Many people create two or more Gmail accounts according to their needs. Moving your emails between your Gmail accounts can be difficult for you. Gmail has fewer native options to transfer your emails. However, a professional tool would be great for direct transfer. But there are manual options that can help you migrate emails from one Gmail account to another. In this, I am going to explain the steps of these methods and provide tips to securely transfer your mailbox.
Table of Contents
- Why Migrate Emails from One Gmail Account to Another?
- Use Import Mail and Contact Feature to Transfer Mailbox
- Transfer Gmail Emails to Another Account Manually with Email Client
- Set up Auto Forwarding for Transferring All New Incoming Mail
- Use Professional Tool to Transfer Email from One Gmail to Another
- Watch the Video: How to Transfer Emails Between Gmail
- Professional Software Working Guide
- How is the Professional Method Better than the Manual Method?
- Tips for Smooth Migration
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why Migrate Emails from One Gmail Account to Another?
But before going through the steps, let’s see the reasons people want to move their mailbox.
- Some users create a new Gmail account as their old account is not suitable for their personal and professional use. But before deleting the old account, migrate their past important emails to the new one to continue their work.
- Some have to merge their two Gmail accounts to reduce the inconvenience of switching between the two accounts. Also, to access their emails without signing in and out of different mailboxes
- When people change their jobs or roles, they move their important work emails to their personal Gmail account for future use.
Users have their own reasons to transfer their emails. Whichever one they have below, I have explained the methods that they can use.
Use Import Mail and Contact Feature to Transfer Mailbox
Gmail offers you a native option to fetch your emails from other Gmail accounts into your target account. This method uses OAuth. It runs on the backend and is suitable for non-technical users.
- Log in to your target Gmail account. Then, go to the Settings page.
- Select Accounts and Import, and then click the Import mail and contacts button.
- Add your source or old Gmail email address. Follow the instructions to connect your account.
It is simple, but if you are not able to move your emails, use the IMAP option.
Transfer Gmail Emails to Another Account Manually with Email Client
As you can see, the POP3 feature is no longer used, and Gmail does not have an option to directly import the emails from an IMAP-enabled account. In this case, you have to use a third-party email client like Outlook, Thunderbird, etc. to act as a bridge to move your emails. So, make sure your old Gmail account must enable IMAP and then follow the steps to move your mailboxes.
- Start by running the client that you have installed on your desktop.
- First, you have to add your Gmail account that you want to move its mailbox.
- To do this, go to the Account Settings. Click the Add Account or New Account option.
- Provide your Gmail email address and password. Enter the Gmail IMAP server settings.
- Connect your account properly. Like this, add your destination Gmail account the same way.
- Once you have properly configured both accounts. Copy the emails from one synced Gmail folder to another.
While following this method, make sure you keep these points in mind.
- Make sure both Gmail accounts enable the IMAP protocol.
- If your account consists of a large mailbox, it will take time to complete the upload.
- Ensure you use a proper high-bandwidth internet connection. If not any connection disturbance will create synchronization issues, or some emails may fail to upload.
So, make sure you first take a backup of your Gmail emails before you start transferring your account.
Set up Auto Forwarding for Transferring All New Incoming Mail
If you wish to go manual, then I suggest you set up auto forwarding on your old Gmail account so that all new messages are redirected to the new account on their own.
- Open your old Gmail Account.
- Go to Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
- Click Add a forwarding address.
- Enter your New Gmail address.
- Log in to your new account to find the Verification Code sent by Google.
- Enter the code in the old account and select “Forward a copy of incoming mail to…”
- Save Changes.
Use Professional Tool to Transfer Email from One Gmail to Another
Instead of going through these multiple manual steps and a lengthy process, we suggest you go with an alternative method. So, using the SysTools IMAP Email Migration Tool, you can simply migrate a Gmail account to another account.
This is the easiest way to transfer emails from one Gmail account to another in one go without data loss or any data modification. Apart from Gmail options, this software supports the migration of other IMAP email services or platform options to transfer emails. In addition, this method allows users to move only selected emails with attachments from the mailbox through a date filter.
Watch the Video: How to Transfer Emails Between Gmail
Professional Software Working Guide
If you want to know how to transfer selected emails from one Gmail account to another account, then download the tool from the above-mentioned download link. Follow the steps:
- Install and run the software, and on the setup screen, you don’t have to do anything. The tool is present with an IMAP endpoint and the Email workloads right from the launch itself. Just add the Date filter if you wish to migrate a specific slice of your Gmail data.
- From the dropdown, select the Gmail option as the source account. The server URL and port number are filled in automatically. All you have to do is tap on the Validate button.
- For the destination, again select the Gmail option from the list and click on Validate.
- Now, you need to map your source and destination account by submitting a CSV file containing your old Gmail email address and new email address. Download the Template, add the details it asks for, and submit the file to the software.
- Finally, validate the user list, prioritize any accounts you want to migrate first, and hit Start Migration.
How is the Professional Method Better than the Manual Method?
To understand how the professional option is a better choice, I am going to compare these two for your understanding.
| Features | Manual Method | Professional Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Time to Go through Workflow | Manual Method takes more time to start the process. As you have to first configure both accounts. Wait until they are properly synced, and then move the emails. | The Software will migrate your emails in a few steps. You have to properly verify your accounts and choose what you want to transfer. |
| Bulk Migration Available | It is difficult to migrate multiple emails, and it will take time as well. | It is especially used for bulk migration while preserving the original content. |
| Handling Large Mailbox | In the manual method, all the work is done by manual method. Handling a large mailbox is difficult while also transferring it. | The tool is capable of handling a large mailbox without any issues. |
| Apply Selective Migration | No, the manual option does not have the option to transfer selective emails. | It provides you with a date filter and allows you to select users to move specific emails. |
| Maintain Folder Hierarchy | It is difficult for the manual option to handle folder hierarchy. | The technology of the tool helps it to keep your folder hierarchy, original message, and attachments intact throughout the process. |
Tips for Smooth Migration
To make sure you properly migrate emails from one Gmail account to another, follow these tips.
- Before you transfer your Gmail emails, make sure your destination account has enough storage to store the emails.
- Don’t delete your old or source Gmail account instantly after the migration. Keep it until you are sure that all the emails are completely transferred.
- Enable IMAP access for both accounts beforehand so that you don’t waste any time during the process.
- Backup your Gmail account for the security of your emails during the process.
- Generate an app password when you enable Two-Factor Authentication. Use it in place of your regular password.
Conclusion
Here we are, transferring your Gmail account to another is not a difficult task. There are several ways to do it. POP3 is deprecated. That’s why you have to use a native Import Mail and Contacts option, but there is no guarantee it will transfer your account or not. That’s why using the IMAP method is great, especially with professional software. The email client option is nice, but the software directly transfers your account without any issues. Make sure you read the tips to ensure there is no disturbance during the migration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q- Is there a maximum number of Gmail emails I can move over?
There are restrictions on how much data you may load into Gmail in a given amount of time with the manual approach. However, with the automated one, you can migrate unlimited Gmail emails.
Q- Will the migration result in the deletion of the emails from the source Gmail account?
The emails in the original account won’t be removed. In fact, a copy is made in the destination account during the migration.
Q- How to transfer emails between Gmail on a mobile device?
There is no direct way for this. Since this process involves many precise settings and options, it is best carried out on a computer.
Q- How can I proceed if the migration process is unsuccessful?
You can retry the process from the beginning in the case of a manual Gmail to Gmail migration approach. However, if you’re using the tool, then you can try the ‘Retry Failed Items’ option.