Corbett

iCloud Backup Tool

Corbett iCloud Backup Tool downloads an iCloud mailbox to a local drive over IMAP from a Windows PC with no Mac needed. Sign-in uses an Apple app-specific password. Folders, attachments and dates come along. Output formats include PST, MBOX, EML, MSG, PDF, HTML, CSV and TXT.

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4.6 out of 5 from 683 reviews

Apple's IMAP server sends iCloud Mail straight to your PC. No Corbett server joins in.

Free demo, scanned clean on VirusTotal and a 30-day money-back window.

Lifetime licence from $99 Free trial saves 10 emails per folder

Apple Mail coverage

iCloud Backup Tool for Mail, Folders and Dates

Corbett iCloud Backup Tool Saves iCloud Mail to Your PC

A free Apple ID gives only 5 GB, shared by mail, photos and device backups. A full account stops receiving mail. iCloud Backup Tool copies the mailbox to a Windows PC over IMAP with no Mac.

Comes across

All mail folders
Attachments
Inline images
Message dates
Read and unread status
Full headers
Flags and stars
Contacts as vCard

Folders backed up

Inbox
Sent
Drafts
Archive
Bin
Junk
Custom folders

Saves as

PST
MBOX
EML
MSG
PDF
HTML
CSV
TXT

Not included

iCloud Drive files
Photos library
Calendars
Notes
Device backups

iCloud Mail, not an iPhone backup

The name iCloud covers photos, files, contacts and device backups as well as mail. This page is about the mailbox plus contacts as a vCard file. Calendars, Notes and Photos sit in separate Apple services, so they stay where they are.

Backup iCloud emails to computer

Related backup pages: Gmail backup tool, Yahoo backup tool, Outlook.com backup tool, iCloud backup tool and Office 365 backup tool. Any other IMAP account is on the email backup software page.

Quick answer

What Is iCloud Backup Tool?

iCloud Backup Tool is a Windows program that downloads iCloud Mail from @icloud.com, @me.com and @mac.com addresses. It connects to Apple's IMAP server and signs in with an app-specific password made on your Apple ID page.

What it saves

iCloud mail, attachments, dates and contacts

Where it saves

A folder, a USB stick, a NAS share or another live inbox

Who uses it

People leaving Apple or running out of 5 GB

Core features

iCloud Backup Tool on Five Screens

From the app-specific password box to the finished backup, in the order the steps happen.

iCloud sign-in screen with app-specific password box

Connect

Sign In With an iCloud App Password

Select iCloud from the list and the IMAP server fills in on its own. The password box takes an app-specific password made on your Apple ID page, not your usual Apple password.

Server imap.mail.me.com and port are set for you. If the full address is refused, the name part alone can work. Family Sharing members queue together, every Apple ID with its own code.

iCloud folder tree with item counts and checkboxes

Folder selection

Mark the iCloud Folders for Backup

Open the account and it shows a checkbox tree with a count on every folder. iCloud storage is shared and small, so most people save the full mailbox first and prune the server later.

A tick box sits on every folder and subfolder. Nested layout is kept on disk, and compact view tucks empty folders out of sight.

Message preview

Open iCloud Messages Before the Backup

Click a message and it loads in the preview pane beside four analysis tabs. People leaving Apple use the preview to confirm that the right mail is going to disk.

Content shows body, date line and subject, message header lists routing and delivery times, properties state priority, size and files, and hex with raw message shows the encoded original.

Selective backup

Filter iCloud Mail Before It Is Saved

Filters apply before anything downloads, so only selected mail lands on disk. Old newsletters can stay behind while the mail that eats storage is saved first.

Set a start date and an end date, search sender, recipient, subject or text, keep only mail with attachments, cap size to pull the heaviest mail first and skip junk or duplicates.

iCloud output format and destination options

Output options

Select the iCloud Backup Format

Choose where the copy goes: a local folder, a USB drive, a network share or a live mailbox at another provider. Saved documents get tidy file names, so thousands of PDFs stay easy to search.

PST for Outlook on Windows, MBOX that Apple Mail can reopen, EML and MSG, plus PDF, HTML, CSV and TXT. Send iCloud mail into Gmail or Apple 365 with the email migration tool.

Flexible use

Three Ways to Back Up iCloud With One Tool

One Apple ID, a family of accounts or a move to a new provider: iCloud Backup Tool handles all three. Test your job in free demo before you buy.

Back up one iCloud mailbox

Back up several Apple IDs

Add every account, then process the queue in one go. Every Apple ID gets a separate file.

Move iCloud mail to a new inbox

Name a live Gmail or Apple 365 mailbox as the target and mail lands in matching folders.

Before connecting

iCloud Sign-In on Windows With No Mac

Apple does not let outside software use your normal Apple ID password. Three points to set up before adding an iCloud account.

