This article shows you how to download a file containing all the information related to your Gmail account to your computer. Unfortunately, it is not possible to back up your Gmail profile using its mobile app.
Steps
Step 1. Log in to your Google account web page
Use the internet browser of your choice and the following URL https://myaccount.google.com/. All information and configuration settings of your profile on Google and all related services are stored on this page.
If you are not already signed in to your Google account, press the button Log in located in the upper right corner of the screen, then enter your account email address and password.
Step 2. Select the Personal data and privacy option
It is positioned in the center of the page.
Step 3. Choose the item Check your content
It is one of the options in the "Personal data and privacy" section, located on the left side of the screen.
Step 4. Select the Create an archive link
It is located within the "Download your data" section located on the right side of the page.
Step 5. Press the Deselect All button
It is gray in color and located at the top right of the page. This will disable all visible switches within the "Select data to include" table. At this point, you can choose to include only the information you need in the backup, i.e. those related to Gmail.
If you need to back up your entire Google account, skip this step
Step 6. Scroll down the list to locate and activate the gray slider next to "Mail"
It will turn blue
to indicate that Gmail related data will be included in the backup.
To the right of "All Messages" is an arrow icon pointing down. Selecting it, you will have access to a drop-down menu through which you can choose which folders (in this case called "Labels") and related email messages to include in the backup
Step 7. Scroll down and hit the Next button
It's at the bottom of the page.
Step 8. Select the maximum size that the archive will be allowed to have
Click the icon
placed in the section "Archive size (max)", then choose the size you want from the drop-down menu.
You should select a size that allows you to store all Gmail information in one file. For example, if your Gmail profile data is between 2 and 4GB in size, you will need to select the option 4 GB.
Step 9. Press the Create Archive button
It is blue in color and is positioned at the bottom of the page. This will create a backup file containing all the messages and folders of your Gmail profile that you have chosen to save.
Depending on the space occupied by your Gmail account information, creating the backup could take several hours (in more complex cases, even a few days)
Step 10. Download the backup archive
When the creation of the data archive is complete, Google will send you an email containing the link to download it. Follow these instructions:
- Open the message "Your Google data archive is ready";
- Select the link Download the archive present in the e-mail;
- Provide your Gmail login password when prompted;
- If necessary, select the destination folder in which to save the file;
- Wait for the archive to download to your computer.
Step 11. Open the file you just downloaded and consult its contents
Since the backup archive consists of a ZIP file, you will need to unzip it before you can open it. Follow these instructions:
- Windows systems - select the ZIP file with a double click of the mouse, access the tab Extract located at the top of the window, press the button Extract everything, then press the button Extract. When the data decompression process is complete, you will be able to open and consult the file as you would any other archive.
- Mac - double-click the file to decompress, then wait for the process to finish. When the data decompression process is complete, you will be able to open and consult the file as you would any other archive.
