Google Blogoscoped

Forum

moving Gmail messages between accounts

ianf [PersonRank 10]

Thursday, April 29, 2010
14 years ago3,959 views

What is the current state of the art when moving wholesale contents of one Gmail account to another?

I understand that a popular method is to export messages via script to an intermediary (Hotmail) account, and then import them to a new account via POP from there. But will timestamps and attachments survive intact?

http://google.com/search?q=move+Gmail+messages+between+accounts

Ionut Alex. Chitu [PersonRank 10]

14 years ago #

What about using an IMAP client and drag&drop?

Rohit Srivastwa [PersonRank 10]

14 years ago #

IMAP way is the easiest and best

ianf [PersonRank 10]

14 years ago #

?What IMAP client?... something like standalone Thunderbird running in parallell with browser-based Gmail – old and new accounts WHERE? Drag & drop of individual messages is out of the question; while that of whole IMAP folders is supposed to make the target account retain (accept) the contents with original timestamps intact?

Explain this s l o w l y to me, please, pretend I'm stupid.

Ionut Alex. Chitu [PersonRank 10]

14 years ago #

Add both Gmail accounts to a desktop mail client (Thunderbord, Windows Live Mail etc.). Use IMAP, not POP when you add the two accounts. Select the messages you want to transfer and drag them to the second account.

http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2008/01/import-your-hotmail-messages-into-gmail.html

ianf [PersonRank 10]

14 years ago #

Thanks, that was clear enough. Too bad there isn't a way to transfer content between Gmail accounts without the entire upload-to-desktop-client first, then-download bit. Just as there isn't a fellow function to insert individual messages into specific threads (in timestamped order).

Forum home

Advertisement

 
Blog  |  Forum     more >> Archive | Feed | Google's blogs | About
Advertisement

 

This site unofficially covers Google™ and more with some rights reserved. Join our forum!