Required

An app-specific password

Two-factor verification is on for Apple IDs, and once it is on, a third party mail tool cannot use your real password. Generate an app-specific password on your Apple ID account page under Sign-In and Security, then paste that 16 character value into the backup tool.

IMAP only

There is no POP option

Apple offers IMAP and SMTP for iCloud Mail and nothing else. iCloud Backup Tool connects over IMAP at imap.mail.me.com on port 993 with SSL, all filled in for you. A guide that mentions a POP server for iCloud describes a setup Apple does not offer.

Username

Sometimes the name alone

iCloud expects the short part of the address as username on some accounts and the full address on others. If the full address is refused, drop the part after the at sign and try the name alone. That quirk is behind most first-try failures.

An app-specific password only reaches mail and never unlocks your wider Apple ID. Revoke it any time from the same page without touching your main password.

Working process

How to Back Up iCloud Emails in Four Simple Steps

Follow four steps to get an iCloud mailbox onto your drive. Practice on one folder in free demo.

Install iCloud Backup Tool, choose iCloud and paste the app-specific password made on your Apple ID page.

Select folders and filters

Folders show as a tree with counts. Tick the ones to save, then limit by date, sender, attachment or size.

Select format and location

Choose PST, MBOX, EML, MSG, PDF, HTML, CSV or TXT, then point the tool at a folder, a USB drive or a network share.

Start iCloud backup

Press Export and track every folder on the progress screen. A log and a CSV report list all saved mail.

Want screenshots for every click? Follow IMAP backup guide.

Working process

iCloud Backup Tool Video Demo

Rather follow screenshots? IMAP backup guide shows an iCloud Mail backup click by click.

iCloud backup tool video walkthrough showing folder selection and backup progress

Advanced options

More iCloud Backup Features for Small Storage

Small options that help when 5 GB is nearly full.

App password sign-in

Works with two-factor verification on

IMAP set for you

imap.mail.me.com on port 993

Several Apple IDs queued

One separate file per account

Counts per folder

A tally beside every folder

Date range filter

Frame the backup with start and end dates

Sender and text search

Look up by sender, recipient, subject or words

Attachment filter

Only mail with files attached

Size limit

Pull the heaviest mail first

Duplicates dropped

Skip junk and repeated copies

Resume on drop

A broken connection resumes, not restarts

Folder, USB or NAS

Save to a folder, USB drive or network share

Log and CSV report

Proof of what was saved

Choose output

iCloud Backup Formats and Where They Open

Eight output formats are on offer. Match the format to what you plan to do with the saved mail.

Format	Best for	Opens in
PST	Outlook users and mail that may return to an account	Microsoft Outlook
MBOX	Moving mail to a free email client	Thunderbird and Apple Mail
EML	One file per email, easy to search	Windows Mail and most email clients
MSG	Single messages kept as Outlook items	Microsoft Outlook
PDF	Printing and reading without Outlook	Any PDF viewer
HTML	Reading mail with no email client	Any web browser
CSV	Lists of senders, dates and subjects	Excel and Google Sheets
TXT	Plain text archives of old messages	Any text editor

Free demo

See iCloud Backup Tool Work on One Apple ID

Install the demo, paste an app-specific password, tick one folder and choose a format. Files appear only after the backup starts.

Download free demo

Try before you buy

Free Demo vs Full iCloud Backup Tool

Free demo signs in with an app password, shows every folder, applies every filter and previews mail. Only saving is capped.

Feature	Free demo	Full version
App password sign-in and folder list	Yes	Yes
Preview, filter and analysis views	All available	All available
Emails saved per folder	10	Unlimited
Mailbox size limit	Saving stops at 10 per folder	None
Price	Free	$99 one time
Machines per licence	Not applicable	Up to 5
Money back window	Not applicable	30 days

Download free demo Purchase now

Use cases

Who Needs iCloud Backup Tool?

Anyone with an iCloud Mail address that holds years of mail.

People leaving Apple

Moving from iPhone to Android or Windows and need years of mail off Apple servers.

Users with a full 5 GB

Back up old years, delete them online and get new mail flowing again.

Families with several Apple IDs

Add every account and save them together. One licence installs on up to 5 machines.

Why Corbett

Why Choose Corbett iCloud Backup Tool?

One licence

Covers iCloud and 209+ other providers

No subscription

Lifetime price from $99

Read-only access

Nothing is deleted in iCloud

Direct connection

No Corbett server in between

Eight formats

Plus move to a new inbox

No size limit

Any mailbox size or message count

Free demo

10 emails saved per folder

30 day money back

Refund window on every licence

Before purchase

Apple Mail vs iCloud Backup Tool

On a Mac, Apple Mail already holds the account and can export a mailbox to a local folder for nothing. That works with a Mac and one mailbox. This table shows where it stops.

