To forward AOL email to iCloud, you can manually forward your emails and set up auto-forwarding to move future emails, or transfer your emails from AOL to iCloud Mail. There is a native option, a drag/drop method, and professional software like SysTools IMAP Migration Tool that can easily move your mailbox. In this blog, I am going to provide the steps for each method properly. But before that, let us learn the reason to forward your emails.

Table of Contents
  1. Why are People Forwarding AOL to iCloud Mail Account?
  2. How to Manually Forward AOL Email to iCloud?
  3. Migrate AOL Mailbox to iCloud using Native Tool
  4. Manually Sync AOL Account with iCloud using Apple Mail Desktop App
  5. Issues when Manually Migrating AOL Mailbox to iCloud Mail
  6. Forward AOL Email to iCloud with Professional Software
  7. Steps to Use the Tool
  8. Concluding Words

Why are People Forwarding AOL to iCloud Mail Account?

It will be helpful in understanding the procedure for transferring your emails by knowing the user’s reasons for moving their mailbox. Although the cause can be personal, there are common factors. Such as:

  • By moving your AOL emails to iCloud, you can read and manage your emails in one account without needing to switch to a different webmail.
  • Many people set up forwarding to receive their new incoming emails automatically. This ensures that you don’t miss messages.
  • The full storage issue is also one of the reasons people are transferring their important emails, as their AOL mailbox storage is full.
  • iCloud Mail provides you with strong spam filtering, no advertisements, and privacy features that are not available in AOL Mail.
  • Some are migrating to iCloud because they are closing their AOL account.
  • Many forward their emails as a backup for future use.

For these reasons, many are moving their AOL mailbox to iCloud. For these reasons, here are the ways to transfer your mailbox.

How to Manually Forward AOL email to iCloud?

To forward your AOL messages:

  1. Open your AOL message, click the More option (three-dot button).
  2. Select the Forward button and add your Apple ID.

You can set auto-forwarding from AOL Mail. The steps of the process depend on the interface you have: modern or classic. For the modern layout, below are the steps.

  1. Log in to your AOL Mail, and click the gear-shaped icon at the top right corner.
  2. Choose More Settings, then press Mailboxes.
  3. Select your primary AOL email account, then click the Auto-forwarding section.
  4. Provide the iCloud email address and hit the Verify button.

For classic AOL layout:

  1. Under your username in AOL, click on Options, then Mail Settings.
  2. Select General Settings and choose Forwarding.
  3. Click Forward a copy of incoming mail to and then provide the iCloud email address.
  4. Press the Save Changes button.

After this, you have to verify your destination account.

  1. Log in to your iCloud Mail account, and search for the verification message from AOL member services.
  2. Open the email and click on the verification link.
  3. Go back to the AOL account, refresh, or click the Save button.

If you want to transfer emails from AOL to an iCloud email account, follow the next manual method.

Migrate AOL Mailbox to iCloud using Native Tool

Apple Mail has an import feature that can directly pull the messages from AOL to your iCloud account. This function does not transfer your mailbox. It copies the emails and moves them to Apple’s server. But before starting this, create an AOL app password, as Apple requires you to add a specific token to pass security. This native option is available in web browsers and mobile apps.

  1. Log in to the iCloud webmail portal with your Apple account.
  2. Go to Settings by clicking the gear icon.
  3. Choose Settings and then Import Messages.
  4. Select the primary Import button. Then, click Choose a provider.
  5. Choose AOL if it is listed or Other (IMAP). Press Continue.
  6. Provide the AOL email address and paste your AOL app password.
  7. Follow the instructions to verify your account to transfer your data.

If you use iOS mobile, then you can follow the next step.

Go to the Settings app on your phone.

  1. Click Apple Account Name, then select the iCloud option.
  2. Press iCloud Mail and choose the Import Messages button.
  3. Add your AOL email address and app password.

Manually Sync AOL Account with iCloud using Apple Mail Desktop App

Those who have Apple Mail can also forward AOL email to iCloud, as both support the IMAP protocol. With this, you can configure both accounts and then use the drag-and-drop method to move the emails. Below are the steps.

  1. Run your Mail app on your Mac computer.
  2. Click the Mail button from the menu bar and then select Add account.
  3. Choose Other Mail Account and sign in to your AOL mailbox.
  4. Make sure you also make your iCloud Mail account active in the same sidebar.
  5. Choose the targeted folders, select and drag the emails, and drop them into the folder under the
  6. iCloud account section. Repeat this for the other emails in the folder.

So, here are the manual ways to forward AOL email to iCloud. From the steps you see that they are easy methods. However, when you are practically doing it, you may come across issues.

Issues when Manually Migrating AOL Mailbox to iCloud Mail

  • If you manually perform large mailbox migration, then iCloud frequently times out or disconnects during the process.
  • Some emails will not properly sync during the drag-and-drop method.
  • If, by any chance, your Apple Mail crashes or freezes mid-process. This will create duplicate emails or fragmented folder structures.
  • Some emails may lose their original metadata.

That’s why many IT admins and professionals use professional software instead of manual methods to transfer their mailbox. For this, the mentioned software is a great option.

Forward AOL Email to iCloud with Professional Software

The SysTools software is a great tool for email migration. It is created to transfer large mailboxes without any issues. You don’t need an additional email client for the configuration. It is a standalone software that provides you with re-run options if some emails fail to migrate and does not create duplicates. Many people prefer this software as it preserves the metadata and folder hierarchy. To know how this works, follow the steps below.

Steps to Use the Tool

  1. Download the software and click on IMAP in both the source and destination tabs.
    set imap as source and destination
  2. If you want to migrate specific emails, use the Date Filter for selective migration based on date.
    apply date filter for selective migration
  3. From the source dashboard, select AOL Mail from the IMAP server list. Click the Validate button.
    select aol mail as source
  4. Then, choose iCloud Mail in the destination dashboard and press the Validate button.
    choose icloud mail as destination
  5. Add your source and destination email addresses using CSV mapping. Then, click the Start Migration button.
    start migration

Concluding Words

In this, I have explained various ways to forward AOL email to iCloud Mail. Manually, you can forward one email at a time. However, setting up auto-forwarding allows you to move incoming AOL emails to iCloud. Then, I will explain other manual ways to transfer your AOL mailbox, using the native option and Apple Mail desktop method. All these are free, but also cause issues. That’s why several experts prefer professional software to easily move your emails while also preserving their metadata and original messages.