open msg files in outlook
We store .msg files in SharePoint document libraries and OneDrive, and to my surprise they would not open in Outlook 2016 for Mac.
If there is not a trick to make this work, it should definately be a feature!

47 comments
-
Janus Bahs Jacquet commented
This is Outlook’s own, native format. Microsoft’s attitude here is essentially that they don’t want Outlook to support its own native format.
This is not a feature. It’s essential, core functionality.
What’s next? Word for Mac cannot open .doc(x) files? Excel for Mac cannot open .xls(x) documents? Because it “does not align with our overall goals”.
Absolute blackmail.
-
Maria commented
3 years.. and still no option. should we stop buying this stufff.. i have to use outlook because my employer uses it. i have to work from home and i own a mac. i'm not able to open meg files from our inner documentation system. it makes working from home impossible. hey Microsoft, maybe you could help people in this already difficult situation???
-
Kelvin Edmison commented
Use case: Team collaborating together, using mixed environment of Mac and PCs. PC-using team member drags an email into a JIRA ticket (embedding as a .msg file). Mac team members have no default way of viewing this file, and the only workaround seems to be to
1) attach the message to a new email
2) save as draft
3) open Outlook online to view the draft message
4) Open the draft message attachments.As the Mac user, I cannot and should not require PC users to move away from a convenient workflow, so their workflow should still permit them to attach msg files anywhere they want. But, this makes my usage experience of Microsoft-created data with Microsoft-created applications extremely poor.
Could Microsoft please support msg files for Mac Outlook clients so that our teams can work more efficiently?
-
Vincent van Hulst commented
How hard can it be to add the .msg support to Outlook for Mac??? This is a real show stopper for solutions which have .msg files stored in sharepoint and want to open them directly on Mac.
-
Shawn commented
This was the response from a Microsoft admin 3 years ago:
"Thank you for your feedback, we have reviewed this feature, unfortunately, we will not be implementing this feature as this does not align with our overall goals."
I use Outlook for Mac in my organization.
It's 2020........Office for Mac Team, please re-align your goals if you need to, and get this going already!
-
Anonymous commented
hopefully this is not simply a microsoft attempt to downgrade usage of mac OS as part of your business strategy-sure looks like it? Please fix this, easy to do and you know what the issue is.
-
Gregg White commented
It's been about 3 years since the reply from the Outlook Mac Team stated they weren't going to implement the ability to open .msg files. Please reconsider this decision. Companies and individuals pay the exact same price for O365/services but gets less functionality than Windows users. This disparity only makes it difficult for the end users, regardless of which OS is being used.
Thank you
-
Mike commented
Please fix this, unable to inport or resend to access my .msg files on Outlook 2019 for Mac.
-
Russ commented
Think this is absurd. Has ZERO to do with operating system. Both products, outlook for PC or MAC are created by the same company. MSG files have been used for years, so compatibility issues are solely on MS at this time. Please fix this.
-
Anonymous commented
This is just crazy! Got an explanation from support that this is to be expected since they are two different operating systems.
Really, so Mac people should only email other Mac people and Windows people only other Windows people.
-
DD commented
Please add this feature! This is vital for ease of working between 2 Microsoft products!
-
Matteo commented
Please have it added asap. it is incredible that is not supported today.
-
Jeff Payne commented
The lack of .msg compatibility on Outlook for Mac frankly seems punitive. I know Microsoft wants to engender support for Windows at any opportunity, but the reality is that a significant number of Office users use Office on Mac---and that's not changing anytime soon. So these sorts of petty shortfalls in the Mac environment serve only to irritate and alienate Mac users who otherwise want to use Microsoft products on a Mac.
-
Anonymous commented
The lack of this capability seems completely arbitrary. This is clearly a huge issue, ive read numerous forums and posts of people understandbly dumbfounded as to why they can make a file and not open the same file in that same program, might be the only example of this that i can think of and seems like absolute laziness to me. Why wouldnt that be considered a basic feature? And if it was attempted and failed during initial launch, an update in the future or at least the reassurance that an update will eventually be available would put some minds to rest. The only reply i have seen said this was not in the plans so im pretty sure that single handedly lost you at least a few handfuls of customers. Please make the intelligent decision and implent the capability as soon as possible. Thanks
-
ks.shankarraman@outlook.com commented
this is a critical feature required for MAC users please have this incorporated asap
-
Anonymous commented
it is nonsensical that this does not work
-
Hareesh K. S. commented
Microsoft can't find a solution for their product error...!
-
Mohamed commented
We all are disappointed with Outlook 365 for Mac. We are always having issues with MS office whenever Mac released a new Mac OS ver.
-
Anonymous commented
I am having same issue here. Very disappointing with Outlook 2019 for Mac
-
Anonymous commented
Please prioritize to support .msg files to open in outlook for mac.