Is there a way to drag Apple mail items to local folders?

At least some IMAP mail systems, or maybe all of them, are set up to allow the user to easily drag individual emails from the IMAP server location to a local folder location. Local folders can be created and customized at will, and at any level of depth, etc. Is this just not possible with Apple Mail because it is web based only, and staying that way, and IMAP and web-based are two quite distinct types of email programs? Realistically, there is no chance or very little chance of this ever changing? I realize POP email is fading out, except for Thunderbird sponsored by Mozilla, but I cannot get used to the idea of not being able to store selected emails locally. So I can never use Apple mail, except as a sideline additional email? But all, or at least many, IMAP email systems allow saving email items to local folders?

Mac mini

Posted on Jun 28, 2025 05:02 AM

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5 replies

Level 8

38,137 points

Jun 29, 2025 04:53 PM in response to Brandnewuserid

Hi Brandnewuserid

Welcome to this Apple (user-to-user) Community !

Re: "Is there a way to drag Apple mail items to local folders?"

Wondering which MacOS version is installed on your Mac mini.

Eg: Am using MacOS 13.7.6 "Ventura" at present, and have always dragged emails from the "Mail" Inbox to the e-mail folders (called Mailboxes in the Mail app) in the sidebar on the left. I've created these named mailboxes in "On my Mac" in the Mail app itself, (ie: look underneath the default Inbox, Sent, Draft mailboxes at the top).

Eg: Here's a link to Apple Support's article for MacOS 15 "Sequoia"

NB: For accurate info: If you are using an earlier MacOS version, you can choose that at the top of the article::

See how to: Move or copy emails between mailboxes in Mail on Mac - Apple Support

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Re: "Is this just not possible with Apple Mail because it is web based only, and staying that way"

The Mail App on Mac is in the dock, Any eMail Accounts can be added to it, so your emails from your providers (Yahoo GMail etc.) appear in the Inbox.

If you want to add your Mail accounts to Apple Mail : See: Get started with Mail on Mac - Apple Support

You will likely need to give your email provider permission to allow Mail to access your emails, and to choose what happens after the emails download to Mac .... eg: whether or not each email is also kept in the account in provider's website. If needed: Most email providers have a "Help" or Support" section, to help with permission and other settings.

_______________________________________________________________________

Re: "I cannot get used to the idea of not being able to store selected emails locally"

For me, the Mail app makes it easy to receive, answer and store my eMails from 3 web-based accounts directly on my Mac. More info. / tips / support / contact options etc. Mail - Official Apple Support

Resource: MacOS Sequoia (or choose OS at top of articles) : Mail User Guide for Mac - Apple Support

All the best :-)

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Level 8

38,137 points

Jun 29, 2025 09:08 PM in response to Brandnewuserid

Thank you kindly for replying, and for sharing more about your experience, and needs.

Re: I don't know if I would need to convert the .eml type files to some other file extension type first.

Mail can certainly import (and export) email messages in .mbox format.

I understand there are online " "eml to mbox" converters that can accomplish that conversion

Sorry I can not recommend a particular one, never having used one myself.

More info: See how to: Import or export mailboxes in Mail on Mac - Apple Support

Eg: says:

"Mail can import email messages that have been exported in mbox format from other email apps,

and import mailboxes exported from Mail on a Mac. You can export mailboxes in mbox format."

More info. in the above article.

Apple Support's online Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihhJocyLb1I

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Level 8

38,137 points

Jun 30, 2025 02:52 PM in response to Brandnewuserid

Thank you: Have been a little wary of taking time for the learning curve involved to incorporate "Smart" mailboxes myself, so haven't taken the time to investigate or trial them either.

Apple Support's article below may be the best knowledge available, and provides the "how to" with which to experiment:

Use Smart Mailboxes in Mail on Mac - Apple Support

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Jun 29, 2025 06:10 PM in response to brbo

Thank you very much. I had not heard of this feature. I am on 15.5 Sequoia, Mac Mini Pro 2. I just watched this youtube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA0Eg55BaXU, which is helpful in providing illustrations of what you say. Nearly all of my emails are on a desktop client. They were POP3 for many years, but IMAP over the past six months. I almost always drag emails into the saved folder area of the client. The net result of this is that nearly all the historical emails are already in saved local folders in the client app, currently with an .eml extension, and in a complex nested folder structure. It sounds like I could import this large quantity of old saved emails into a new Mac folder using a flash drive, then use the Move command to put these old emails into On My Mac. I am assuming that this folder acts like any other Mac folder. I don't know if I would need to convert the .eml type files to some other file extension type first. But in any case you have certainly opened up a new roadway for me.

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Jun 30, 2025 07:07 AM in response to brbo

I have used CubexSoft for converting emails among the main mail file types. In my limited experience, mostly converting .pst files to .eml files, it has proven effective and impressive. My present guess is that you are right that .mbox format would be needed, rather than .eml, to insert usable saved emails into the Mail app on a Mac. For those who want to save really old emails as an historical record, I like the idea of using CubexSoft to convert emails to pdfs, since replying to them with an email is no longer relevant in most situations.

I am not a regular Mac user, more learning enough Mac to help my wife to switch to the Mac, so my Mac experience is short on details.

One thing I want to figure out is whether "Smart" folders in Mail on the Mac are in every important way the equivalent of local folders in for example the emclient IMAP setup. Some of what I read about the Smart folders indicates they do not contain email files but rather a link, so that they are another view of the emails on the Apple Server, but I am probably wrong about that and could start a new post, once I figure them out better.

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Is there a way to drag Apple mail items to local folders?

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