The fastest way depends on which email provider you use and whether you're keeping the old account

You have three realistic paths: forward all incoming mail to your new address, read your old emails and import them into the new account, or do both. The method that works fastest for you depends on whether you use Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or another provider, and whether you need to keep the old account active or can close it.

If you're switching banks and need to move emails tied to your old account, start by updating your email address with your bank directly—that's separate from moving the emails themselves. Once that's done, you can handle the email migration while you still have access to the old account, which matters because some methods require you to be logged in.

Key Takeaways

  • Forwarding is the fastest option if you only care about new emails going forward and can leave the old account open for a few weeks.
  • Downloading and importing works best if you need to keep a full archive and plan to close the old account soon.
  • Gmail and Outlook both have built-in tools to move mail; Yahoo and smaller providers require manual read-and-import steps.
  • Set up forwarding before you close the old account, because once it's gone, you lose access to the forwarding settings.
  • Bank emails often contain statements and security alerts—move these first and verify they're arriving in your new inbox before you delete anything from the old account.

Forwarding all new emails to your new address

Forwarding is the simplest option if you're comfortable leaving the old account open for a month or two. Every new email that arrives at the old address gets sent automatically to the new one. You set this up while logged into the old account, and it takes about two minutes.

In Gmail: Open Settings (the gear icon), go to Forwarding and POP/IMAP, click Add a forwarding address, enter your new email, confirm the verification email that arrives at the new address, then return to Settings and select "Forward a copy of incoming mail to [new address]." Choose whether to keep or delete the original from the old inbox.

In Outlook: Go to Settings, then Mail, then Forwarding. Enter your new address and choose whether to keep a copy in the old inbox. Outlook sends a confirmation link to your new address—click it to set up.

In Yahoo: Open Account Info, go to Account Security, then Forwarding Address. Add your new address and confirm it. Then return to that same section and enable forwarding.

The catch: forwarding only handles new mail. Anything already in the old account stays there unless you read it separately. Also, some banks flag forwarded emails as suspicious because the "from" address doesn't match the sender's domain—this is rare but worth testing with one bank email first.

Downloading and importing your existing emails

This method moves your entire email history—everything already in the old account—into the new one. It takes longer to set up but gives you a complete archive and lets you close the old account without losing anything.

Gmail to Gmail: Use Google Takeout. Log into the old account, go to takeout.google.com, select Mail, choose the format (MBOX works best), and read. Then log into the new account, go to Settings, Forwarding and POP/IMAP, enable IMAP, and use a tool like Thunderbird or Apple Mail to import the MBOX file. This is technical but reliable.

Outlook to Outlook: Log into the old account, select all emails (Ctrl+A), click Move, create a new folder called "Archive," move everything there, then export that folder as a PST file. Log into the new account, go to Settings, and use the Import option to upload the PST file.

Between different providers (Gmail to Outlook, Yahoo to Gmail, etc.): read your old account's emails as an MBOX or PST file using that provider's export tool, then import into the new account. Gmail and Outlook both have import functions in their Settings. Yahoo requires downloading first, then importing into your new provider's system.

This process can take several hours if you have thousands of emails, and the import may take a day or two to complete depending on the volume. During that time, both accounts should remain open so you can verify the import worked before closing the old one.

Combining forwarding and read for a complete handoff

The safest approach is to do both: read everything from the old account, import it into the new one, and set up forwarding for anything that arrives while the import is running or in the days after.

Start the read and import first—this can take hours or overnight. While that's running, set up forwarding so new emails don't get lost. Once the import finishes and you've verified that your bank emails and other important messages arrived in the new account, you can turn off forwarding and close the old account.

This overlap period usually lasts one to two weeks. During that time, you're receiving mail in both places, which is redundant but safe. The moment you see a bank statement or security alert in the new inbox, you know the system is working.

What to do before you close the old account

Before you delete or close the old email account, take these steps in order. First, update your email address with your bank and any other financial institutions that send you statements or alerts. This is the most important step because it stops new mail from going to the old address.

Second, test the forwarding or import by sending yourself a test email from another account and watching for it to arrive in the new inbox. Do the same with a real bank email if one arrives—don't assume it worked until you see it.

Third, read any emails you're not sure made it through the import, especially statements, tax documents, or security alerts. Bank emails often contain information you'll need later, so err on the side of keeping them.

Fourth, wait at least two weeks after setting up forwarding before closing the old account. This gives you time to catch anything that didn't transfer and to confirm that new mail is arriving correctly at the new address.

Finally, if you're closing the account with the email provider itself (not just stopping use), look for a "delete account" or "close account" option in Settings. Most providers require you to confirm the deletion via email, and they may keep your data for 30 to 90 days before permanently removing it.

Common problems and how to fix them

Forwarding isn't working: Log back into the old account and check that forwarding is actually enabled—sometimes the setting reverts. Also verify that the new address was confirmed (you should have received a confirmation email). If forwarding is on but mail still isn't arriving, check the new account's spam folder; forwarded emails sometimes get flagged as suspicious.

Import shows 0 emails or only partial results: This usually means the export file didn't include everything. Try exporting again, making sure you selected "all mail" or "all folders" rather than a specific folder. If you're importing between different providers, the format may not be compatible—try converting the file using a free tool like CloudConvert before importing.

Bank emails aren't forwarding: Some banks use systems that reject forwarded mail. If this happens, you'll need to read those emails manually from the old account and keep them in a folder, or ask the bank to resend recent statements to your new address. Update your email with the bank first, then request they resend the last few months of statements.

You closed the old account before finishing the transfer: If the account is completely gone, you've lost access to anything that didn't read or forward. If it's only deactivated (not deleted), you may be able to reactivate it temporarily to complete the transfer. Contact the email provider's support to ask about recovery options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move emails if I don't remember the password to the old account?

Not directly. You'll need to reset the password first using the account recovery process (usually a phone number or backup email). Once you're back in, you can set up forwarding or read your emails. If you can't recover the account, contact the email provider's support team—they may be able to help, though it can take several days.

Will forwarding work if I close the old email account?

No. Forwarding stops working the moment the account is deleted or deactivated. Set up forwarding before you close anything, and leave the old account open for at least two weeks after you start forwarding so you can catch any problems.

Do I need to tell my bank I'm changing my email address?

Yes. Update your email address directly in your bank's online portal or by calling them. This ensures new statements, alerts, and security notifications go to the new address. Don't rely on email forwarding alone for this—it's a temporary solution, not a permanent change.

What if my bank emails have attachments or special formatting?

Forwarding and importing both preserve attachments and formatting in most cases. Test this with one email first by forwarding it to yourself or importing a small batch and checking that PDFs and images came through correctly. If formatting breaks, you may need to read those specific emails manually and keep them as backups.

How long does it take to import thousands of emails?

The read usually takes a few hours depending on file size. The import into the new account can take anywhere from a few hours to a full day, depending on the provider and how many emails you're moving. Gmail and Outlook typically process imports overnight. Don't close the old account until the import shows as complete.