How to Migrate Roadrunner Email to Gmail Step by Step
I suppose you are someone who still uses an @rr.com account but wants to get rid of it. One thing you could do is migrate Roadrunner email to Gmail. However, the exact path of taking thousands of emails to a new account is quite confusing, as it is beyond your everyday activity.
I know that. You need not worry; in this write-up, I offer a solution for this exact problem.
I will teach you exactly how to shift emails with little to no effort. Although there are multiple routes to shift your email data, not choosing the right one makes this simple process quite problematic.
To address that, I will not only explain the steps but also lay out the advantages and disadvantages of each method and leave the decision entirely up to you.
Let’s start this tutorial by witnessing all the reasons that make other users like yourself ditch their @rr.com account in favor of a @gmail.com ID.
Why Users Want to Migrate Roadrunner Emails
You are not the only person who has this requirement. Many of your fellow Roadrunner account holders have raised a similar query, albeit with slightly different reasoning. I have collected a list; see if your own situation matches any of your contemporaries.
Roadrunner mailbox gets full quite often. This is because the total capacity is only 5GB. Gmail inbox size limit, on the other hand, is 3 times that, even in the free tier.
Gmail has added many new features, like the ability to manage email subscriptions on Gmail directly from the main menu.
The ability to apply multiple labels to emails allows users to keep their emails as part of many different groups at the same time. A feature unique to Gmail.
Both Roadrunner and Gmail use IMAP to fetch emails from the server. You can get the best solution right away.
Best Way to Migrate Roadrunner Email to Gmail
SysTools solution for IMAP Migration acts as the perfect Roadrunner to Gmail converter. With a super-easy setup and simplistic UI, no technical training is required to use it.
Download the demo version today, which allows you to migrate up to 100 emails for absolutely free.
Moreover, with a small fee, you can get the premium, limitless version and transfer every email from a Roadrunner account to Gmail.
The best part about this tool is that it not only supports Roadrunner but virtually all IMAP-based email servers. So if at any time in the future you.
Steps to Use the Tool
Migration from Roadrunner to Gmail will complete before you even realize it. All you have to do is the following.
- Step 1. Install a copy on either your Mac or Windows, open the tool, and use the date filter to define the time span of the transfer. All other settings are preset for faster migrations.
- Step 2. Validate your Roadrunner and your Gmail server details one after the other on the Source and Destination pages, respectively.
- Step 3. Download the CSV mapping file, add the list of users, and re-upload it into the tool
- Step 4. Select users from the viewing screen, prioritise important accounts, validate, and start.
Tool is the best, but it isn’t the only way to transfer; there are other methods, let me tell you what they are.
Use Gmail’s Email Pulling Mechanism to Get All Roadrunner Messages
To use it, do the following:
- Step 1: Log in to the Gmail account.
- Step 2: Click on the settings gear and toggle the “See all settings” option.
- Step 3: Switch to the “Accounts and import” tab.
- Step 4: Click on the “Import mail and contacts” link.
- Step 5: A new browser window appears. Follow the on-screen steps, add the requested data, and in two days (sometimes it may extend up to a week), all your Roadrunner messages will appear in Gmail.
However, the biggest hurdle for using this service is the requirement to convert the Roadrunner email from an IMAP account to a POP account. For many, this change might not be feasible, making the method unusable.
Instead, you can try a simpler method that uses the source, i.e., Roadrunner’s UI.
Forward All Roadrunner Mail to Gmail
The method is quite straightforward.
- Step 1: You log in to the @rr.com account.
- Step 2: Open any message you want to transfer.
- Step 3: Click on the little forwarding arrow.
- Step 4: Inside the new message draft, put the @gmail.com account as the recipient.
- Step 5: Hit send.
The normal forwarding that I just taught you works well for existing emails, but you don’t want to repeat the process every time a new message arrives in your account. Moreover, you have no way of predicting when the latest message will come, so you must constantly check the mailbox for updates.
However, you don’t need to do that, as your Roadrunner account comes with a built-in feature to transfer all new emails just as they arrive
Set up Autoforwarding to Transfer All Upcoming Messages
Do the following and move emails from Roadrunner to Gmail:
- Step 1: Open your Roadrunner email account.
- Step 2: Click on Settings > Choose Mail forwarding.
- Step 3: Type the destination @gmail.com address.
- Step 4: Check the box if you wish to retain a copy of the email.
- Step 5: Save > Verify via the confirmation link (sent to the destination Gmail).
Despite all its advantages, forwarding is not the ideal migration option, but far from it.
Why Email Forwarding is Problematic?
Email forwarding cannot migrate existing messages all at once. You have no other choice but to shift them one at a time.
Plus, when you use email forwarding, you modify the original message by overwriting it with new metadata. The email content won’t change; however, those new emails can no longer be used as evidence in court.
If you are someone who is just migrating emails between personal accounts, this is no big deal. However, it becomes a significant issue if you work in an industry where compliance is non-negotiable.
Moreover, some users may not have the auto-forwarding option in their Roadrunner account’s webmail portal. Instead, they can use a desktop-based email client such as Outlook or Thunderbird to set up forwarding.
Nevertheless, you must already have an email client and add your Road Runner account to that client. And once you do, there is a better option to shift emails than plain old forwarding. Let’s see what it is.
Migrate Roadrunner Email to Gmail with Email Clients
Just follow these steps:
- Step 1: Install the email client of your choice.
- Step 2: Add both your Roadrunner and Gmail accounts to it.
- Step 3: Open another instance of the client and arrange them side by side.
- Step 4: Select a few emails from the Roadrunner side and drop them in Gmail.
- Step 5: Repeat till you have moved all the mail data.
Although noticeably faster than the single mail forwarding we discussed earlier, this method still isn’t foolproof.
First and foremost, there is no check or reporting that indicates how many emails you have moved and how many remain. You have to keep track of your own.
The second limitation is that it is unclear how long the shifting will take. Also, the method being entirely manual means you are compromising on other, more productive tasks.
Conclusion
Now you know what to do anytime a situation arises where you need to migrate Roadrunner email to Gmail or any IMAP account, for that matter. The tool is the best option; there is no contest. Manual methods, such as forwarding or using email clients, are time-consuming and leave more opportunities for errors to occur. So if you want to be sure, fast, and secure, choose the right option.