A .msg file is an email saved by Microsoft Outlook for Windows. They turn up constantly: attached to forwarded emails, stored on shared drives, exported for legal holds and HR files, and sent to people who don't use Outlook at all. If you double-click one and nothing useful happens, or a new Outlook window tells you that you need a subscription, this guide shows every working way to read it in 2026.
What is a MSG file?
MSG is Outlook's own format for a single item: usually an email, but sometimes a meeting request, contact, task or template (.oft is the template variant). Unlike the standard .eml format, MSG is a binary "compound file", like a miniature file system holding Outlook's internal properties. The body is often stored as compressed rich text, and attachments, including other emails, sit inside as separate streams.
That's why only software that understands the Microsoft format can open it. The good news is that you don't need Outlook to do so.
Why "without Outlook" is now a common problem
For years, everyone with Office had classic Outlook, and it opened .msg files with a double-click. Three things changed:
- New Outlook for Windows replaced the Mail app on Windows 11 and is gradually replacing classic Outlook. It can open .msg files, but Microsoft states that "to open .msg and .oft files, your account needs to have a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription".
- Outlook on the web has the same rule. You can drag a .msg file onto the reading pane only with a qualifying subscription.
- Mac, Chromebook and phone users have never had a built-in way to open .msg files.
So a Windows user with a free Outlook.com account, or a business user whose licence doesn't qualify, is stuck, and so is everyone not on Windows.
Method 1: open it in your browser
The fastest option is a browser-based MSG viewer. InboxVue reads the file on your device, without uploading it, and shows the message the way Outlook would: header block, formatted body, attachments you can preview and download, embedded emails you can open, and meeting details for calendar items.
This works the same on Windows 10 and 11, macOS, Linux, ChromeOS, iPhone and Android. For a Mac-specific walkthrough, see how to open a MSG file on Mac.
Method 2: convert MSG to EML, then use any mail app
If you want the message inside a mail app, convert it to the standard EML format first. Use the MSG to EML converter to save a .eml file, then:
- Windows: open it in new Outlook (EML files don't need a subscription), classic Outlook or Thunderbird.
- Mac: double-click to open it in Apple Mail.
- Linux: open it in Thunderbird or Evolution.
Our guide to opening EML files covers each app step by step.
Method 3: convert MSG to PDF
If you're sharing the email with someone, or need a record for a file or a court, a PDF is often what you actually need. The MSG to PDF converter creates a PDF with the full header block, formatted body and attachments list, and can embed the attachments in the PDF with InboxVue Pro.
Method 4: command-line tools (for technical users)
Developers and IT teams can convert .msg files in bulk with open-source tools:
- msgconvert (from the Perl Email::Outlook::Message module, packaged as
libemail-outlook-message-perlon Debian and Ubuntu) converts a .msg file to .eml:msgconvert message.msg. - extract-msg (a Python package,
pip install extract-msg) extracts the body, headers and attachments from .msg files into a folder.
These are powerful for automation but need a terminal, and results vary for messages stored only as rich text.
Method 5: ask the sender for a different format
If the email came from someone you know, ask them to forward the original message to you normally, or to save it as a PDF or EML. In new Outlook, they can use More actions → Save as → Save as EML. It's slower, but it avoids the file entirely.
Comparing the options
| Method | Cost | Works on | Install | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browser MSG viewer | Free | Any device | None | Reading quickly, saving attachments |
| Convert to EML | Free for one file | Any device | None | Opening in Apple Mail or Thunderbird |
| Convert to PDF | Free for one file | Any device | None | Sharing and record keeping |
| New Outlook / Outlook on the web | Needs a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription | Windows, web | Outlook | Microsoft 365 users |
| Classic Outlook | Office licence | Windows, and recent Outlook for Mac | Outlook | Existing Outlook users |
| Command-line tools | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows | Perl or Python | Bulk automation |
Windows users often also consider free desktop viewers; our comparison with CoolUtils Mail Viewer covers the trade-offs.
Troubleshooting
"This file can't be opened" in new Outlook. Your account doesn't have a qualifying subscription for .msg files. Use a browser viewer, or convert to EML first.
The body is empty or shows only text. The message may be stored as plain rich text, encrypted with S/MIME, or protected with Microsoft Purview (rights management). Encrypted and protected messages can only be opened by Outlook signed in with the recipient's account. Plain rich-text messages open in InboxVue with simplified formatting.
Characters are garbled. Older ANSI MSG files depend on the Windows language settings of the computer that saved them. Choose the right encoding (for example Windows-1251 for Cyrillic or Shift_JIS for Japanese) in the viewer's ⋯ → Text encoding menu.
You actually have winmail.dat, not .msg. That's a different Outlook container that arrives as an attachment. Use the winmail.dat opener.
The file is called .oft. That's an Outlook template. InboxVue opens it like a message, with a "Template" label.
Lots of MSG files. Drop the whole folder into the viewer to browse them as one list, then export with InboxVue Pro if you need them all as PDF or EML.
Summary
You don't need Outlook, or a Microsoft 365 subscription, to read a MSG file. For most people, a browser viewer is the quickest and most private option. Convert to EML if you want the message in another mail app, or to PDF if you need to share or keep it.