How to Backup Gmail Account Before Deleting? [Best Solutions] (2024)

If you want to take a backup of your Gmail Account mailbox before delete then this article is helpful for you. In this tech guide, we explained the best solutions and advanced Gmail Backup Software which can easily take a backup of your Gmail Account on the local system before deleting it.

Why Does Take a Backup of Gmail Account Before Deleting?

Taking a backup of your Gmail account before deleting it is a precautionary measure with several important reasons:

1. Data Preservation:

Backing up your Gmail account emails ensures that you don't lose access to important emails, attachments, contacts, and other data stored in your account.
It allows you to retain copies of emails that may contain important information, such as correspondence with clients, receipts, personal communications, or other valuable data.

2. Recovery Option:

Having a backup provides a safety net in case you accidentally delete important emails or if you later realize that you need access to specific data that was in your Gmail account.
With a backup, you can restore your emails and other data to another email account or email client, allowing you to recover lost or deleted information.

Best 05 Methods to Save or Backup Emails Before Deleting Gmail Account

To backup your Gmail account before deleting it, you can use several methods:

Method 01: Backup Gmail Account Before Deleting using Google Takeout

Google Takeout allows you to download a copy of your data from various Google products, including Gmail.
Go to the Google Takeout website: takeout.google.com.
Select the data you want to include in the backup. Make sure to select Gmail.
Choose your preferred file format and delivery method (download link via email, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.).
Click "Next" and then "Create export". Google will prepare your data for download.
Once the export is ready, you'll receive a notification, and you can download your Gmail data.

Method 02: Backup Mailboxes of Gmail Account using Email Client

You can configure an email client like Outlook, Thunderbird, or Apple Mail to access your Gmail account via IMAP and download your emails.
Set up your email client to connect to your Gmail account using IMAP. Make sure to configure it to download all emails.
Once synchronized, your email client will download a local copy of your emails.
You can then export these emails to a backup file format (e.g., PST for Outlook, MBOX for Thunderbird).

Method 03. Backup Gmail Account Mailbox using Third-Party Backup Tools

Several third-party tools specialize in backing up Gmail accounts. These tools often provide additional features such as scheduling backups, selective backup of folders or labels, and incremental backups.
Some popular third-party backup tools for Gmail include: Gmail Converter, Aryson Gmail Backup, and Email Backup Wizard
Research and choose a tool that meets your requirements and preferences.

Method 04: Forward Emails to Another Account

You can set up email forwarding in Gmail to forward incoming emails to another email account.
Go to Gmail Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP > Add a forwarding address.
Enter the email address where you want to receive forwarded emails.
Follow the instructions to verify the forwarding address.
Once set up, all incoming emails will be forwarded to the specified address, effectively creating a backup.

Method 05. Manually Download Important Emails

If you have a relatively small number of important emails, you can manually download them by selecting and saving them as individual files or exporting them to a file format (e.g., EML or PDF).

Conclusion:

Choose the method that best suits your needs in terms of convenience, comprehensiveness, and security. It's essential to ensure that your backup includes all the data you want to retain before deleting your Gmail account.