Sending Copies of Emails as EML files

If you need to send me copies of email messages, please don't forward the message to me as an inline quotation. Instead send the original message to me as an EML or MSG file so that I have the original, complete with metadata. 

There are two ways to send an original message as an EML (or MSG) file attachment:

1. Use the Forward as Attachment button on your email system - this will automatically package the message in an EML file and attach it to a new email ready for you to send to me, or

2. First download the message or messages to your device as EML files, then start a new email, attach the EML files to it and send to me.

Method 1 is quicker if you are just sending one or two messages but Method 2 may be better if you are sending a larger number of messages. 

Method 1: Use the Forward as Attachment button

Use the Forward as Attachment button to send the email to me as an attachment. 

Most popular email systems have a Forward as Attachment option although it might not be immediately obvious.

If you are using the Mail app on an iPhone there is no Forward as Attachment button as such. You can achieve the same result by tapping and dragging but that is somewhat fiddly and it is usually easier to install the Outlook app and use that to forward the message as an attachment - see below.

If your email system does not have a "Forward as Attachment" button, install the Outlook app

If you can't find any "Forward as Attachment" option on your email system you could install the Microsoft Outlook app on your phone. Both Android and iPhone/iPad versions of the Outlook app are free and have an easy to use Forward as Attachment option. You can use the Outlook app even if your email address does not end in outlook.com - you can still use the Outlook app if your email address ends in yahoo.co.uk or icloud.com, for example. When setting up the Outlook app just tap Add Account to use your existing email account whatever type of email account it is. Once you account is added to the Outlook app, switch off the Organise by thread option (Settings - Mail - Threading - Organise by Thread off) and the focussed inbox option (Settings - Mail - Focused Inbox off) to make it easier to locate individual emails. The Outlook app has ads but you don't have to use it for anything other than forwarding emails as attachments - you can still use your normal email system in the usual way for everything else if you don't want to use an app with ads more than you have to.

Method 2: Download the messages to your device as EML files then send them to me

First download the messages as EML files, put them in a ZIP file, then start a new email, attach the ZIP file to it, and send to me. If there are a large number of EML files to send you may need to send them attached to two or more emails to avoid size limits.

Disclaimer

The information above is necessarily of a general nature and will not be applicable to every case: it is intended to be used in conjunction with more specific advice to the individual client about the individual case. Contact me for advice about your case.

The information on this page about specific computer techniques is provided for information purposes only. Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date at the time it was written but no responsibility for its accuracy, or for any consequences of relying on it, is assumed by me. You should satisfy yourself, before using any of the techniques, software or services described, that the techniques are appropriate for your purposes and that the software or service is reliable.

This page was lasted updated in September 2025. Disclaimer