100% Private & Secure

Free MSG Viewer
Read Outlook Emails

Drop an Outlook .msg file to view sender, recipient, subject, date, and body. Parsed privately — no upload, everything stays on your device.

View sender & recipientSee email bodyExtract metadataWorks with any .msg file

Drop your .msg file here

or click to browse

About

What Is an MSG File?

MSG is Microsoft Outlook's native format for storing a single email message. The file is an OLE2/CFB (Compound File Binary) container that holds MAPI properties, headers, body text, and attachments. When you save an email from Outlook as "Outlook Message Format (.msg)", you get an MSG file.

Our free MSG Viewer reads the file on your device and attempts to extract From, To, Subject, Date, and Body. If full parsing is not possible, we show file metadata and a hex dump of the first 2 KB so you can still inspect the file.

Use the viewer to open .msg files on a computer without Outlook, to quickly preview a forwarded message, or to verify exported messages during migration — all without uploading your data to any server.

Features

Features of the MSG Viewer

Open Outlook MSG files with no install

From, To, Subject

Extract and display sender, recipient, and subject from Outlook MSG (OLE2/CFB) format.

Date & Body

Show message date and body text when available in the MSG structure.

Hex Fallback

If full parsing fails, view file metadata and a hex dump of the first 2 KB for inspection.

No Upload

MSG files are processed entirely on your device. Nothing is sent to any server.

Private & Secure

Your Outlook messages never leave your device. Ideal for sensitive or work email.

Works Everywhere

Use on Windows, Mac, Linux, or any device. No Outlook required.

How to use

How to View an MSG File Online

Four simple steps — no install, no sign-up

01
01

Open the MSG Viewer

Go to the MSG Viewer page and you'll see the upload area.

02
02

Drop Your .msg File

Drag and drop an Outlook .msg file, or click to browse and select one.

03
03

View Message Fields

From, To, Subject, Date, and Body are shown in clean cards when parsing succeeds.

04
04

Hex Dump if Needed

If the file cannot be fully parsed, metadata and a hex dump of the first 2 KB are shown.

Use cases

Use Cases for the MSG Viewer

When and why to open MSG files online

No Outlook Installed

Open saved .msg files on a machine that doesn't have Microsoft Outlook.

Support & Legal

View forwarded Outlook messages for support or legal review without uploading them.

Migration Checks

Verify exported .msg files before migrating to another email system.

Development & QA

Inspect .msg output from apps or scripts during development and testing.

Quick Previews

Quickly preview an MSG file on a shared or locked-down machine.

Forensics & Audits

Read sender, subject, and body of saved Outlook messages for audits or compliance.

Compare Plans

Free vs Paid — MSG Viewer

Get started free, upgrade when you need more power.

Feature
Free
Paid
Daily usage
5 uses/day
Unlimited
File size limit
10 MB
Up to 500 MB
All core features
No software installation
Works on any device
Files stay on your device
Batch processing
Priority support
Upgrade — starting at $6.99/mo
Upgrade to Full Version

Unlock the Full Power of MSG Viewer

Remove daily limits, process larger files up to 500 MB, enable batch processing, and get priority support.

Buy Full Version — $6.99/moor $300 enterprise

File Viewers includes:

  • 21 file viewers included
  • Unlimited daily uses
  • 100 MB file size limit
  • All file formats supported
  • Email analysis tools

Also available in the All Tools Bundle

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about the MSG Viewer

Q1. What is an MSG file?
MSG is Microsoft Outlook's native format for a single email message. It is based on OLE2/CFB (Compound File Binary) and stores headers, body, attachments, and MAPI properties. Our viewer extracts From, To, Subject, Date, and Body when possible.
Q2. Do you upload my MSG file?
No. The MSG Viewer processes everything on your device. Your file never leaves your computer. Nothing is sent to our servers.
Q3. Why might parsing fail?
Some MSG files use complex or non-standard structures. We use a simplified extraction (UTF-16LE text patterns). If that fails, we show file metadata and a hex dump so you can still inspect the file.
Q4. Can I view attachments?
This viewer focuses on message headers and body. Attachment extraction would require full CFB/MAPI parsing and is not included in the current tool.
Q5. Does it work without Outlook?
Yes. You can open .msg files on any device. Outlook does not need to be installed.
Q6. Is the MSG Viewer free?
Yes. The tool is free to use with no sign-up and no limits.
Q7. What if I see a hex dump?
That means we could not find readable From, To, Subject, Date, or Body in the file. You can still see file name, size, type, and the first 2 KB in hex for debugging.
Q8. Does it work on mobile?
Yes. You can open the MSG Viewer on a phone or tablet and select an .msg file from your device.
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