Best Ways to Open OLM File on Mac Without Outlook

Published On - March 18, 2025 by Nasir Khan | Reading Time: 5 minutes

OLM is an Outlook-specific format, users look for alternative solutions to open OLM file on Mac without Outlook. It’s really difficult to access OLM files without Mac Outlook, whether for migrating to other email clients or accessing old emails. Fortunately, Regain Software has an alternative to do so. One can use OLM Converter Software to save OLM files into a compatible format and read emails. Explore in more detail how to access OLM emails on Mac and Windows.

Why Open OLM File Without Outlook on Mac?

Such a situation may appear due to various reasons, some of which are discussed in this section:

• If Outlook for Mac is not installed or users do not have access. This means an expired Office 365 subscription or no installation of Outlook can be the prior reason.
• Suppose a user has a backup OLM file and he/she no longer has access to Outlook. In that case, Mac’s default Mail app won’t open OLM files. So, it is needed to access OLM without Outlook.
• Many users switch from Outlook for Mac to Thunderbird or Outlook for Windows nowadays. However, OLM is not directly supported by any other email clients. So, users need to convert OLM to PST on Mac or other formats to access OLM emails.
• When sharing OLM files with non-Outlook users or for some legal and compliance purposes, it is important to save OLM in other formats.
• Also, if the Outlook profile got corrupt, it won’t let direct access to mailbox emails. That’s why users need to open OLM files without Outlook on Mac.

Similarly, there are many other possible reasons why users seek for solution to open Mac OLM without Outlook.

Location to Find OLM Files on Mac

Before knowing how to open OLM file on Mac, explore where you can locate your OLM files on different Outlook for Mac versions:

Outlook 2019 & 2016 for Mac:

Users//Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/Outlook/Outlook 15 Profiles/Main Profile

Note: For both Outlook 2016 and 2019, the ‘Outlook 15 Profiles’ folder remains the same.

Outlook 2011 for Mac:

Users//Documents/Microsoft User Data/Office 2011 Identities/Main Identity

Note: Mac Outlook 2011 stores profiles under ‘Microsoft User Data’ and not in ‘Group Containers.’

Points to Remember:

• By default, the Library folder is hidden on Mac. To open Library, go to Finder > Go. Then, select ‘Go to Folder’ and enter the following:
  

  ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/Outlook/

• Users need to manually export emails to OLM, they are not saved automatically.

Now, let us explore solutions to open and read OLM files on Mac and Windows.

How to Open OLM File on Mac System?

This is a manual process and users need to have access to Microsoft Outlook on Mac to perform the following:

1. Open MS Outlook on your Mac device.
2. Go to the Tools tab and select the Import option.
3. A pop-up window opens.
4. Select Outlook for Mac Archive File (.olm) and click Continue.
5. Your Mac system will automatically scan the OLM files.
6. Select the required file and start the import process.

Once the import is done, go to the On My Computer section (left pane of Outlook) and access emails and other items.

Similarly, you can access OLM on your Windows using MS Outlook. Let us see how.

How to Open OLM File on Windows?

This procedure explains the steps to open OLM on Windows. However, unlike Mac Outlook, Windows Outlook cannot directly import OLM. So, here Gmail serves as a medium to convert OLM to PST. Also, it requires both a Mac and Windows PC. Follow the steps mentioned one after another.

Step1: Configure IMAP Account on Windows Outlook (Gmail)

1. Access your Gmail account first on your Windows PC.
2. Go to Settings (Gear Icon) in the top-right corner > See All Settings.
3. Now, move to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
4. In the IMAP Access section >select the Enable IMAP option.

Step2: Add Your Gmail Account to Outlook for Mac

1. Open Outlook for Mac > Go to the Outlook menu.
2. Hit on Preferences > select Personal Settings > Accounts.
3. Press the ‘+’ symbol and add your Gmail account to Mac Outlook.

Step3: Migrate OLM Emails to Gmail

1. Right-click the Inbox folder > New Folder.
2. Assign a Name to the new folder (say OLM Emails) to save selected OLM emails.
3. Now, drag and drop all the OLM emails you want to migrate into this ‘OLM Emails’ folder.

Step4: Sync Gmail with Windows Outlook

1. Open Windows Outlook.
2. Add the same Gmail account as in Outlook for Mac.
3. Wait for Outlook to complete syncing Gmail emails.
4. Once the sync is complete, all emails will be available in Windows Outlook.

Further, you can also convert OLM emails to PST using the Import/Export feature. However, all these procedures involve using Outlook applications either on Mac or Windows. Therefore, an expert software solution is suggested further to read OLM files without Outlook on Mac as well as Windows.

Best Way to Open OLM File on Mac Without Outlook

To get rid of the hassle of a manual approach, prefer using Regain OLM Converter for Mac. It is a top-notch utility to open multiple OLM files at once. With the smart preview feature, you can view OLM emails, metadata, and attachments. Also, it allows converting OLM to PST, PDF, EML, and many other formats for easy access. Thus, you get an OLM viewer and converter in a single software. Hence, it is a cost-effective software solution with an easy-to-use interface. Also, it possesses wide compatibility with all versions of MacOS.

To open OLM files on Windows and convert them to PST, use OLM Converter for Windows OS. The Windows version of the tool also has similar features as the Mac software.

Free Download100% Secure Buy NowPrice: $39

Steps to Open OLM file without Outlook on Mac:

1. Download the OLM Converter Tool for Mac and install it.
2. Run the software on your Mac system.
3. Browse for OLM files on your system and select to add.
4. Once added successfully, the preview pane opens.
5. Here, expand the folder hierarchy and read OLM emails.
6. Further to convert, go to Export > Choose format > Convert Now.

Isn’t this the easiest solution to access OLM files? Of course, it is! The software has other features as well:

• Let users add and open multiple OLM files at a time.
• No limitations on the OLM file size for conversion.
• no need for Outlook installation on your system.
• Widely compatible and convenient to use for everyone.

Conclusion

Because OLM is a proprietary format of Outlook for Mac, it’s challenging to open OLM files on Mac without Outlook. However, we have introduced the best software solution to overcome this challenge. Along with the manual procedure, we have mentioned a powerful utility that does not depend on Outlook to access OLM files. Run the free version of the software to explore its functionalities and how it works.

Frequently Asked Questions-

Q. How do I create an OLM file in Outlook for Mac?

Ans– Follow the steps:

1. Open Outlook for Mac > File > Export.
2. Select Outlook for Mac Data File (.olm) > Continue.
3. Choose the email items you want to export as an OLM file.
4. Select a destination folder. Click Save to complete the process.

Q. How do I convert an OLM file to PST?

Ans– One of the most recommended solutions for this is using professional software. You can download Regain OLM to PST Converter Software for bulk conversion of OLM files. It is simple to operate and requires no technical expertise. However, a manual approach can be performed via Gmail Configuration and requires both Outlook for Mac and Windows.