Task	Apple Mail on a Mac	iCloud Backup Tool
Cost	Free on a Mac	$99 one time
One mailbox on a Mac to a local folder	Export does it	Can do it, plus the extra rows
Which computer	A Mac, or nothing	Windows PC, no Mac required
Output format	MBOX style export only	PST, PDF and six more
Filter by year or sender	No filter on the export	Set a year, sender or size cap first
Several accounts	One at a time, by hand	One batch, queued
Straight to PST for Outlook	Not a format Apple Mail writes	PST is a first-class output
Headers and raw source	Buried behind a menu	Full view of any message before it is saved

Rows tinted green are where Apple Mail wins.

With a Mac nearby, one mailbox and MBOX as the goal, Apple Mail export costs nothing. On a Windows PC without a Mac, or for PST, filtered copies or several Apple IDs at once, iCloud Backup Tool is the better fit. A finished file converts to other formats with the email converter tool.

Global recognition

iCloud Backup Tool Users Trust

Users rate Corbett backup software 4.6 out of 5 across 683 reviews, and software directories list it.

CNET
Download.io
UpdateStar
TopSoftware Advisor
SaaSHub
Uptodown

Specifications

iCloud Backup Tool Specifications

Windows Versions Supported by iCloud Backup Tool

Download details

Released: Dec 2020
Download size: 87.4 MB
Trial limit: 10 emails per folder
Delivery: Download link and key by email
Licence: Lifetime, up to 5 machines

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System

Hard disk: 150 MB to install, plus room for output
RAM: 4 GB minimum
Processor: 1 GHz, 2.4 GHz advised
Rights: Run as Administrator
Account: App-specific password

Supported editions

Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8 and 7, in 32 and 64 bit. Windows Server 2025 down to 2008. Outlook is not required.

No macOS or Linux build.

Corbett has built Windows email utilities since 2020. Support for iCloud Backup Tool is handled by the team that wrote it.

Full specification

iCloud Backup Sources and Output Formats

Complete source and output list for Corbett iCloud Backup Tool.

Goes in

iCloud account sources

Mail source: iCloud Mail on @icloud.com, @me.com and @mac.com
Sign-in: App-specific password from your Apple ID page
Server: imap.mail.me.com on port 993, set automatically
Item types: Emails, attachments, inline images and contacts
Folders: All mail folders, Archive, Bin, Junk and custom folders
Accounts per session: Several, queued one after another
Mailbox size limit: None, any mailbox size
Access mode: Read-only, nothing deleted in iCloud
Filters: Dates, sender, recipient, subject, text, attachment, size
Local files opened: PST, OST, MBOX, EML, EMLX, MSG

Comes out

Backup destinations

Client formats: PST for Outlook, MBOX for Apple Mail and Thunderbird, EML, MSG
PST options: Unicode PST, split by size, merge accounts into one PST
Save locations: Folder, USB drive, network share
Document formats: PDF, HTML, CSV, TXT
Contacts: vCard file next to the mail
Inbox destinations: Gmail, Microsoft 365 or any IMAP server
Separate extraction: Attachments, sender addresses and phone numbers
If your line drops: A broken connection resumes
Reports: Live progress, log and CSV report
Restoring mail: Email Recovery Software

To convert saved files later, use email converter tool or single-format PST File Converter Tool, MBOX File Converter and EML Converter Tool. To move an iCloud account to a new provider, use email migration tool. To open a saved file without exporting, use free email viewer software.

User testimonials

iCloud Backup Tool Reviews From Users

Drawn from 683 reviews of the Corbett wizard behind iCloud Backup Tool.

4.6 out of 5

Pulled from 683 reviews on rating sites and customer emails. Below are three, quoted exactly.

No Mac needed after all

I switched from iPhone to Android and still had years of iCloud mail I wanted off Apple. Every guide assumed a Mac. This ran on my Windows laptop, took an app password and pulled the whole mailbox into a PST.

Helen Park

The name-only tip fixed it

Sign-in kept failing with my full address until I read the note to try just the name before the at sign. Worked at once after that. Would have given up otherwise. Small thing, big difference.

Miguel Ortiz

Cleared the 5 GB warning

iCloud kept nagging that storage was full and mail had stopped coming in. Backed up the old years to my drive, deleted them off Apple, and the inbox started working again. Copy sits safe on an external disk now.

Deepa Suresh

Best practice

How to Keep Your iCloud Backup Safe

Saved mail is only useful if it opens later. These four habits protect your iCloud archive.

Save before deleting online

Deleting in any client removes mail from Apple at once. Copy first, delete second.

Open a sample file

After saving, open a handful of messages. Confirm folders, photos and attachments came across.

