How to Move Folders from One Gmail Account to Another?
Quick Answer: You can move Gmail folders from one Gmail account to another in two ways. The first way is to configure both accounts in Thunderbird and copy emails between them using IMAP. Alternatively, you can use any Gmail migration tool to transfer selected Gmail folders to another account directly. Let’s give it a try if you want to check, how it works;
Can Gmail move a label to another account?
No, there is no direct option to move the complete folder along with its emails to a different Gmail account. Gmail uses labels instead of traditional folders and messages can have multiple labels at a time.
Then you can use an email client like Thunderbird, connect both accounts to it and copy emails between them manually. Gmail has email import capabilities, too, but they don’t bring over the original folders or labels as complete structures. Another selective or bulk migration option is a dedicated Gmail migration tool.
What Method Should You Use?
First decide whether you want to move a single folder, folder consisting multiple emails, or the entire mailbox. Every method has its own needs and limitations.
| Requirement | Recommended Method | Main Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer emails from one label | Thunderbird using IMAP | Requires account setup and manual copying. |
| Transfer selected emails | Thunderbird or Outlook, where supported | Large selections may take time to synchronize. |
| Import older emails | Gmail’s available import options | Original labels and folders are not transferred as complete structures. |
| Transfer multiple labels | Email migration software | Requires software setup and account authorization. |
| Migrate an entire mailbox | Migration software or a suitable migration workflow | Verify labels, duplicates, and message counts afterward. |
| Move emails into a different label in the same account | Gmail’s built-in Labels and Move to controls | This does not transfer messages between accounts. |
Important: Moving is not the same thing as copying. Copying will leave the emails in the original account and moving may delete them from the original location. In general, for important email archives, copying is the safer starting point.
Method 1: Move Gmail Emails to Another Account Using Gmail’s Import Options
Important: copy is not the same as move. Copying keeps the source email messages in the original account, but moving can delete them from their original location. Copying is generally the safer starting point for important email archives.
- Log in to your Gmail account on which you want to import emails.
- Click the gear icon and click Settings from the menu.
- Navigate to Account & Import >> Import Emails & Contacts.
- Enter your secondary Gmail details from which you want to import emails.
- Enter source Gmail account password and click Continue.
- Now select emails from the option and click Start Import.
Done! Now, the system will start importing emails from the selected Gmail account.
Use this method when you need to transfer few email messages. If preserving selected labels and their organization is important, consider the IMAP method below.
Method 2: Drag the label across in Thunderbird or Outlook (IMAP)
Thunderbird is a desktop email client that can connect to multiple Gmail accounts. Once both accounts are configured, you can copy emails from the source account to the destination account. Then, you can copy the folders to the destination account under labels in Gmail.
Steps to Transfer Gmail Folders to Another Account
Make sure you can sign in to both accounts and that IMAP access is available.
- For Google accounts, use the supported authentication method presented by Thunderbird.
- Open Thunderbird and add the old Gmail account.
- Follow the account setup prompts and complete Google’s sign-in and authorization process.
- Add the new Gmail account to the same Thunderbird installation.
- Wait for the folders and messages from both accounts to synchronize.
- In the destination account, create a folder in Thunderbird for the emails you are transferring.
- Once synchronized, it should appear as a corresponding label in Gmail, subject to Gmail’s label and folder mapping.
Keep Thunderbird running and connected to the internet. Allow it to upload the copied messages to the destination Gmail account.
Open the destination account in your browser. Check that the destination that the copied emails are available with their attachments.
This is a useful free approach for users who are comfortable configuring an email client and transferring messages manually.
Method 3: Transfer Gmail Folders to Another Account Using a Professional Tool
If you need to move multiple labels, select a number of emails or transfer a large mailbox, specialized migration software can help.
Advik Gmail Migration Tool offers options to select Gmail mailbox folders and migrate messages to another supported email account. The features include selective folder migration, email filters, and mailbox hierarchy preservation.
The software guides the user through the selection of the source data and destination, rather than a manual client-based workflow.
Give a Try to Free edition
The software comes with a trial version. You can download the demo version of this utility from the official website. It allows you to transfer first 25 emails from each folder. The working procedure of the trial and licensed version is the same, but for unlimited migration, you need to upgrade to the Pro edition.
Steps to Move Gmail Folders to Another Gmail Account
Step 1. Download and install the software on your Windows computer.
Step 2. Now, log in to your Gmail account using Google OAuth 2.0.
Step 2. Choose the required mailbox folders that you want to move.
Step 3. From the Select Saving Option, choose Gmail.
Step 4. Enter the Gmail credentials for the account you want to export data.
Step 5. Click the Backup button and analyze the live migration process.
Done! This is one of the easiest and safest ways to copy folders from one Gmail account to another automatically.
Watch Video Tutorial For Easy Understanding
How to Check Whether the Gmail Folder Transfer Worked
Don’t assume migration is done because the destination label appears. Before deleting anything from the source account, you need to verify the emails themselves.
Use this check list:
- Read the Label: Open the destination Gmail account and verify the presence of the expected label or folder.
- Compare message counts: Compare the number of emails you were going to transfer (source) vs. the number you received at the destination.
- Look at old and new messages: Open a few messages from different dates to verify that the expected date range has been transferred.
- See attachments: Open sample messages with attachments and verify the existence of the files.
- Review message content: Review senders, recipients, subject lines, timestamps, and message bodies.
Final Words
Moving Gmail folders to another gmail account is not just moving a regular folder. In Gmail, messages are organized with labels, and your choice determines how much of that organization remains.
Thunderbird with IMAP is a convenient manual option for a small number of emails. Gmail import features may help you bring messages into a new account, but they don’t preserve the original label structure. If you need to perform selective or bulk migration then use a dedicated tool that supports mailbox organization and folder selection.
Delete things from the original account, but however you do it, check the destination labels, message counts, dates and attachments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ans. Yes, you will get an email filter option also. So that you can transfer emails as per your requirements.
Ans. Yes, the software allows you to choose your mailbox folder to export. You can select multiple mailbox folders also to migrate in a single attempt.
Ans. The official way to transfer Gmail folders to another Gmail account takes up to 2-4 days, depending on mailbox sizes. You won’t get an email filter option as well.
Ans. There is no limitation. Yes, you can migrate an unlimited number of Gmail accounts. Also, there is no file size limitation is involved.
