac. So, read this blog to get some unique ways, but be careful with the steps. Mac MSG Viewer Software is the most convenient solution among all for bulk viewing.

What is an MSG File?

MS Outlook supports various file formats, including OST, PST, EML, and MSG. Most of you must be familiar with the first three, but not MSG.

MSGs (Message File) are the proprietary file formats to Outlook for Windows and are not supported by Mac. It stores an individual email message from Outlook mailbox and contains subject, sender and recipient details, body, attachments, and other metadata. Where PSTs are created by the Outlook Import/Export feature, MSGs are created by drag-and-drop or Save As.

Even though Outlook for Mac is available, you cannot open MSG file on Mac Outlook 365. Mac-based email clients like Apple Mail, Outlook for Mac, and others do not natively support MSG files. These files are tightly bound to Windows Outlook. So, let us explore various ways to help Mac users access Outlook MSG files.

Free Methods to View MSG File on Mac

This section will mention a few free workarounds for macOS. These may require certain tools or email applications to open Windows MSG. Let us discuss each method with the proper steps:

Method 1: Install Windows Outlook on Mac Using VMware

Tools like VMware Fusion or Parallels Desktop are virtualization tools. These programs are used to run multiple operating systems on a single PC. In this situation, you can use Windows OS alongside macOS. The steps involved are as follows:

1. Download either of the two virtualization programs on your Mac.
2. With the help of the tool, install Windows OS on Mac.
3. Inside this virtual machine, download Outlook for Windows.
4. Now, you can directly open MSG on Mac.

Although the procedure is free of cost, it may involve a little technicality to set up a virtual machine environment.

Method 2: Open MSG File on Mac Using Windows Live Mail

This also requires a virtual machine setup like VMware Fusion. Later, you can install Windows Live Mail and import MSG into it. Follow the process below to read MSG file without Outlook:

1. In the virtual Windows environment, download Windows Live Mail.
2. Next, install and run WLM > go to the File tab.
3. Select the Export option > Email Messages.
4. Choose Microsoft Windows Live Mail as the format.
5. After that, select the specific folders or all folders to export.
6. Define a destination path to save the emails on your PC.
7. Click on Next and import MSG to Windows Live Mail.

Hence, this is how you do not have to depend on Outlook. But it is a lengthy procedure and needs to export each MSG individually.

Method 3: View MSG File on Mac Via SeaMonkey

SeaMonkey is an open-source Internet suite that has an email application to open MSG files. This also supports MacOS. Below are the steps to read MSG file online using SeaMonkey:

1. Firstly, download, install, and launch the SeaMonkey application. 
2. Navigate to the Window tab and choose Mail & Newsgroups.
3. If prompted to set up an email account, click on Cancel. 
4. Now, go to the File menu and proceed with Open File.
5. Browse and select the MSG file you want to open and view. 

As soon as the file opens, read the email and other content within the file. However, this procedure is also not a perfect fit as it does not allow bulk MSG file viewing. In addition, there is the possibility of losing data from MSG.

Method 4: Best Way to Open MSG File on Mac Without Outlook

Instead of trying these complex setups and lengthy procedures, how about a straightforward solution? Using a professional viewer tool is highly recommended. Go for Aryson MSG Viewer for Mac to read MSG file on Mac with ease. The software lets users open and read multiple MSG files added into the wizard at once. One can just double-click on the file and see all data within them, including email, attachments, subject, date, and more. Moreover, it does not depend on Outlook installation to view MSG emails.

Quick Steps to Open MSG on Mac

1. Download and install the MSG Viewer for Mac on your PC. Run it.
2. Click on Select Files/Select Folder and browse for MSG files.
3. Select and add MSG files to the software wizard. Click Next.
4. Expand the tree-heirarchy of all added MSG files.
5. Double-click on any file and click on Preview.
6. The tool will show all email content within the file.
7. To view attachments (if any), click on the Attachment button.

Furthermore, you can proceed by clicking on Next to save MSG emails into a universally accessible format like PDF.

Advanced Features of the Software

• Enable users to open and read MSG files in bulk.
• Displays embedded attachments and metadata as well.
• Also, it does not require Outlook installation on your PC.
• Let users export MSG emails to PDF, PST, EML, MBOX, etc.
• Facilitates migrating MSG to cloud platforms like Office 365.
• Additionally, it is available for both Windows and Mac users.

Hence, this is the most reliable solution to view MSG emails on Mac with added features.

Conclusion

So, do you have a solution for ‘How to Open MSG file on Mac?’ Obviously, this blog explained multiple ways to make it possible. You have various options to choose from. However, before you come to a conclusion, we suggest comparing all the methods’ advantages and disadvantages. Professional viewer software is mostly demanded for its ease and simple interface.

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