An unofficial blog that watches Google's attempts to move your operating system online since 2005. Not affiliated with Google.

Send your tips to gostips@gmail.com.

May 13, 2009

Migrate to Gmail from Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, AOL Mail

So you've finally decided to change your webmail service and migrate to Gmail, but you don't want to lose your old messages and the address book. Gmail offers a mail fetcher feature that works with all mail services that support POP, including Hotmail, but you can't use it for regular Yahoo Mail accounts.

As previously anticipated, Google released a tool that lets you import contacts and mail from popular services like Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, AOL Mail and from ISPs like Verizon, Comcast, Earthlink. If you don't see a tab titled "Accounts and import" in Gmail's settings, you need to wait until the new features are enabled in your account.



"It's much easier to make the transition now that you can bring along all your old email and contacts. You can even have your messages forwarded from your old account for 30 days, giving you time to take Gmail for a test drive while you make up your mind," suggests Google's blog.

The service is powered by TrueSwitch, which offers similar migration wizards for Hotmail and Yahoo Mail. Depending on the number of messages that are imported, the migration may take up to 2 days.

58 comments:

  1. It's supported for AOL Mail as well: http://www.trueswitch.com/aolweb

    ReplyDelete
  2. Now if only there was a forwarding option in Hotmail to redirect to Gmail ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I wonder if they can support from moving the old message from old Gmail to the new Gmail. as I wanted to use a new Gmail instead of old one.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is yet another move from Gmail to kill other email service providers.

    ReplyDelete
  5. @venkat: Could be, but nobody is stopping other email providers from adding similar settings (POP/IMAP access, free forwarding and other).

    ReplyDelete
  6. There is a way to get hotmail forwarded to Gmail. I have it and I find it very pleasing haha.
    http://www.modmyi.com/forums/general-iphone-chat/368961-forward-hotmail-gmail.html

    ReplyDelete
  7. @Adrian @Venkat Yep. I have been recommending Gmail to a lot of people, and having their contacts and email intact will be one thing that will probably be driving them towards Gmail. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. @Gaya:
    You don't need to forward Hotmail messages to Gmail. Now that Hotmail supports POP, use the mail fetcher to import old messages. The nice thing is that Gmail's mail fetcher will continue to check for new messages in your Hotmail account, just like a regular mail client.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think this is quite important (from Gmail blog): "Sorry, businesses and schools using Google Apps won't see these new migration options."

    ReplyDelete
  10. I see how this is useful, but what is the big advantage gmail has over hotmail?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Im now importing my hotmail e-mails. But takes very long!
    Its importing now for 10hours.

    Is that normal?

    ReplyDelete
  12. @Stjin: I think its ok. Usually It would take few hours to 2 days!

    ReplyDelete
  13. It is really a service like number portability in telecom sector. Now a real competition will start..although gmail is having so many features that others can't bring in few months. Secondly, a company who starts following others best steps, that company cant grow like the trend setting company. Good luck google and well done all developers who are working for google as free lancers.

    ReplyDelete
  14. After first hearing about this story months ago, and now an update saying that they are rolling out to all users eventually, I find myself still waiting. I did hear that if you sign up for a new gmail account, this feature is automatically enabled. For a company of Google's size, and with the amount to technically skilled people they hire, and the vast amount of computational hardware and software they use, it makes absolutely no sense to me that it should take this long to roll out a feature that would increase their user base substantially.

    Of course, this is the problem with large corporations: once you become hooked on their services, and are convinced that they are the best, they know that they can do what they want to you, and you'll take it because the alternatives (Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL) are absolutely useless.

    Bollocks I say!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I don't know why it's rolled out so slowly, but you can try the feature by creating a new Gmail account.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Of course I can do that, but that would defeat the purpose of importing emails into my primary gmail account don't you think?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Excelent tool didn't know about it. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  18. It is not possible to take a print out of all phone numbers entered for a person in the contacts list. Is any way arround?
    Why google is not giving option to add sender to contacts?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Does it work for Yahoo Mail? I don't have Yahoo Plus. If it doesn't, anybody knows how to do it?

    ReplyDelete
  20. @Ivo: Yes it does work. It does import Standard Yahoo! Mail. My friend recently created a new Gmail account and she already had that importing feature enabled. If you have just created or created recently it should be there. If your Gmail was created long ago it should be implemented soon. But my Gmail still doesn't have this great feature which is :-(

    ReplyDelete
  21. Two words:

    Information hamsters.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Do you have this feature enabled? I created my account in 2005 and its still not there.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I wonder if they can support from moving the old message from old Gmail to the new Gmail. as I wanted to use a new Gmail instead of old one.

    ReplyDelete
  24. @Samantha: I think its possible. On your "new Gmail" add your "old Gmail" account and then it will import all of your old emails from your "old Gmail"

    Gmail--> Settings--> Get mail from other accounts--> add your "old gmail"

    Make sure that you turned on POP on your "old Gmail"

    ReplyDelete
  25. What happens after 30 days? Will the emails stop forwarding from Yahoo (in my case) to Gmail ? Do I need to go through the same process every month? Is there a way to permanently import emails from Yahoo to Gmail? Thank u.

