Switch from Yahoo Mail to Gmail

Download your Yahoo mail with an IMAP appBefore

Use Yahoo's IMAP settings to download your mail into an app like Thunderbird, Outlook or Mac Mail. Large accounts can take several days or longer.

Choose to keep mail on the serverDuring

If your email app asks whether to keep mail on the server, select yes. Otherwise your email is deleted from your Yahoo account as it downloads.

Download what you need before closingAfter

Closing your Yahoo account removes access to your Yahoo Mail messages and folders, so download anything you want first. In most countries you can reactivate by signing in within 30 days.

Import mail and contacts in Gmail settingsDuring

On a computer, open Gmail settings, go to the Accounts and import tab and click Import mail and contacts. Follow the steps on screen, then start the import.

Check what the import brings overBefore

Gmail imports messages but not folders or labels. Your other email account needs POP access.

Expect 30 days of forwarding after importAfter

After you import, Gmail forwards messages sent to your other account for 30 days.

Plan for the end of POP mail fetchingBefore

Gmail is ending POP fetching from other accounts. Existing users can use it until January 2027. Importing mail and contacts on the web still works, but it is a one-time import that does not keep syncing.