Switching between email clients can be an intricate task, especially when you want to transfer all your valuable email data. Email migration has become so common these days, that you do not have to worry about the process. Whether it is to Migrate emails from Thunderbird to Outlook or transition from Mozilla Thunderbird to Apple Mail; there is always a solution. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the method of migrating your emails, contacts, and settings. 

This migration process is not very complicated and can be done manually by following a few easy steps. We will explain the migration in two methods, depending on the OS platforms you are using. One is to Export Emails from Thunderbird on Windows to Mac mail. The second is to export emails from Thunderbird on Mac to Apple Mail. Let us go through the procedure one by one.

Method 1: Export Emails from Thunderbird on Windows PC to Mac Mail

Migrating emails from Mozilla Thunderbird on a Windows PC to Apple Mail on a Mac involves a few steps. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you through the process:

On the Windows PC (Thunderbird) Backup your Thunderbird Profile:

• Launch Thunderbird on your Windows PC.
• Go to “Help” > “Troubleshooting Information”.Under the “Application Basics” section, click on “Open Folder” next to the “Profile Folder.”
• Copy the entire Thunderbird profile folder to an external drive or cloud storage for backup. This folder contains all your emails, contacts, and settings.

If you only want to Export Emails from Thunderbird:

• Open Thunderbird.
• Select the folder (inbox, sent, etc.) you want to export emails from.
• Click on “Tools” > “Export” > “Emails.”
• Choose a location to save the exported emails and select the format as “Eml.”
• Click “Select Folder” to start the export process.
• Repeat this step for each folder you want to transfer to Apple Mail.

On the Mac (Apple Mail):

Transfer the Backup and Import Emails into Apple Mail:

Transfer the Thunderbird profile backup you created on your Windows PC to your Mac. You can use an external drive, a cloud storage service, or a direct network transfer. Now, to import the emails:

• Open Apple Mail on your Mac.
• Go to “File” > “Import Mailboxes.”
• Select “Files in mbox format” and click “Continue.”
• Navigate to the Thunderbird profile backup location on your Mac and select the folders you exported (e.g., Inbox, Sent).
• Click “Choose” to initiate the import.
• Apple Mail will import the mbox files and their contents.

This method is only possible when your Apple Mail is configured. However, if you have not configured the Apple mail account, then you can follow the steps below to do it now.

How to Set Up Apple Email Accounts?

Configure your email accounts in Apple Mail if you haven’t already. Go to “Mail” > “Preferences” > “Accounts” and add your email accounts by entering your email address, password, and other relevant details.

Import Contacts:

• To import contacts, you can export your Thunderbird address book (contacts) as a CSV or LDIF file.
• Open Apple Contacts on your Mac.
• Go to “File” > “Import…” and select the file format you exported your contacts in (CSV or LDIF).
• Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the import.

Configure Settings:

• Customize your Apple Mail settings as needed, such as signatures, rules, and notification preferences.

Organize and Verify:

• Organize your emails and folders in Apple Mail according to your preferences.
• Verify that all your emails, contacts, and settings have been successfully imported and configured.

Congratulations! You’ve successfully migrated your emails from Thunderbird on Windows to Apple Mail on your Mac. Please note that the steps may vary slightly depending on the versions of Thunderbird and Apple Mail you are using, but the general process should remain primarily the same.

Method 2: Export Emails from Thunderbird on Mac to Apple Mail

Exporting emails from Mozilla Thunderbird on a Mac and importing them into Apple Mail is a relatively straightforward process. Here are the steps to do it:

Export Emails from Thunderbird:

• Open Mozilla Thunderbird on your Mac.
• Select the mailbox or folder that contains the emails you want to export.
• Click on “File” in the menu bar.
• Choose “Save As” and then select “File.”
• Navigate to the location where you want to save the exported emails.
• In the “Save As” dialog box, choose a name for the file and select “EML Files” from the “Format” dropdown menu.
• Click “Save.”
• Repeat these steps for each mailbox or folder you want to export.

Import Emails into Apple Mail:

• Open Apple Mail on your Mac.
• Click on “File” in the menu bar.
• Select “Import Mailboxes.”
• In the “Import Data from” window, choose “Files in mbox format” and click “Continue.”
• Locate the folder where you saved the exported Thunderbird emails in EML format and select it.
• Click “Choose” to start the import process.

Apple Mail will begin importing the emails. It may take some time; depending on the number of emails you are importing.

Once the import is complete, you’ll find a new mailbox in Apple Mail with the same name as the Thunderbird folder you exported. This mailbox will contain the imported emails.

Organize and Verify:

• Organize the imported emails into folders in Apple Mail if needed.
• Verify that all the emails have been successfully imported and appear as expected in Apple Mail.

That’s it! You’ve successfully exported emails from Thunderbird on your Mac and imported them into Apple Mail. This process allows you to migrate your email data smoothly from one email client to another while preserving your messages and their folder structure.

How to Export Orphan MBOX Files into Apple Mail?

In this scenario, the only possible way is to opt for a third-party tool like Magus MBOX to EMLX converter. It allows you to create .emlx files from MBOX files, which you can import into your Apple Mail account easily. Since the tool is for Windows OS, you can perform the conversion on a Windows PC and copy the data to a Mac via any external device.

Conclusion:

Migrating from Thunderbird to Apple Mail may seem like an unapproachable task, but by following these steps, you can make the transition smoother and retain all your important emails, contacts, and settings. Remember to keep a backup of your data and double-check your configurations to ensure a seamless email experience in your new email client. With a bit of patience and attention to detail, you’ll be up and running with Apple Mail in no time.