- IMAP server
- imap.gmail.com
- Port
- 993 · SSL/TLS
- Username
- full address
- Password
- app password
Gmail → Gmail
Migrating from one Gmail account to another
The most common move inside a single service: an old personal mailbox into a new one, or a work account into a personal one before leaving a job. Technically these are two separate Google accounts, so every Gmail requirement applies twice — an app password per side, IMAP enabled per side, and the All Mail label that can double the volume at either end.
- IMAP server
- imap.gmail.com
- Port
- 993 · SSL/TLS
- Username
- full address
- Password
- app password
What breaks on this particular pair
- Each side needs its own app password, and each side needs 2-step verification switched on first. There is no single password covering both accounts.
- Exclude "[Gmail]/All Mail" on the source. Leave it in and every message arrives as many times as it has labels.
- Gmail receives more slowly than it sends: roughly 2.5 GB a day going out, noticeably less coming in. Between two Gmail accounts the inbound side is the bottleneck, so plan by that.
- Labels arrive as folders. A message with three labels lands in one chosen folder rather than three — the structure flattens, and that is expected.
FAQ
Common questions
Can I move mail between Google accounts without app passwords?
No. The account password is refused over IMAP on both sides: each mailbox needs 2-step verification and its own app password.
How long does it take?
Count by the receiving side, which is the slower one. A 5 GB mailbox usually takes two or three days; a large archive a week or more.
Do labels survive?
They become ordinary folders in the new account. IMAP has folders and no labels, so one message ends up in one folder.
Does anything leave the old account?
No, the default mode only copies. Close the old mailbox once the folder counts match on both sides.
Related routes
Other directions
Find out how big your mailbox is. It costs nothing.
Connect two servers, look at the size and decide. Or take the client and keep everything on your side.
Code on GitHub · built on imapsync · no sign-up