How to Convert NSF to EMLX Manually – Step by Step Guide

You can convert NSF emails from Lotus Notes to Apple Mail manually using Gmail and IMAP. Set up Gmail in Lotus Notes, sync your emails, and then link Gmail to Apple Mail. After syncing, your messages show up in EMLX format in Apple Mail.

Aug 18, 2025 - 11:26
 14
How to Convert NSF to EMLX Manually – Step by Step Guide
Convert NSF to EMLX Manually

If you've ever used Lotus Notes, you probably know that it stores its mailbox data in NSF format. This file has emails, contacts, calendars, attachments, and other things that are in your mailbox. When you use Apple Mail on a Mac, though, the emails are saved in EMLX format.

You can't access an NSF file directly in Apple Mail since the two email programs use different file types. If you are going from Lotus Notes to Apple Mail, you need to convert NSF files to EMLX format. In this blog post, we'll show you how to do the whole thing manually step by step.

Download Now

Why Do You Need to Convert NSF to EMLX?

There are several times when a user would desire to convert NSF to EMLX:

  • Switching from Windows to Mac: Many people switch from a Windows system with Lotus Notes to a Mac system with Apple Mail.

  • Company Migration: If your business is moving from IBM Notes to Apple Mail, you'll need to be able to view your old emails in the new program.

  • Personal Needs: Some users like to use Apple Mail for personal use and wish to be able to check their NSF mailbox there.

The conversion is important to make your old data useful, no matter what the reason.

How to Convert NSF to EMLX Manually?

Sadly, there is no straightforward way to convert NSF files to EMLX manually because the two email programs don't accept each other's formats. But you can still do that by utilizing IMAP configuration as a bridge. Here is a full guide with all the steps:

Step 1: Get your Gmail account ready

  • Use a web browser to get to your Gmail account.

  • Click on "See all settings" in the Settings menu to see all of your settings.

  • Click on the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab.

  • Allow IMAP access and then click Save Changes.

  • We will use this Gmail account to move data from Lotus Notes to Apple Mail.

Step 2: Set up Gmail in Lotus Notes

  • Start up IBM Lotus Notes on your computer.

  • Select Preferences from the File menu.

  • Choose Mail from the options panel, and then go to the Accounts area.

  • Create a new email account and type in your Gmail login information.

  • Set up the IMAP settings correctly:

  • Incoming mail server: imap.gmail.com

  • SMTP server for outgoing mail: smtp.gmail.com

  • Port 993 for IMAP and 465/587 for SMTP
  • Make sure that SSL is turned on for both incoming and outgoing servers.

  • Finish setting things up and save the changes.

Your Gmail account is now set up correctly in Lotus Notes.

Step 3: Move Emails from NSF to Gmail

  • Open your Lotus Notes email.

  • Select the folders or emails that you wish to relocate.

  • Put them in your Gmail account folder by dragging and dropping them there (set up in Lotus Notes).

  • Please wait once synchronization is done.

At this point, all of the emails you chose will show up in your Gmail account.

Step 4: Make Apple Mail function with Gmail.

  • On your Mac, open Apple Mail.

  • Choose Preferences from the Mail menu.

  • In the Accounts area, add your Gmail account using the same login information.

  • While adding, make sure IMAP is turned on.

Now that you've synced, all of your Gmail emails will be in your Apple Mail app. Your NSF data is now indirectly turned into EMLX files because Apple Mail saves its messages in that format.

The manual process has some problems.

The manual IMAP technique works, however it has a few problems:

  • It takes a lot of time and needs to be set up in several ways.

  • You need a robust and reliable internet connection.

  • It may take hours or possibly fail to sync if your NSF file is really huge.

  • When you move data, there is always a chance that you will lose metadata or email properties.

  • Not good for people who aren't tech-savvy because the steps are long and hard to understand.

Because of these problems, a lot of people would rather have an automated solution.

You can use a professional program like TrustVare NSF to EMLX Converter if you want a quick and easy solution. This program converts NSF to EMLX format without having to set up Gmail or IMAP. Some of the good things about it are, A few clicks will convert NSF files to EMLX files. It keeps the formatting of emails, attachments, and folder structure. It can convert a lot of NSF files at once. This software works well with all versions of Lotus Notes and Windows, and an easy-to-use and simple UI. This program makes it easy for even non-technical people to move their Lotus Notes emails to Apple Mail.

Last Words

A lot of people need to move from Lotus Notes to Apple Mail, however the manual way using IMAP is slow and doesn't always work. You could try the manual technique if you only have a few emails. But for big or essential data, the easiest way to save time and avoid losing data is to use a professional tool like NSF to EMLX Converter.