What it opens
| File | Where it comes from | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| .msg | Microsoft Outlook on Windows ("Save As" or dragging a message out of Outlook) | Message, recipients, date, attachments, emails attached inside the email |
| .eml | Apple Mail, Thunderbird, Gmail "Download message", most other mail apps | The same, including forwarded emails attached as files |
| winmail.dat | Arrives as an attachment when an Outlook user sends in Rich Text format | The real attachments and the text hidden inside it |
Emails attached inside an email (a common way to forward a thread) show an Open button, and you can go back with Back.
Your file stays on your device
The viewer runs entirely in your browser. The file is read from your disk into this page and is never sent to a server. You can disconnect from the internet after the page loads and it still works.
Two more protections are on by default:
- Remote images are blocked. Many emails load pictures from the sender's server, which tells the sender when and where the email was opened. Click Load images only if you trust the sender.
- Scripts in the email never run. The message is shown in a locked-down frame, so a malicious email can't act on the page.
How to save an email as a PDF
- Open the file above.
- Click Save as PDF. Your browser's print window opens with the email header (From, To, Date, Subject) at the top.
- Choose Save as PDF as the printer (on a Mac, use the PDF button at the bottom left), then Save.
Attachments are not part of the PDF. Download them separately with the Download buttons.
When a file won't open
- "This does not look like an email file." The file is a different format that was renamed. Check where it came from.
- "This file looks incomplete." The download was probably cut off. Ask for the file again.
- Encrypted or signed messages (S/MIME, Microsoft Purview protection) can only be read in Outlook with the right account.
The viewer reads the file formats published by Microsoft (.msg, TNEF) and the Internet email standard (RFC 5322).
- How to Open an MSG File on a Mac (Without Outlook)Mac Mail can't open Outlook .msg files. Open one in your browser instead, read it, save the attachments or a PDF. Nothing is uploaded.
- MSG Viewer Online – Read Outlook .msg Files FreeFree online MSG viewer. Read Outlook .msg emails, attachments and embedded messages in your browser on Windows, Mac or Chromebook.
- Convert MSG to PDF Free – Without Uploading the EmailTurn an Outlook .msg email into a PDF with the header, body and inline images. Free, works in your browser, the file is never uploaded.
- Convert EML to PDF Online Free (Private, No Upload)Save an .eml email as a PDF with its header and images. Works with files from Apple Mail, Thunderbird and Gmail. Nothing is uploaded.
- What Is winmail.dat and How to Open Itwinmail.dat hides an Outlook email's real attachments. Open it here to get the files back, and learn how the sender can stop it.