How to Transfer Emails from Mac Outlook to Windows Outlook?

You cannot directly export emails from Outlook for Mac to Windows Outlook. This is because Outlook for Mac uses a proprietary mailbox archive file format called OLM file, to save a copy of the mailbox data, locally on the Mac. Windows Outlook, on the other hand, uses the PST file format for import/export purposes and doesn’t support the OLM format.

If you are also looking for a way to export your Outlook data from Mac to Windows, this blog is for you. Here, we will explore some methods to export emails and other mailbox items from Outlook for Mac to Outlook for Windows.

Methods to Export Emails from Mac Outlook to Windows Outlook

To export emails from Mac Outlook to Windows Outlook, you can use an IMAP-enabled email account in both email clients and transfer your mailbox data via it. You can also use an online OLM to PST service to convert an Outlook for Mac data file (OLM) to PST format. Then import the resultant file into the Outlook desktop client. You can also export emails directly from the OLM file to a user profile in Outlook for Windows by using a specialised OLM to PST converter tool. Let’s look at them in detail.

Method 1: Use an IMAP Account to Export Mac Outlook to Windows Outlook

As a workaround, you can export mailbox data from Outlook for Mac to Windows Outlook by configuring an IMAP-enabled email account in both clients. Here is the stepwise process:

Part 1 – Add IMAP Email Account in Outlook

Configure an IMAP-enabled email account (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) in the Mac Outlook app. This will help you move Outlook for Mac emails to Windows. For demonstration, we will use Gmail.

Note: Since January 2025, IMAP settings are enabled by default in Gmail. – Source

Here’s how to configure Gmail in Outlook for Mac:

Open Outlook for Mac and click on Outlook > Preferences.
The Outlook Preferences window will open.
Click on Accounts under Personal Settings.
Then, click on the + icon in the lower-left corner and select E-mail from the dropdown menu.
Enter your Gmail account credentials. Click Add Account to configure your Gmail account in Outlook for Mac.

Part 2 – Move the Outlook for Mac Emails into the Configured Gmail account

Now, move the required emails from Outlook for Mac into the configured Gmail account. To do this:

Right-click on the newly added Gmail account and select New Folder. Rename it.
Go to the mailbox folder that you want to move from Mac Outlook and select it. Drag and drop it into the newly created folder under the configured Gmail account.

Part 4 – Add Gmail into Outlook for Windows

Now, configure the same Gmail account in Outlook for Windows. Here’s what to do:

Launch Windows Outlook on your PC.
Go to File > Add Account to configure the same Gmail account.
The IMAP-enabled email ID will appear in the left pane.
Click on it. All your Outlook for Mac emails will show in Windows Outlook.

Limitations of the Above Method

Here are some limitations of the above manual method.

It is a lengthy process as you will have to add another mailbox account in both email clients to move emails.
Gmail offers a limit of 15GB for free. In case of a large number of emails, you will not be able to move the data beyond this limit. You’ll have to purchase additional storage for moving more data.
Syncing large amounts of data may cause unwanted delays in the workflow.
Network disruption or internet outage while will stall the process.
There are chances of human error while moving emails manually. You can miss some emails or sub-folders, which could result in missing email messages.

Method 2: Use an Online OLM to PST Converter

A simple way to export Outlook for Mac to Windows Outlook is to convert the exported mailbox archive (OLM) to PST format. For this, you can use a free OLM to PST converter service like the online OLM to PST converter by Stellar.

It is a web-based service that lets you conveniently convert a single OLM file of size up to 100 MB to PST in 3 simple steps: Upload > Convert > Download. Moreover, you can use it on a Mac or a Windows system without any difficulty.

Some salient features of the Stellar OLM to PST converter online:

Quickly converts OLM file to PST format
No additional software installation required
No need for Outlook to be installed
Converts a single OLM file of size ≤100 MB for free
Convert up to 5 OLM files of size ≤5 GB using the Premium edition
Works on a Mac or Windows PC
Uploaded OLM and converted PST files are automatically removed from the server after 24 hours
Supports OLM files exported from Outlook for Mac 2024, 2021, and older versions.

After the file conversion, import the PST file into Outlook for Windows using the built-in Import/Export wizard.

Method 3: Directly Export Mac Outlook Emails to Windows Outlook

You can also directly export Outlook for Mac emails to a user account in Windows Outlook using a specialized OLM to PST converter software like Stellar Converter for OLM. You can use it on a Windows PC to transfer mailbox items stored in an OLM file to an existing Outlook profile or append the mailbox items to a PST file. Additionally, you can use it to convert OLM to Outlook-importable PST file or other commonly used file formats like EML or MSG.

Here’s how you can use this advanced tool to directly export Outlook for Mac data to Windows Outlook:

Transfer the exported OLM file from your Mac to a Windows PC.
Download and install Stellar Converter for OLM. Launch it.
The Select OLM Mailbox window will appear.
Click on Browse to select the OLM file. Then, click on Convert.
Wait for the software to scan the selected OLM file. After the scan is complete, it will display all the mailbox data. Select any item to preview it.
After verifying the mailbox data, click on the Save Converted Mailbox option in the ribbon.
The Save File window will appear. Select Export to Existing Outlook Profile. Click Next.
Now, in the Select Outlook Profile and PST window, choose a Profile from the given list of user profiles configured in Outlook. Click Save.
The software will begin importing the OLM file data into the selected Outlook profile. After the process is complete, you will get the Conversion Completed dialog box.
Click OK.

Conclusion

In this blog, we explained how you can export emails from Outlook for Mac to Windows Outlook. You can use the manual method of using an IMAP-enabled email account if you want to move emails from a single Outlook for Mac account to Outlook for Windows.

However, an easy way to do this is to convert the OLM file to PST format. For this, you can use Stellar's free OLM to PST converter online. It lets you convert an OLM file to PST format for free. You can also export email messages from Mac Outlook to Windows Outlook directly using Stellar Converter for OLM. It directly exports OLM file data to user profiles configured in the Outlook desktop client.