The fastest way to move your emails is to use Gmail's built-in forwarding and import tools
You have two main paths: forward all new incoming mail to your new account, or read your old emails and upload them to the new one. Forwarding is when ready but only catches mail from the moment you set it up. Importing past emails takes longer but moves your entire history. Most people do both — import the old messages, then set up forwarding so nothing gets lost going forward.
The method you choose depends on whether you need to keep the old account active and whether you want to preserve the original send dates and folder structure of your emails. Gmail's tools handle this differently than third-party services, and the built-in options are free and don't require you to share your password with another service.
Key Takeaways
- Gmail's forwarding feature sends all new incoming mail to your new account automatically, but only captures messages that arrive after you turn it on.
- Gmail's import tool lets you read all past emails from your old account and upload them to your new one, preserving dates and folder structure.
- You can do both at once — import your history while setting up forwarding for new mail — without closing the old account.
- The import process can take hours or days depending on how many emails you have, so plan ahead if you have thousands of messages.
- If you use Gmail on your phone, you will need to add your new account to the Gmail app separately; forwarding does not automatically sync to mobile.
Setting up automatic forwarding for new emails
Open your old Gmail account in a web browser. Click the gear icon in the top right corner, then select See all settings. Go to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
Click Add a forwarding address and type your new Gmail address. Gmail will send a confirmation email to your new account — open that email and click the confirmation link. Once confirmed, go back to the forwarding settings, select your new address from the dropdown, and click Save Changes. From that moment on, every email that arrives at your old account will automatically copy to your new one.
You can choose whether to keep a copy in your old account or delete it after forwarding. If you select Delete Gmail's copy, the message appears only in your new account. If you leave it unchecked, both accounts will have the email. Most people keep the copy in the old account as a backup until they are sure the new account is working.
Importing your email history to the new account
Forwarding only catches new mail. To move emails you received before setting up forwarding, you need to import them. Open your new Gmail account, click the gear icon, and go to See all settings. Select the Accounts and Import tab.
Under Import mail and contacts, click Import mail and contacts. Enter your old Gmail address and password. Gmail will ask which labels (folders) you want to import — you can select all of them or just specific ones. Choose whether to import mail starting from a certain date or all mail from the beginning. Then click Start import.
The import runs in the background and can take anywhere from a few minutes to several days, depending on how many emails you have. Gmail will send you a confirmation email when it finishes. Your imported emails will appear in your new account with their original dates and folder structure intact. If you have more than 15 GB of mail, Gmail may not be able to import everything at once — in that case, you can run the import again for a different date range.
What happens to your old account after the transfer
Setting up forwarding and importing does not close your old account. Your old Gmail address still exists, and anyone can still send mail to it — it will forward to your new account. You can keep the old account open indefinitely as a backup, or you can delete it once you are confident everything has moved over.
If you decide to close the old account, do it only after you have confirmed that forwarding is working and your import is complete. To delete the account, go to Manage your Google Account, select the Data & Privacy tab, scroll to Your data & privacy options, and click Delete your Google Account. This is permanent and cannot be undone, so make sure you have exported or imported anything you need first.
Updating your email address on websites and services
Forwarding and importing move your emails, but they do not change your address on other websites. Any service where you signed up with your old Gmail address will still send mail there. You will need to update your email address manually on each account.
Start with the most important ones: your bank, email providers, social media accounts, and work email. Log into each service, find the account settings or profile page, and change the email address to your new Gmail account. Many services will send a confirmation email to your new address — click the link to verify. Once you have updated the critical accounts, you can update the rest gradually. Forwarding will catch anything you miss in the meantime.
Using Gmail on your phone with both accounts
If you use the Gmail app on your phone, forwarding does not automatically add your new account to the app. You will need to add it manually. Open the Gmail app, tap your profile picture in the top right, and select Add another account. Choose Google, enter your new Gmail address and password, and follow the prompts.
Once both accounts are in the app, you can switch between them by tapping your profile picture and selecting the account you want to view. You can also set up notifications for each account separately. If you want to see all your mail in one place, you can use the All Mail view, but this shows only the account you are currently logged into — it does not combine mail from both accounts.
Troubleshooting common problems during transfer
If forwarding is not working, check that you completed the confirmation step. Gmail sends a confirmation email to your new address — if you did not click the link in that email, forwarding will not set up. Go back to the forwarding settings and resend the confirmation if needed.
If your import is taking longer than expected, check your internet connection and make sure you did not close the browser tab. Very large imports can take several days. If the import fails partway through, you can run it again for a different date range — Gmail will not duplicate emails it has already imported.
If you see duplicate emails in your new account, this usually means you ran the import twice or forwarding and import overlapped. You can delete the duplicates manually, or you can use Gmail's search to find and delete them in bulk. Search for duplicate:[your old email address] to find messages that came from your old account, then select and delete the ones you do not need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I forward emails from my old account without importing past messages?
Yes. Forwarding and importing are separate. You can set up forwarding alone if you only care about new mail going forward. Just remember that forwarding only catches emails that arrive after you turn it on — anything older stays in your old account unless you import it separately.
Will forwarding work if I delete my old Gmail account?
No. Forwarding stops working the moment you delete the old account. If you want to use forwarding, keep the old account active. You can always delete it later once you are sure everything has moved over.
How long does it take to import all my emails?
It depends on how many emails you have. A few hundred emails might take minutes. Thousands of emails can take hours or days. Gmail processes imports in the background, so you can use your new account while the import is running. Check your email for a confirmation message when it finishes.
What if I have more than 15 GB of emails?
Gmail's import tool has a size limit. If your old account has more than 15 GB, you may need to import in batches by selecting a specific date range. Run the import for older emails first, then run it again for more recent ones. This way you can move everything without hitting the limit.
Do I need to tell people my new email address?
Yes, eventually. Forwarding catches mail sent to your old address, but it is better to give people your new address directly so they use it going forward. Update your email on important accounts, and you can let forwarding handle anything you miss. Once you are confident the new account is working, you can stop using the old one.