Open a .msg file without Outlook

Quick steps

1. Open Letterlark in Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari.
2. Drag the .msg file onto the page, or click Open files.
3. Read the message. Attachments are listed above the text – click Download to save one, or Open for an attached email.
4. Optional: Export → PDF to keep a printable copy, or Export → EML files to get a standard email file that almost every mail program opens.

Why .msg files are hard to open

The .msg format stores the message in a Microsoft “compound file” with Outlook-specific properties. The formatted body is often kept only as compressed RTF with embedded HTML, and older messages store text in a regional code page instead of Unicode. Letterlark decodes all of these, including the code page, so accented, Hebrew, Arabic or Asian text displays correctly.

Other options

• Outlook (Windows or Mac) opens .msg files if you have it installed.
• Some free desktop viewers exist, mostly for Windows.
• Online converters work too. Many of them upload the email to their server (a few work inside the browser), so check how a site handles your file before using it for private or business mail.

Limits

• Encrypted (S/MIME) or rights-protected (IRM) messages cannot be decrypted.
• Calendar items, contacts and tasks saved as .msg open, but show only their basic text.