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How to Import Mail From Another Account Into Gmail

Tap each step to see how to bring another account's mail straight into your Gmail inbox.

  1. Open Gmail settings

    Click the gear icon in the top right corner and choose "See all settings."

  2. Go to the "Accounts and Import" tab

    Click "Accounts and Import" along the top of the settings page.

  3. Click "Import mail and contacts"

    Click the link to launch the import wizard.

  4. Enter the other account's details

    Type in the email address and password of the account you want to import from, then follow the on-screen prompts.

  5. Why it helps

    Instead of checking several inboxes separately, you can read and manage mail from another account right inside Gmail.

What actually happens after you import

Gmail typically connects to the other account over POP (and sometimes IMAP), checking it periodically and copying new messages into your Gmail inbox. You can also label imported mail automatically and optionally send replies that appear to come from that other address, all without leaving Gmail.

Import versus forwarding

Importing is different from setting up mail forwarding: forwarding pushes new mail from the old account into Gmail automatically going forward, while the import wizard here can also pull in existing older messages already sitting in the other inbox. Many people set up both together for a complete migration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does importing disable the original email account?

No. The original account keeps working normally; Gmail simply makes a copy of its messages available inside your Gmail inbox.

Is this the same as switching between multiple Gmail accounts?

No. Account switching keeps inboxes separate and lets you jump between them; importing merges another account's mail directly into a single Gmail inbox.