    ReplyDelete
  26. You can import from a standard Yahoo email account. Simply change your Preferred Content to Yahoo Asia. This country setting has Pop enabled so you can import all your Yahoo inbox. You don't need to upgrade to Yahoo Plus.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I was 'forced' to upgrade my Yahoo and Hotmail to about $20 a year due to storage and timely login issues; now I'm considering migrating to Gmail to save the annual fees. (Until they decide to charge us once we're dependent on them!)

    ReplyDelete
  28. @Viren -- Google keeps upping the per-user maximum capacity. It was something like 1.5GB when I started in 2005, and it has nearly quadrupled since then.

    ReplyDelete
  29. If you are having trouble with TrueSwitch (the method mentioned above), there's another tool called YippieMove. Contrary to TrueSwitch it allows you to save the 'status' of the messages (eg. read/unread, flagged, replied etc.)

    ReplyDelete
  30. I have always referred my clients to a company called Forward America. They have always done a GREAT job. I like them because they do everything for my clients so the client doesn't have to mess with any complicated instructions or software configuration. They are CHEAP and offer a complimentary auto-reply to let people know what their new email address. Check them out. http://www.forwardamerica.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. That won't keep label structure :( and also would take a long time... To fix this I found a solution after some research: http://improffice.com/emailtransfer

    ReplyDelete
  32. How do I make the change from hotmail as my email websight servicer to gmail as my websight servicer? Please assist me.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Gmail has a mail fetcher feature that works with mail services that support POP, including Hotmail. As mentioned above Google released a tool that lets you import contacts from Hotmail. If you don't see a tab titled "Accounts and import" in Gmail's settings, you need to wait until the new features are enabled in your account. It using TrueSwitch wizard to do the migartion

    ReplyDelete
  34. Is there a way to import all the folders also from Yahoo mail? Or does it work only for mails from Inbox?

    ReplyDelete
  35. I migrated to Gmail because I'm fed up with the stupid design of Yahoo Mail. I'm sick of entering my username and password TWICE just because some stupid script reloads the page while I'm typing, just to update the fuking background image or the stupid video they have on the login page. W T F! Who cares about your video or the fuken background image or any other stupid eyecandy you insert on your login page. I just want to quickly login to my inbox. That's all. Those designers at Yahoo are just helping Google to get more clients.

    ReplyDelete
  36. We have coded a migration tool called MigrationBox that transfers to/from Gmail, AOL, Zimbra, Yahoo, FastMail, GoDaddy, and more! http://bit.ly/g2LMQp

    ReplyDelete
  37. Migration to Google Apps between domains or Gmail to Google Apps is a another much needed solution. My company was looking for one and we found this online tool https://www.google.com/enterprise/marketplace/viewListing?productListingId=14156+5077282021820947710&hp=staffpick

    ReplyDelete
  38. Yes, very useful and informative. Many thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Other than filling in as a stand alone application, standpoint can likewise work with Microsoft SharePoint Server and Microsoft Exchange Server for various clients in an association. With the mutual standpoint you can share different viewpoint applications, for example, post boxes and timetables; trade SharePoint records, open organizers and meeting plans. http://annasduncan.blogspot.in/2016/08/how-iphone-users-view-chat-history-of.html

    ReplyDelete
  40. It is a very useful post. It has clearly mentioned about Topics. Well great information. It has been great for me to read such great information.Nicely explained. Yahoo Support Phone Number

    ReplyDelete
  41. Yahoo Support Phone Number
    http://www.yahoosuppotphonenumber.net/
    The customer can seek a solution to any kind of problem in minimum time.
    If your problem is too big to handle you can get a live chat with our technician
    you can interact with them the way you want.We provide 24*7 technical support for yahoo mail.
    Our yahoo customer service has been liked and loved by many and that's why we have a large customer base.
    Feel free to share and get resolved an issue any time any where by letting our technical support team for
    yahoo mail to know that.
    We are always glad to serve you.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hotmail is considered to be the most remarkable mailing client. But who will be responsible for the issues, one may face in it? You can take simple guidance from talented technical representative available at 0800-029-4639 toll free. Additionally, this service can be availed anytime you want.
    Hotmail Contact Number UK

    ReplyDelete
  43. Awesome post. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post with us!
    Visit at:http://www.customers-service-number.com/aol-phone-number-reset-password/

    ReplyDelete
  44. Great post. Continue posting such sort of information on your page.AOL Customer Service .

    ReplyDelete
  45. This is really a great stuff for sharing. Thanks for sharing. POGO Tech Support Phone Number .

    ReplyDelete
  46. Thanks to all Friends to share such important queries. for Hotmail Technical Help

    Hotmail Support Number

    Hotmail Customer Service Number

    ReplyDelete
  47. Yahoo Support Phone Number
    http://www.yahoosuppotphonenumber.net
    We believe in offering a 100% satisfaction to our customers by providing instant Technical support.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Thank you so much for AOI technical support number.

    aol customer support phone number
    aol technical support number
    aol phone number for password reset
    aol customer service cancel account
    aol contact number uk
    aol mail helpdesk phone number
    aol mail help

    Just dial our toll-free number : 1-(800)-294-5907

    ReplyDelete
  49. its very easy for any person even any non technical person. If you visit our website and get simple steps discuss about it's configuration, for further any information get in touch with Aol Customer Service

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.