Effortless Way to Save AOL Emails to Desktop in Simple Steps

Jamie Kaler ~ September 6, 2024 ~ 8 Minutes Reading

If you’re looking for a reliable way to save AOL emails to desktop, you’ve come to the right place. There are several methods to download AOL to desktop, but choosing the wrong one can result in data loss. So, here, we have shared the most accurate solution to complete the process by manually and expert recommended approach.

AOL stands for America Online Mail is a popular cloud email service provider” should be “AOL, which stands for America Online Mail, is a popular cloud email service provider. AOL Mail can be accessed by various email protocols like IMAP and SMTP. Downloading your AOL mail messages locally allows you to access them even without an internet connection. Due to security concerns like hacking or breaches, many users prefer to back up their AOL email folders.

Why Should Users Download AOL Email to Desktop?

  • You can read, organize and access AOL emails offline when you are offline. It is also beneficial for those users who travel frequently as they can easily access their mailbox data without having a stable internet connection.
  • Backup AOL emails protect your mailbox data from hackers, cyber attacks, online threats. If your AOL account is compromised then you still have backup of your important emails.
  • Having backup of your AOL emails allows you to protect mailbox data in case of accidental deletion or data loss from the server.
  • Exporting all emails from AOL allows users to manage their mailbox data systematically as you can create a custom folder in local drive and also having backup AOL emails allows users to free up AOL mailbox data and also increase the performance of AOL email accounts.
  • Having AOL emails to the desktop allows them to access their mailbox data easily and also helpful to easily migrate into any email server or email client.
  • Store emails for future reference archiving, or legal purpose without relying on the availability or policies of the server.

Method 1. How to Backup AOL Emails Locally Using a Web Browser?

This method only allows you to export single emails at a time. So, Now follow these steps:

  1. Open a web browser and visit AOL Mail’s official website.
  2. Enter AOL email address and password to login to AOL Account.
  3. Go to email as you want to save.
  4. Then press CTRL+P to open the print dialog box.
  5. Select Microsoft print as PDF and click on save button to save the email as PDF file.

Method 2. How to Export All Emails from AOL Using AOL Gold Desktop Software?

If you have already installed AOL Gold Desktop software on your computer then follow the guidelines as we have mentioned below:

  1. Launch AOL Gold Desktop software on your machine.
  2. Then, Login AOL email account and go to the mail section.
  3. Right-click on the email you want to save.
  4. Select location as desktop and press save to complete it.

Method 3 How to Download AOL Emails to PC Using Microsoft Outlook?

If you have available Microsoft Outlook on your computer then you need to configure AOL email account with Outlook then you can easily export into desktop by performing step-by-step instructions as we have mentioned below:
Part 1. Enable IMAP and Generate App Password in AOL Account

  1. Open a web browser and go to AOL Mail.
  2. Enter AOL email address and password to login.
  3. Now, click on the profile name and choose Account info.
  4. Click on Account Security and Allows Apps that less secure signin.
  5. Tap on Account Security and scroll down to App Password.
  6. Press on Generate App Password and select app Outlook, Thunderbird or select others and enter the name of the App.

Part 2. Configure AOL Emails to Desktop

  1. First, Launch Microsoft Outlook on your desktop, then click on the file.
  2. Press on Add Account and click on manual server setups>> pop or imap.
  3. Enter email address, username and app password then fill IMAP Configuration details:
    • Incoming Mail Server: imap.aol.com Port: 993 Encryption: SSL
    • Outgoing Mail Server: smtp.aol.com Port: 465 Encryption: SSL
  4. Finally, click on the test account and wait to synchronize the AOL account with Outlook.

Part 3. Export All Emails from AOL to Desktop

  1. First, Launch Microsoft Outlook on your computer then click on the file.
  2. Press on open and export and next hit on import/export.
  3. Choose Export to a file and click the next button to continue.
  4. Select Outlook PST file and click the next button to proceed.
  5. Browse Outlook mailbox data as you want to export.
  6. At last, browse location for output and press do not export duplicates then press finish button and wait for complete synchronized emails.

Challenges You May Face With Manual Approach

  • Saving AOL emails to the desktop can be time-consuming, especially with Method 1, as you need to repeat the process for each email.
  • You are only allowed to save one email at a time(in method2). There is no direct solution available to save all emails or bulk download multiple emails at once.
  • Manual approaches are prone to errors. There is a possibility of missing crucial emails, accidentally sending them or saving to the wrong destination.
  • Manual methods do not always capture metadata like attachment metadata such as sender/recipients, subject, signature. This can result in incomplete transfer, which may not be beneficial to restore mailbox data later.
  • During the process, there is a possibility of data corruption due to server issues or doesn’t have a stable internet connection.

Method 4. How to Save AOL Emails to Desktop Via Expert Recommended Approach?

As we have described several manual approaches and also seen lots of challenges we face manually. So, we suggest you opt for Jagware AOL Backup Wizard as it allows you to export selectively or complete mailbox data as per user requirements. This software has been completely reliable to get maintained results without losing any single information.

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  1. Download automated software on your computer then launch it.launch software to Save AOL Emails to Desktop
  2. Fill AOL email address and app password to configure with the application.Enter AOL login credentials
  3. Preview to select AOL mailbox data to save AOL emails to desktop
    Choose mailbox folders
  4. Select File formats in the list of select saving options.Select exported file extension
  5. Browse resultant location and press backup to complete the process.Save AOL Emails to Desktop

Illustrative Features of the Professional Solution

  • It allows exporting AOL mailbox data into various file formats such as PDF, PST, TXT, EML, HTML, MBOX and more.
  • This software allows users to migrate into different email clients and platforms like Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail etc.
  • Users can take advantage of filter emails to export selective mailbox data as per date range, subject, sender and recipients to backup only the necessary emails.
  • This software preserves the original formatting and ensures that users access their emails in the same organized manner as it is available in AOL accounts.
  • This software is specially known for its performance as it allows users to export a large volume of emails and you can also export multiple AOL email accounts without taking any single with your mailbox data.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

How do I Export all Emails from AOL?
Export all AOL emails by using the expert recommended approach that allows to save in various formats or migrate directly to another email service securely.


How do I Get AOL Mail on My Desktop?
Get AOL Mail on your desktop by configuring it in an email client like Outlook or Thunderbird using IMAP/POP settings, or use AOL Desktop Gold software.


Is AOL Desktop Gold still available?
Yes, AOL Desktop Gold is still available as a subscription-based service, offering email, browsing, and security features with regular updates and support.


Final Thoughts

This guide outlines effective methods to save AOL emails to the desktop, including both manual and expert-recommended approaches. For a more streamlined and reliable solution, consider using the expert suggested approach to ensure complete and accurate backups of your AOL mailbox data.