How to Transfer Emails from One Gmail Account to Another on Mac

Moving years of email from one Gmail account to another is a common task when you create a new address, consolidate personal accounts, leave an old business identity, or simply want one inbox instead of several. On a Mac, the good news is that the migration itself is handled by Gmail in the browser, so the process is largely the same whether you use macOS, Windows, or another desktop operating system. The important part in 2026 is choosing the right migration method. Google is changing some POP-based Gmail features for third-party accounts, but its current support documentation still describes importing from another Gmail address and transferring old messages through Gmail’s built-in tools. If you only need new messages going forward, forwarding is usually simpler than a full migration.

Decide What You Actually Need to Move

Decide what you actually want to move. “Transfer my Gmail account” can mean several different things: Copy existing email from the old Gmail account into the new one; Forward all new mail from the old address to the new address; Keep sending from the old address while reading mail in the new inbox; Export a complete archive for backup; Move Google Workspace mail from one organization to another.

No single consumer Gmail setting transfers every Google service. Mail, Drive, Calendar, Photos, YouTube, Contacts, and other Google data have separate tools and limitations. This article focuses specifically on email. Google Gmail Help: Add another email account still documents Gmail’s one-time “Import mail and contacts” option on the web. For a migration, this is usually safer than treating a second account as a permanently connected inbox because imported messages remain in the destination account and the process is designed as a transfer rather than an ongoing dependency.

Method 1: Use Gmail’s One-Time Import

For many users, the simplest way to bring older email into a new Gmail account is the built-in import tool. Open Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or another browser.; Sign in to the new Gmail account that will receive the messages.; Open Settings and choose See all settings.; Open the Accounts and Import tab.; Find Import mail and contacts.; Choose the option to start an import.; Enter the old email address.; Follow the authorization steps.; Select the available items you want to import.; Start the import and allow Gmail to process the mailbox. Google’s current help documentation describes this as a one-time import for old mail. The import can take time for a large mailbox, so do not expect every message to appear immediately.

Method 2: Be Careful With POP-Based Fetching in 2026

Google’s current Gmail documentation still describes POP-based fetching from another Gmail account. In this method, the destination Gmail account periodically retrieves mail from the old Gmail address. Sign in to the old Gmail account.; Go to Settings > See all settings.; Open Forwarding and POP/IMAP.; Under POP Download, choose Enable POP for all mail if you want older messages included.; Choose what Gmail should do with its own copy after messages are retrieved. Keeping Gmail’s copy in the Inbox is the safer choice during migration.; Save changes. Sign in to the new Gmail account.; Open Settings > See all settings.; Open Accounts and Import.; Under Check mail from other accounts, choose Add a mail account.; Enter the old Gmail address.; Follow the prompts to connect it.; Use the secure POP settings Gmail recommends. Google’s current troubleshooting documentation for a different Gmail address lists pop.gmail.com with port 995 and SSL for POP-based access.

Google Gmail Help: Changes to Gmailify and POP explains that Google is retiring Gmailify and web-based POP fetching for third-party accounts, with new configurations restricted during 2026 and full removal scheduled for January 2027. Although Gmail-to-Gmail transfer can still use supported import and forwarding methods, this transition is a good reason not to build a long-term migration plan around “Check mail from other accounts” as if the feature were permanent. Important 2026 POP changes. Google is phasing out Gmailify and POP-based “Check mail from other accounts” for third-party email accounts. Google says the feature stops supporting new users after the first quarter of 2026 and existing third-party POP users can continue until January 2027. That announcement is important because many older tutorials present POP fetching as a permanent universal method. Google’s current separate documentation still provides instructions for importing from another Gmail address, but users should expect Gmail’s account-linking options to continue evolving. If the option you expect is missing, use the one-time import feature, forwarding, or another supported migration path instead of trying to force an outdated workflow.

Method 3: Forward New Messages

If you only want mail that arrives after the switch, forwarding is cleaner than importing the entire mailbox repeatedly. Sign in to the old Gmail account.; Open Settings > See all settings.; Open Forwarding and POP/IMAP.; Choose Add a forwarding address.; Enter the new Gmail address.; Confirm the forwarding request in the destination account.; Return to the old account and enable forwarding.; Choose whether the old account should keep, archive, mark as read, or delete its copy. Forwarding is especially useful after you complete a one-time migration. Old messages can be copied once, while new messages continue arriving automatically at the new address.

Labels, Sent Mail, and Folder-Like Organization

This is one of the most important limitations. Google’s consumer import tools are designed primarily around messages, not an exact clone of your Gmail organization. Labels may not be reproduced the same way they appear in the source account. A user with dozens of custom Gmail labels should expect to perform some organization manually or use a specialized migration tool that explicitly supports Gmail label mapping. Before migrating, consider whether your most important organizational structure can be recreated with filters in the destination account. Can you transfer Sent Mail?. A mail import may include more than Inbox messages depending on the method and source configuration, but you should verify important folders rather than assume every Gmail system label will map perfectly.

For a business-critical migration, test with a small set first and confirm: Inbox mail; Sent mail; Archived mail; Attachments; Dates; Threading; Custom labels. Google Account Help: Download your data with Google Takeout is useful as a backup step because it creates an independent archive of Gmail data. Takeout is not a direct Gmail-to-Gmail restore tool, but having an export before a large migration gives the user a separate copy to verify or preserve if something goes wrong.