Keep PST and PDF

Repeat the backup with a second format. PST for Outlook and PDF for reading anywhere is a common pair.

Store a copy elsewhere

Keep one copy on a home drive and one on a USB drive or network share, named by address and date.

Common questions

iCloud Backup Tool Questions

App-specific passwords, Apple ID limits and what the tool leaves on iCloud.

Do I need a Mac to back up iCloud mail?

No. iCloud Backup Tool connects over IMAP from a Windows PC, so a Mac is not needed at any point. That is the usual reason people look for it, since Apple's own export lives on the Mac.

Why will my normal Apple password not work?

Two-factor verification is on for Apple IDs, and once it is on, outside mail software cannot use your main password. Apple's answer is an app-specific password. Make one on your Apple ID page and paste it into iCloud Backup Tool instead.

How do I make an app-specific password for iCloud?

Sign in to your Apple ID account page, open Sign-In and Security, choose App-Specific Passwords and generate one. Apple shows a 16 character value once. Paste it into the password box. You can revoke it later from the same page without changing your real password.

My iCloud address is refused at sign-in, what now?

Drop the part after the at sign and try the name on its own. iCloud accepts the short username on some accounts and the full address on others, and that mismatch is behind most first-try failures. The app-specific password stays the same either way.

Does it save iCloud contacts and calendars?

Contacts yes, calendars no. Contacts save as a vCard (.vcf) file next to the mail backup, ready to import into Outlook, Gmail or a phone. Calendars live in a separate Apple service, so they stay on Apple's side along with Photos, iCloud Drive files and device backups.

Does a custom iCloud+ domain address work?

Yes. A custom domain added through iCloud+ still delivers to the same iCloud mailbox, so it backs up the same way. Sign in with the Apple ID that owns the domain and its mail comes down with the rest.

Should I save iCloud Mail as PST or PDF?

PST if the mail may move into Outlook or a different account. PDF if it only needs reading, printing or filing on any device. Many iCloud users repeat the backup and keep both.

Will saving iCloud mail free up storage?

No, not by itself. The mailbox is copied and nothing in it is changed. After the local copy opens fine, clear old folders in iCloud by hand to reclaim space under the 5 GB free tier.

Is there a size limit on the iCloud mailbox?

No limit in the full edition. iCloud throttles large downloads, so a big mailbox takes longer, yet the job completes and continues after a dropped connection.

Does my iCloud mail pass through Corbett's servers?

No. Your PC connects to Apple's IMAP server and writes the backup to your drive. Corbett never touches the mail.

Is there a Mac version of the tool?

No. iCloud Backup Tool is Windows software for Windows 7 through 11 plus Windows Server 2008 and newer. It reaches iCloud Mail over IMAP, so no Mac is required at all.

How much does the free iCloud demo save?

The demo signs in with an app-specific password, lists every iCloud folder and opens the preview and filters. Only 10 emails per folder are saved, which is enough to check the result.

Does iCloud offer a POP server?

No. Apple offers IMAP and SMTP for iCloud Mail and nothing else. The tool uses IMAP at imap.mail.me.com on port 993, filled in for you.

Why is deleted iCloud mail so hard to bring back?

Deleting in any client removes mail from Apple servers on every device at once. A local copy saved first is the safety net. To put saved mail into a live inbox, use email recovery software.

Can I back up several Apple IDs together?

Yes. Add every account with its own app-specific password and process the queue in one go. Every Apple ID gets a separate file.

Can I limit the backup to one sender or year?

Yes. Filters cover start and end dates, sender, recipient, subject, words in the mail, attachments and size.

Can I move iCloud mail to Gmail or Microsoft 365?

Yes. Hand mail over with the email migration tool. See also Change iCloud to Gmail.

Does the tool delete mail from iCloud?

No. It only reads the mailbox. Delete old folders yourself once the archive is checked.

Can I open a saved file without Outlook?

Yes. Open it read-only in the free email viewer software.

Does it work on Windows 7?

Yes. Windows 11 and 10 are supported along with all older versions.

Is there a free iCloud backup demo?

Yes. It signs in with an app-specific password, shows every folder and applies every filter. Saving stops at 10 emails per folder.

How much does iCloud Backup Tool cost?

One payment of $99 buys a lifetime licence for up to 5 machines, with a 30 day refund window.

Step by step

iCloud Help Guides and Related Tools

Walkthroughs for jobs that sit before or after an iCloud backup.

Saving iCloud mail

Moving and fixing

Back Up iCloud Emails Today on a Windows PC

Get the demo, sign in with an app-specific password and save sample mail from every folder. A lifetime licence is one $99 payment with 30 days to ask for a refund.

Download free demo Purchase now

87.4 MB · Windows 11 to 7 and Windows Server 2025 to 2008 · 30 day money back