How to Clone A Gmail Account Safely Step by Step
I recently needed to make multiple copies of my personal Gmail account. While researching the security guidelines, what I found was that most methods are either outdated or fail to produce a true clone. Not only that, but some of them recommend methods that violate Google’s recent security updates.
So, I am here to teach you three reliable ways to clone Gmail ID step-by-step. Including the professional automated solution, the native “live” import, and the manual drag-and-drop method.
Table of Contents
For creating a duplicate Gmail account, all you need is a little bit of guidance, and that’s exactly what you will find in this write-up. So, read it in its entirety and discover the multiple methods you can use to create as many clones as you want. However, when you attempt the methods, make sure you adhere to all the dos and don’ts that I state in the guide.
Cloning gmail account can mean different things depending on who you ask. So before I reveal the methods, let’s see the reasons why people want to duplicate their Gmail account in the first place.
Why Clone Gmail Account at All?
There are multiple reasons to make a duplicate Gmail account. I have tried to list down the most common ones below. See if you fall into any of the following categories:
- Keep a secondary Gmail backup of important email messages.
- Retain access to email data in case the primary account becomes inaccessible.
- Separate emails into multiple Gmail accounts for better organization.
- Free up storage space in the original Gmail account.
No need to worry if these options didn’t fit your scenario. The methods that I am about to describe work regardless of your original situation.
Best Way to Clone Gmail Account in 2026
For users who want a “One-Click” solution with zero data loss.
Although full Gmail account duplication is not technically possible, the SysTools IMAP Migrator can help you to copy all of the data inside your original @gmail.com ID to the new account. It does so by moving it to the new account. No confusing scripts, just an intuitive UI to add Gmail accounts, validate credentials, and apply filters. It is the perfect tool for this use case. So get yours today.
The best part about this tool is that you can copy the same Gmail data into more than one destination account you own. When you reach the account mapping screen of the tool, download the template. In the source column, populate all the entries with the same Gmail account and the same app password. Whereas in the destination column, add all the Gmail accounts where you want to clone the data.
Then continue with the on-screen instructions.
Why Choose a Tool over Manual Options?
- Zero Downtime: Clone 1 to 10 accounts at once without freezing your computer.
- Smart Filters: Clone only the emails from specific date ranges (e.g., “2024”)
- Folder Hierarchy: Keeps all your nested labels exactly like they were in the source.
5 Steps to Clone Gmail Data Via This Tool
Step 1. Launch the tool, apply date filters, and leave the rest of the settings as is.
Step 2. Select ‘Gmail’ as the source and validate.
Step 3. Likewise, for the destination, select Gmail.
Step 4. Map accounts using the CSV template.
Step 5. View the list, validate, and click on Start Migration.
Despite using a tool, some universal challenges remain built into the very essence of Gmail accounts. So let’s study what they are and how to overcome them to ensure a smooth account cloning process.
Clone Gmail Account onto an Existing @gmail.com ID (Import via POP3)
For users with zero budget and plenty of time.
First of all, check whether the account you are about to clone into has enough storage space to accommodate all the email messages you will move there from the original account. (to check open settings > See all settings > scroll to the bottom of the page).
If you dont have enough free space, then use state-of-the-art IMAP backup software first to secure all existing mail. Then delete the emails you just backed up to free up some space in your account, and start the cloning process as per the steps below.
Step 1: Prepare Source Account
- Open the Old Gmail > Settings (Gear top right) > See all settings.
- Go to Forwarding and IMAP.
- Select Enable POP.
- Save Changes.
Step 2: Start Cloning Gmail
- Log in to the new Gmail
- Go to Settings > Accounts and Import.
- Click on Import mail and contacts.
- Enter your Old Email address.
CRITICAL: In the password field, paste the App Password you generated earlier, not your regular password.
Select all the data you need to import and click Start Import.
The process will continue to run in the background. You can logout and close your browser. It may take up to 2 days or more to finish, depending on your mailbox size.
- Only email messages are imported; labels and folder hierarchy are not preserved.
- The import speed depends entirely on Gmail servers and may take 24–48 hours or longer.
- The process works best for small mailboxes and single-account transfers.
- Some emails may appear in the Inbox instead of their original labels.
Also Read: What to Do Before the B2B2C Email Shutdown Happens
How to Create a Duplicate Gmail Account from Scratch Manually?
For users who want visual control over specific folders.
You must have a second brand-new Gmail account for this to work. Here we will set up our Gmail account in any of the popular free-to-use email clients and take advantage of the IMAP protocol’s 2-way sync feature to help us clone our Gmail account.
- Step 1. Choose any desktop-based email client (Thunderbird, Outlook, etc.).
- Step 2. Set up both the account you want to clone and its copy one by one.