Method 4: Create a Google Takeout Backup

Google Takeout can export Gmail data as part of a Google Account archive. This is valuable even if you plan to use Gmail’s built-in import tools because it gives you an independent copy of the old mailbox. Sign in to the old Google Account.; Open Google Takeout.; Deselect products you do not need.; Select Mail.; Choose the export options.; Create the export.; Download the archive when Google makes it available. Gmail data from Takeout is commonly exported in MBOX format. Google Takeout is an export mechanism, not a simple “import this MBOX directly into another Gmail account” button. You may need an email client or migration utility if your goal is to place a Takeout archive back into another mailbox.

If Gmail reports an import error or the transfer appears to stall, Google Gmail Help: Fix problems importing mail provides the current troubleshooting steps for authentication, POP access, connection problems, and provider-side restrictions. Resolve the cause before repeatedly restarting a large migration, because multiple partial imports can make duplicate checking harder.

Using a Desktop Mail Client as an Intermediary

Another option is to add both Gmail accounts to a desktop mail client and copy messages between them. This can work because the client connects to both accounts over IMAP. For example: Add the old Gmail account to Apple Mail or Thunderbird.; Add the new Gmail account.; Wait for both accounts to synchronize.; Select a small test folder or group of messages.; Copy them from the old account to the new account.; Confirm they appear in Gmail on the web.; Repeat in manageable batches. This approach gives more control, but it can be slow for very large mailboxes and may create duplicate messages if you repeat transfers carelessly.

When a Dedicated Migration Tool May Help

Users with multiple accounts, complex folder structures, large archives, or non-Gmail source formats sometimes use a dedicated Email Migrator. Before trusting any third-party migration program with a Google account, check: Whether it uses modern Google authorization rather than asking for your normal password; Whether data is processed locally or uploaded to the vendor; Whether labels and folders are preserved; Whether duplicate detection is available; Whether the tool can resume after interruption; Whether a migration report is generated; What privacy and retention policies apply. For sensitive business mail, obtain approval from your organization before using external migration software.

Google Workspace Migrations Are Different

Business and school accounts may have administrator-controlled migration options that are more appropriate than consumer Gmail tools. Google specifically advises work or school users to contact their administrator when migrating organizational email data. Google Workspace migration can involve: Data Migration Service; Admin Console migration tools; IMAP migration; Domain-to-domain processes; Third-party enterprise migration tools. Workspace administrators should also consider retention policies, Vault, legal holds, delegated access, shared mailboxes, and data ownership before moving mail.

Storage, Duplicates, and Security

A migration can fail or stop if the destination account does not have enough available Google storage. Gmail shares storage with other Google services under the account’s storage allocation. Before starting: Check the storage used by the old account.; Check free capacity in the new account.; Remove unnecessary large attachments or messages if appropriate.; Allow extra space for future mail. How to avoid duplicate emails. Duplicates are most likely when users combine several migration methods without tracking what has already been copied.

A cleaner plan is: Create a backup.; Pick one primary migration method.; Let it finish.; Verify results.; Set forwarding for new mail.; Only use a second migration method for clearly missing messages. Do not run multiple bulk import tools against the same account at the same time. Use two-step verification on both accounts.; Do not share Google passwords with a person or untrusted tool.; Review third-party account access after migration.; Remove migration apps you no longer need.; Check forwarding rules after the project is complete.; Review filters that can delete or redirect mail.; Keep the old account active until you confirm the migration.

Should you delete the old Gmail account afterward?. Usually, not immediately. Keep the old account for a transition period so you can recover missed messages, update subscriptions, notify important contacts, and confirm forwarding. Before closing an old account, update: Banking and financial services; Password reset addresses; Government accounts; Shopping and subscriptions; Social media; Professional contacts; Two-factor recovery information.

A Practical Gmail-to-Gmail Migration Plan

Can I transfer every Google service to another account?. No. Gmail migration does not automatically transfer Drive, Photos, YouTube, Calendar, purchases, or every other Google service. Each product has its own transfer or export options. Will importing email delete it from the old Gmail account?. Not necessarily. Use settings that retain the original copy during the migration and verify before deleting anything. Does this work on a Mac?. Yes. Gmail’s web-based import and forwarding settings work through the browser. macOS is mainly relevant if you choose Apple Mail, Thunderbird, or Mac-specific migration software as an intermediary. Can I move Gmail mail with Google Takeout?. Takeout creates an archive, commonly in MBOX format. It is excellent for backup, but it is not a direct one-click import into another consumer Gmail account.

Verify the Migration Before You Retire the Old Account

Do not judge success only by the total number of messages shown in the new inbox. Spot-check several time periods and message types. Open older threads, confirm attachments download correctly, search for messages from important senders, check Sent Mail, and compare a few dates against the old account. If the old account used extensive labels, make a note of which labels did not carry over cleanly and recreate only the ones you still need. It is also worth checking forwarding, filters, blocked addresses, and send-as identities in the new account. These settings are separate from the message archive and may need to be recreated manually. Once the new account has worked reliably for several weeks, you can reduce your dependence on the old address with much more confidence. Final takeaway. For most people moving from one Gmail address to another, the safest process is to create a backup, use Gmail’s built-in import for historical mail, and enable forwarding from the old account for new messages. Keep the original account active until you have verified that important mail and attachments are present. For large, regulated, or organizational mailboxes, use Google Workspace administration tools or an approved migration service rather than improvising with a personal Gmail workflow.

Conclusion

Moving Gmail from one account to another works best when the migration goal is defined first. A one-time import, forwarding of new mail, a Google Takeout backup, or an administrator-led Workspace migration solve different problems and should not be treated as interchangeable. In 2026, Google’s retirement of Gmailify and web-based POP fetching makes long-term account-linking strategies less attractive, so users should favor supported import, forwarding, and archive methods. Keep the old account active until message counts, important folders or labels, sent mail, attachments, and recent incoming mail have been checked in the destination.