How to open an MSG file
You can open an MSG file with Microsoft Outlook or inspect it directly in a compatible web browser.
FormatPeek Editorial TeamTechnical details checked against the current viewerPublished September 10, 2026 · Updated September 10, 2026
Open an MSG file in your browser
- Open the free MSG viewer online and drop the MSG file in.
- Review the sender, recipients, subject, date and message body.
- Download individual attachments if needed.
The file is parsed on your device and is not uploaded to FormatPeek’s server.
Open it with Microsoft Outlook
On a computer with classic Outlook installed, double-click the file or use Open with and select Outlook. New Outlook and non-Windows editions may handle MSG files differently.
If the file will not open
Confirm that the extension is really .msg, obtain a fresh copy if it is damaged, and avoid renaming another file type to MSG. Large or encrypted messages may require Outlook.
Learn about the MSG format and Mac options.