How to Access Mail After Closing Account?

[Mr. Monsieur]

Howdy folks!

I need to close an email account online, but I'd like to keep the messages that are already downloaded into Mail. How do I need to configure Mail so that it doesn't automatically delete the messages after I've deleted the account online, and it's unable to sync?

Relatedly...I'd like to setup another email account online to sync with Mail (is this even possible?) So within Mail I'd have both the emails from the old email provider as well as the latest emails from the new email provider?

 

[Tech198]

If its IMAP they are not downloaded. so before i close the online account, i would first delete, and re-create the account, BUT make it POP.

If it's already POP. then go ahead and delete the online account. As messages are stored on your machine.

 

[CreatorCode]

If they're IMAP mailboxes/folders, select each mailbox in the list in Mail and choose Mailbox ▸ Export mailbox... and save them to a folder on your computer..

You can then re-import them later and then drag them into your new mail provider's account.

 

[Panch0]

Most mail clients have a way to save email to an external file, then re-import those messages.

In mail.app ( the standard mail client on macOS ), right click the account you want to export and click "Export". This will bring up a dialog where you select where to sabe your export file. At the bottom of the dialog is an "Options" link that gives you the option to save all subfolders.

After you export, go to File/Import MailBoxes... Select the file you just saved and mail will load all of the exported messages under an "Imports" section that is seperate from your mailboxes.

Verify that you actually got all of the mail you wanted ( all subfolders for example), and when you are satisfied, just delete the account from your accounts.

Add your new account. The new account is live under the "Inboxes" heading while the contents of the old account is available under the "Imported" heading

 

[Fuchal]

You can also just create an "On My Mac" folder in Mail and copy your messages into it.