How to Move Emails Between Gmail Accounts (2026 Method)

Method 1: Gmail’s built-in Import Mail (easiest for most cases)

Gmail’s Import Mail tool copies all your emails from an old account into a new one without requiring you to touch each email. It works for both Gmail-to-Gmail and other-provider-to-Gmail migrations.

1. Sign in to your destination Gmail account.
2. Click the gear icon at the top right, then “See all settings”.
3. Click the “Accounts and Import” tab.
4. Find the row labeled “Import mail and contacts”. Click “Import mail and contacts”.
5. A pop-up window opens. Enter the email address of the source account. Click Continue.
6. Sign in to the source account when prompted. If the source account uses two-factor authentication, you may need to generate an app password from that account’s settings first.
7. Choose what to import: contacts, all mail, and/or new mail for the next 30 days. Most people select all three.
8. Click “Start import”. Gmail begins transferring emails in the background.

The transfer takes 1 to 2 days for small mailboxes (under 5,000 emails) and up to 2 weeks for large mailboxes (over 50,000 emails). You can use your destination account normally during the import.

Method 2: Forward all emails from old to new

If you do not need historical emails but just want new mail from the old account to arrive in the new one, set up auto-forwarding:

1. Sign in to the source (old) Gmail account.
2. Go to Settings > “See all settings” > “Forwarding and POP/IMAP” tab.
3. Click “Add a forwarding address”.
4. Enter your new email address. Click Next.
5. Gmail sends a verification link to the new address. Click it.
6. Back in the source account, choose “Forward a copy of incoming mail to [new email]”.
7. Decide what happens to the original: keep in Gmail’s inbox, mark as read, archive, or delete.
8. Click “Save Changes”.

Now every new email that arrives in the old account also lands in the new one. This is not the same as moving old emails it only handles future messages.

Method 3: IMAP transfer via Thunderbird (best for large migrations)

For very large mailboxes (over 50,000 emails) or when Import Mail fails, IMAP transfer via Thunderbird is the most reliable option. This method connects both accounts to Thunderbird and drags emails from one to the other.

1. Enable IMAP on both accounts: in Gmail, go to Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP > enable IMAP access.
2. Install Thunderbird (free from thunderbird.net) on your desktop.
3. Add the source account: open Thunderbird, click Get a new account, enter the source Gmail address. Thunderbird auto-configures.
4. Add the destination account the same way.
5. Wait for both accounts to fully download their folder structure (can take a while).
6. In the source account’s folder pane, select the messages you want to move.
7. Right-click and choose “Move To” > destination account > destination folder.
8. Thunderbird moves emails via IMAP, updating both Gmail accounts as it goes.

Thunderbird handles retries and reconnection automatically. If your internet drops mid-transfer, it resumes when the connection returns. For a 100 GB mailbox, plan a full weekend.

Method 4: Third-party migration tools

Third-party services like Google Workspace Migration for Google Workspace (GWMGW), MigrationWiz, or ShuttleCloud handle enterprise-scale mailbox migrations. They cost money but include:

• Automatic scheduling and pause/resume
• Deduplication (skip emails that already exist in the destination)
• Label preservation
• Contact and calendar migration alongside email
• Progress reports and error logs

Use these if you are moving 10+ mailboxes at once (company-wide migration) or if the source mailbox has legal-hold or compliance requirements that need audit trails. For personal or single-account moves, Gmail’s Import Mail is enough.

What each method preserves

• Import Mail: Emails, dates, sender, attachments. Labels come across but with the prefix “Imported/”. Filters and rules are NOT transferred.
• Forwarding: Only new emails. Nothing historical.
• IMAP transfer: Emails, dates, folders, and labels (if you drag folder-by-folder). Very reliable but slow.
• Third-party tools: Everything above plus filters, rules, and contact/calendar data. Some tools also preserve read/unread status.

Common issues during Gmail-to-Gmail migration

• Import Mail hangs at a certain percentage. Restart the import from the destination account’s Settings > Accounts and Import > “Check mail from other accounts”. Sometimes Gmail throttles the connection.
• Two-factor authentication blocks sign-in. Generate an app password in the source account’s security settings (Google Account > Security > 2-Step Verification > App passwords). Use the app password instead of your real password during Import Mail.
• Some emails are missing after import. Gmail skips emails in Spam and Trash by default. Move them to the Inbox in the source account first if you want them included.
• Labels not preserved correctly. Gmail’s Import Mail creates labels with an “Imported” prefix. Rename them in the destination if you prefer clean names.
• Google Workspace source blocks external import. Some corporate admins disable “Import mail and contacts” for outbound migration. Ask your admin to allow it, or use IMAP transfer as a workaround.
• Duplicate emails after re-running import. Import Mail does NOT deduplicate on re-run. Only run once, or use a third-party tool that supports deduplication.

Which method should you pick?

• Personal Gmail to personal Gmail, under 20,000 emails: Import Mail.
• You only need future mail forwarded: Forwarding.
• Very large mailbox (50,000+ emails) or Import Mail keeps failing: IMAP transfer via Thunderbird.
• Migrating multiple mailboxes for a company or with compliance requirements: Third-party tool.

Verify the migration succeeded

After the transfer:

1. Compare inbox counts. In each account, click the account image icon and check the “Storage” number for a rough size comparison.
2. Spot-check by searching for known old emails in the destination.
3. Check the Sent folder specifically. Some methods (like forwarding-only) do not transfer Sent items.
4. Verify attachments open correctly (attachment sync is where migrations most often silently fail).