Exporting Gmail Emails and Importing Into Another Gmail Account

To export your Gmail emails and import them into another Gmail account, you have several reliable methods. The most common and user-friendly approach is using Gmail’s built-in import feature. Here’s how you can do it:

Method 1: Gmail’s Built-in “Import mail and contacts” Feature

1. Sign in to your new Gmail account (the one you want to import emails into).
2. Click the Settings gear icon (top right), then select See all settings.
3. Go to the Accounts and Import tab.
4. Next to Import mail and contacts, click Import mail and contacts.
5. Enter the email address of your old Gmail account and follow the prompts to sign in and grant access.
6. Choose what to import (emails, contacts, and optionally, mail received for the next 30 days).
7. Click Start import. Gmail will begin copying emails and contacts from your old account to your new one. This process may take several hours or days, depending on the volume of emails.

Notes:

• This method imports all emails and contacts, but you cannot select specific folders or labels.
• Imported emails retain their original timestamps and labels.
• You can also set up automatic forwarding in your old account to send future emails to your new address.

Method 2: Using Google Takeout and an Email Client

1. Export emails from your old Gmail account:
   • Go to Google Takeout.
   • Deselect all, then select Mail.
   • Click Next step, choose your export options, and create the export.
   • Download the resulting .mbox file when it’s ready.
2. Import emails into your new Gmail account:
   • Use an email client like Mozilla Thunderbird with the ImportExportTools add-on.
   • Connect your new Gmail account to the client.
   • Import the .mbox file, which uploads your old emails to your new Gmail account.

Method 3: Forward All Emails as Attachments (Manual)

1. In your old Gmail account, select all emails you want to move.
2. Click the three-dot menu and choose Forward as attachment.
3. Send them to your new Gmail address.

Limitation: Emails arrive as attachments, not as regular inbox items, so this is best for small batches or specific emails.

Method 4: Enable POP in Old Account, Import via New Account

1. Enable POP in your old Gmail:
   • Go to Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
   • Enable POP for all mail and save changes.
2. In your new Gmail account:
   • Go to Settings > Accounts and Import.
   • Click Add a mail account under “Check mail from other accounts.”
   • Enter your old Gmail address and follow the prompts to import via POP3.

Summary Table

Method	Preserves Labels	Automatic	Select Specific Emails	Complexity
Import mail and contacts (built-in)	Yes	Yes	No	Easy
Google Takeout + Client	Yes	No	Yes*	Moderate
Forward as attachment	No	No	Yes	Manual
POP Import	Yes	Yes	No	Moderate

*With filtering before export.

Recommendation:
For most users, the Import mail and contacts feature in Gmail is the simplest and most effective way to transfer all emails and contacts from one Gmail account to another