How to open an Outlook .msg file on a Mac from Jira or Confluence

Why a Mac can't open the file

A .msg file is Outlook's own format. A .eml file is the open format that almost every mail program reads. Apple Mail and Thunderbird open .eml, but not .msg. So on a Mac without Outlook, a .msg file usually just sits in your Downloads folder.

Jira and Confluence don't help here. Jira Cloud has no viewer for email files, so the preview of a .msg shows unreadable code. Confluence Cloud shows the file on the page and offers a download, with no email preview. Either way you end up with the file on your Mac and no program to open it. More background: opening .msg and .eml in Jira and in Confluence.

Option 1: Outlook for Mac (free if you already have it)

If you have Outlook for Mac, try that first. Recent versions open .msg files: download the attachment, then right-click it in Finder and choose Open With, Microsoft Outlook. If your company uses Microsoft 365, ask IT whether Outlook for Mac is available to you.

Option 2: Outlook on the web (free with Microsoft 365)

Outlook on the web runs in the browser, so it works the same on a Mac. Microsoft's support article lists it as able to open .eml and .msg files that you drag into it, and says that .msg needs a qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription (Microsoft: Open .eml, .msg, and .oft files in new Outlook and Outlook on the web). In many cases that means: sign in with your work account, then drag the downloaded .msg from Finder into Outlook in the browser. A personal account may not be enough.

Option 3: ask the sender for .eml or PDF (free)

If neither works, ask whoever attached the email to save it as .eml or as PDF and attach that instead. An .eml opens in Apple Mail with a double-click. A PDF opens anywhere but loses the headers. Renaming .msg to .eml yourself does not work: the formats are unrelated.

Option 4: read it inside Jira or Confluence

The routes above all mean downloading a copy and opening it outside Jira or Confluence. A Marketplace app can show the email where it is attached instead.

Full disclosure: Dortus makes such an app. MailView reads .msg and .eml files in the browser, so it works the same on Mac, Windows and Linux. Nobody needs Outlook. It shows the email as it was sent, with a plain-English phishing check, and it stores nothing and sends nothing anywhere. There are two separate apps:

• Jira: MailView shows .msg and .eml attachments on the work item, also in the agent view of Jira Service Management (Marketplace).
• Confluence: MailView for Confluence shows an email attachment on the page with a macro, and lists the emails on a page (Marketplace).

Both are free on sites with up to 10 users. One limit: protected Outlook messages (.rpmsg) only open in Outlook; MailView says so and offers the download link.

Tip for mixed Mac and Windows teams

If some people use Macs, save emails as .eml rather than .msg when you attach them. An .eml opens in Apple Mail, Thunderbird and Outlook, and it always keeps the full headers. The new Outlook for Windows can save a message as .eml (More actions, Save as). How to do that in each mail program: Outlook .msg vs .eml.

Short answers

Can Apple Mail open a .msg file? No. Apple Mail opens .eml, not .msg.

Do I need Outlook to read a .msg in Jira or Confluence with MailView? No. MailView reads the file in the browser, on any computer.

Can I just rename the .msg to .eml? No. The formats are unrelated, so the renamed file stays unreadable. Ask for an .eml instead.

Questions

Spotted something wrong on this page, or a case we missed? Email support@dortus.com.

See also: Outlook .msg vs .eml, How to open .msg and .eml attachments in Jira and How to open .msg and .eml attachments in Confluence