To manually backup Apple Mail to an external hard drive, you can follow these steps:
Open Apple Mail on your Mac.
Select the mailbox or folders you want to backup.
Go to the "Mailbox" menu and choose "Export Mailbox..."
Choose a location on your Mac to save the exported mailbox files.
Once the export is complete, connect your external hard drive to your Mac.
Copy the exported
Apple mailbox files to the external hard drive.
However, manual backups can pose several challenges. First, they are time-consuming and may require technical expertise, especially for users unfamiliar with file management. Additionally, manual backups may not always capture all necessary data or maintain the folder structure correctly.
Alternatively, you can use specialized tool like
Cigati iCloud Backup Tool that can streamline the whole process. This software spacially designed to the backup the Apple Mail data to an external hard drive, with comprehensive and accurate data preservation. Its also offers a user-friendly features, such as selective mailbox backup, making it accessible for all type of users.