- Step 3. Open both Gmail accounts’ UIs side by side in a split-screen style.
- Step 4. Hold down the Ctrl key, then drag and drop emails to clone a Gmail account.
- Step 5. Keep doing these till all email messages exist in both accounts.
This is not forwarding, which is apparent when checking the email header; it is the same as the original. However, this method too has its drawbacks. You must spend significant time setting up the accounts. If you have not set up email clients before (which would be a majority of Gmail users since Gmail has been purely web-based since its inception), it could be quite challenging.
- Requires setting up both Gmail accounts in an email client.
- Drag-and-drop actions are time-consuming for large mailboxes.
- Higher risk of missed or duplicated emails due to manual handling.
- Internet interruptions can cause incomplete transfers.
Not to mention the fact that the more emails you have, the higher the chances that human errors creep in, where you miss some emails or duplicate some emails more than once.
What Gets Copied When You Clone Gmail Data?
The data that you get after cloning a Gmail account depends on the method you use. One thing is universally applicable regardless of the method. Each email address is unique to Google, and every other email provider is obliged to keep it that way. Just like you can’t have two houses on the same address, you can’t have two different mailboxes for the same, even when you delete the first one. That is why anyone who is going to clone a Gmail account should know what they get.
- Email messages from the Inbox, Sent, Drafts, and other mail folders
- Attachments associated with those emails
- Email metadata such as sender, recipient, date, and subject
- Labels and folder hierarchy (tool-dependent)
- Read and unread status (tool-dependent)
Challenges While Making New Copies of a Gmail Account & Their Fixes
1. The “Duplicate Username” Problem: This is the biggest hurdle while cloning a Gmail account. You can’t reuse your old account name again, even if you delete the original Gmail account. Every Gmail account has to have a unique email address.
A few users try to bypass this by creating “Homoglyphs.” These are visual tricks that substitute similar-looking characters to make the new email look identical to the old one. Like:
- rn instead of m (e.g., rnarketing vs marketing)
- cl instead of d
- 1 (one) instead of l (lowercase L)
Why you should avoid this: According to Google’s Official Account Creation Policy, you cannot create a username that is “Very similar to an existing username.”
Google states: “For example, if [email protected] already exists, you can’t use [email protected].”
Attempting this can get your new account flagged for “Impersonation” and banned. Instead, use logical naming like [email protected].
2. Mobile Number Verification Limit.
To reduce spam accounts, Gmail now asks you to scan a QR code with a mobile device that has an active SIM. This is to verify that the account creator is a human and not a bot.
However, if you have had multiple Gmail accounts connected to the same number, chances are you won’t be allowed to make a new clone. There is no official number on how many accounts you could connect to a single number, but people believe it lies somewhere between 3 and 5.
To bypass this issue, you must use a new mobile number or delink/delete an existing Gmail account connected to your number. Otherwise, clone a Gmail account into an existing account.
3. Storage Space
Free tier Gmail account only has 15 GB of space. So if your old account has 14 GB of data and the new account already has 2 GB full, then cloning will not complete.
Compare Gmail Data Cloning Methods
| Feature | Recommended Tool | Gmail Native Import | Manual Drag & Drop |
| Speed | Fast (Server-speed) | Slow (Up to 48 hrs) | Very Slow (Internet dependent) |
| Accuracy | 100% (Keeps Labels & Read Status) | Low (Inbox only, no labels) | Medium (High risk of error) |
| Difficulty | Easy (Automated) | Medium (One account at a time) | Hard (Requires Email Client setup) |
| Cost | Paid (Free Trial Available) | Free | Free |
Conclusion
Now you know how to clone a Gmail account. However, it is important to remember that cloning is not the be-all and end-all process; you could always migrate mail from one Gmail account to another.
Nevertheless, this tutorial contains all the information that even a non-technical person can utilize whenever they feel the need to duplicate their Gmail ID.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is cloning a Gmail account legal?
Yes, cloning your own data for backup or migration purposes is perfectly fine. However, if you try to clone an account owned by other people without their permission, you’re “spoofing,” and it’s not legal.
Q: Can I forward all the emails to clone them?
You can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. You need to do this one email at a time, as multi-mail forwarding is not available in Gmail. However, there is a big issue while using forwarding to clone a Gmail account, and it’s not the excess time that gets spent. The real issue is that forwarding does not result in a true Gmail account clone. When you forward a message, its metadata is permanently altered. So it no longer remains the same message you got on your main account.
Q: Can I clone Gmail to Outlook/Yahoo?
Yes, but for this, your only option is the professional tool, as the free methods only work for Gmail to Gmail migration.
Q: How long does it take to perform Gmail cloning?
- Free-Method: 24–48 hours
- Professional Tool: The only limit is your hardware.