Where Does the Mac Mail App Store Mailboxes?
Apple Mail keeps mailboxes under ~/Library/Mail in a version folder, with the Envelope Index database beside them. Here is how to get in.
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Mail keeps its local copy of everything in ~/Library/Mail, a folder Finder hides by default. Inside sits a version folder (V10 on macOS 13 Ventura and every release since, lower numbers on older systems) holding a UUID-named subfolder per account, another for On My Mac mailboxes, and a MailData folder with the Envelope Index, the SQLite database Mail searches.
The folder is created the first time Mail runs under your account, so a fresh Mac or a new user account has none of it. Reaching it takes Go > Go to Folder with ~/Library/Mail, since the Library folder above it is hidden.
The reassuring part: with an IMAP or Exchange account the server holds the real copy. Delete the local folder and Mail re-downloads everything. POP works the other way, so check the account type first.
Where Apple Mail stores this, by platform
~/Library/Mail/<version folder>/
V10 is the current version folder, used from macOS 13 Ventura through macOS 26; older releases use V9 (Monterey), V8 (Big Sur), V7 (Catalina) and so on, so open the highest V folder present. Inside are one UUID-named folder per account full of .mbox folders and .emlx message files, a folder holding On My Mac mailboxes (older releases used one actually named Mailboxes), and MailData/Envelope Index alongside them. Mail > Settings > Accounts > Mailbox Behaviors shows whether an IMAP mailbox lives on the server or On My Mac. Deleting this folder for IMAP or Exchange makes Mail re-download from the server rather than lose mail, but POP mailboxes have no server copy. The Library folder above is hidden, so Finder > Go > Go to Folder with ~/Library/Mail is the practical way in.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Apple Mail store emails on my Mac?
In ~/Library/Mail/V10, or a lower V number on older macOS. Each account gets a UUID-named folder of .mbox folders holding .emlx message files, and MailData/Envelope Index sits beside them as the search database.
How do I open the hidden Library folder on a Mac?
In Finder choose Go > Go to Folder, type ~/Library and press Return. Holding Option while the Go menu is open also reveals a Library entry. Neither method unhides the folder permanently, which is fine for a one-off look.
What happens if I delete the Mail folder on my Mac?
For IMAP and Exchange accounts the mail is on the server, so Mail re-downloads it and you only wait, which makes this a standard fix for a broken index. A POP mailbox has no server copy, and deleting its folder loses the mail for good.
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