Corbett

iCloud Backup Tool

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

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4.6 out of 5 from 683 reviews

Apple's IMAP server sends iCloud Mail straight to the 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

On the local drive

iCloud Backup Tool for Mail, Folders and Dates

Free iCloud storage is only 5 GB. A full account stops receiving mail. Corbett's iCloud backup tool copies the mailbox to a PC over IMAP. Here is what comes down and what stays with other Apple services.

Comes across

All mail folders
Attachments
Inline images
Message dates
Read/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 iCloud backup tool saves 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

Core features

iCloud Backup Tool on Five Screens

From the app-specific password box to the finished backup, in the order a run happens.

Adding an iCloud account in iCloud Backup Tool

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 the Apple ID page, not the usual Apple password. That is the one credential a third party tool may use once two-step verification is on.

Server imap.mail.me.com and port detected automatically
App-specific password made once at appleid.apple.com
If the full address is refused, the name part alone often works
Family Sharing members queued together, every Apple ID with its own code

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 entire mailbox first and prune the server later.

A tick box sits on every folder and subfolder
Item counts appear beside every folder up front
The nested folder layout is preserved on disk
Compact view tucks the 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 the right mail is the mail going to disk.

Content prints body, date line and subject together
Message header shows routing, spam scores and delivery times
Properties states priority, size and any files
Hex and raw message surface the complete encoded message

Selective backup

Filter iCloud Mail Before It Is Saved

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

Set a start date and an end date for the run
Search sender, recipient, subject or text inside the email
Limit it to messages that carry an attachment
A size cut-off to pull out the heaviest mail first
Skip junk or duplicate messages

Output options

Select the iCloud Backup Format

The destination comes last: 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
Document formats: PDF, HTML, CSV, TXT, plus vCard for contacts
Send iCloud mail into Gmail, Microsoft 365 or any IMAP server with the email migration tool
Pull attachments, sender addresses or phone numbers into their own files

Before connecting

iCloud Sign-In on Windows With No Mac

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

Required

An app-specific password

Since 2020 two-factor verification has been on by default for every Apple ID, and once it is on, a third party mail tool cannot use the real password. Generate an app-specific password at appleid.apple.com 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 automatically. A guide that mentions a POP server for iCloud is describing a setup Apple does not run.

Username

Sometimes the name alone

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

An app-specific password is safe to hand a backup tool. It only reaches mail and never unlocks the wider Apple ID. Revoke it any time from the same page without touching the main password.

Free demo

Try iCloud Backup Tool on One Apple ID

Install the demo, paste an app-specific password from account.apple.com, tick one folder and choose a format. The disk stays untouched until the run starts.

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Why a copy

iCloud Mail Backup for Storage, Deletes and Lockouts

iCloud gives the least free room of any big provider and no undo once mail is gone. These are the reasons a local copy matters here.

5 GB

The free tier fills fast

A free Apple ID comes with 5 GB, shared by iCloud Mail, Photos, device backups and iCloud Drive. Once full, new mail stops. Archiving older years to a PC file brings the account under the cap without paying for iCloud+.

No undo

Delete once, gone everywhere

Deleting a message in any client removes it from Apple's servers straight away, on every device at once. There is no separate recovery window to fall back on. An iCloud backup tool copy saved first is the only safety net.

Lockout

Apple ID recovery is slow

A locked Apple ID can take days to recover, and account recovery has no shortcut. Mail saved on a PC stays accessible through all of that, whatever state the online account is in.

Apple runs the servers, but saving the mail is up to the Apple ID owner. Saved iCloud files open untouched in the free email viewer software. A company Google account uses the Google Workspace backup tool. Hosting and cPanel mail use the Webmail backup tool. To restore a saved file into a live mailbox, use the email recovery software.

Before purchase

Apple Mail vs iCloud Backup Tool

On a Mac, Apple Mail already holds the account and can drag a mailbox to a local folder for nothing. That works with a Mac and one mailbox. The table shows where it runs out.

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	Drag and drop 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
Date, sender or subject filter	No filter on the export	Set a year, sender or size cap first
Several accounts	One at a time, by hand	One batch, no babysitting
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	A full view of a message before saving

Rows tinted green are the ones 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. Later conversions are handled by the email converter tool.

Specifications

iCloud Backup Tool Hardware and Windows Needs

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
App password: From appleid.apple.com

Supported editions

Any Windows PC from 7 to 11 in 32-bit or 64-bit form. Windows Server 2008 onward works too.

No macOS or Linux build.

Corbett has built Windows email utilities since 2020. iCloud Backup Tool support is handled by its own developers.

Working process

See iCloud Backup Tool in Action

Prefer screenshots? The IMAP backup guide takes an iCloud Mail run one click at a time.

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?

Because two-factor verification is on by default 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 at appleid.apple.com and paste that into iCloud Backup Tool instead.

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

Sign in at appleid.apple.com, 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 in iCloud Backup Tool. 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 might move into Outlook or a different account. PDF if it only needs reading, printing or filing on any device. Many iCloud users run it twice and keep both.

Will saving iCloud mail free up storage?

Not on its own. The mailbox is copied and nothing in it is modified. After the local copy is open and verified, clear the 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 always 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 desktop releases 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?

Yes. 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.

Step by step

iCloud Mail How-To Library

iCloud Mail guides for the jobs around a backup.

Downloading iCloud Mail

Moving and fixing

Related backups

Every provider is covered on the email backup software page. To carry an iCloud account over to a different provider, use the email migration tool. Saved iCloud files can be opened without export in the free email viewer software. More walkthroughs: Migrate Yahoo Mail to iCloud, Migrate Gmail to iCloud account and Import contacts to iCloud.

User testimonials

What iCloud Users Say About the Tool

683 reviews rate the Corbett wizard on which iCloud Backup Tool is built.

4.6 out of 5

Collected across 683 reviews from download sites and customer messages. Three are quoted below unchanged.

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

Get started

Back Up iCloud Emails Today on a Windows PC

Get the iCloud Backup Tool 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.

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