Bring over your old emails

Switching email providers does not mean starting from scratch. Upkyo Mail includes a migration tool that copies your old messages, with their folders, from Gmail, Outlook, OVHcloud, IONOS, App Suite or any IMAP server. This guide explains how to start the copy, how to prepare your old mailbox and how to organise the move from one provider to another without losing a single email.

Before you start

• First create the destination Upkyo mailbox, see Create an email address.
• Keep access to your old mailbox at hand: address, password, and for some providers an app password.
• Check that the Upkyo mailbox is large enough to hold your history.

Migrate your emails step by step

1. Open your Upkyo Mail plan in My services.
2. In Migrate your emails, click Get started.
3. Choose your previous provider, then the destination Upkyo mailbox.
4. Connect your old mailbox: depending on the provider, sign in to your account or enter the address and password.
5. Start the copy with Start migration.
6. Follow progress in Your migrations: you can close the page in the meantime.

How does the copy work?

The copy runs in the background: you can close the page and carry on working. The tool reads your old mailbox over IMAP and copies the messages into the chosen Upkyo mailbox, folder by folder.

Your old messages are not deleted from your previous provider. A migration is a copy, not a move: you keep a safety net until you close the old account.

You can run a migration again (Restart button) without creating duplicates: messages already copied are not copied a second time. This is handy for picking up the last emails that reached the old mailbox just before the switch.

Migrate several addresses at once

If you are moving a whole team, the tool can copy several addresses in the same operation: add one line per old address with Add another address, choosing the destination Upkyo mailbox for each.

Special cases by provider

• Gmail and Outlook.com: these services often require you to sign in to your account or to use an app password instead of your usual password. If the direct sign-in does not work, use the Use an app password instead option and create that password in the security settings of your Google or Microsoft account.
• Other provider: if your provider is not in the list, enter the IMAP server and Port of your old email service. This information is usually found in your previous provider's help pages.
• Two-factor authentication: if your old mailbox is protected by a one-time code, an app password is almost always required.

In what order should you switch providers?

For a seamless transition, follow this order:

1. Create your mailboxes at Upkyo.
2. Run a first migration of your history.
3. Point your domain to Upkyo (MX records). For a domain registered elsewhere, see Use Upkyo Mail with a domain bought elsewhere.
4. Once new emails are arriving at Upkyo, run the migration again to pick up the last messages received in the old mailbox.
5. Set up your devices with the Upkyo settings, see Set up your email on phone and computer.
6. Keep the old account for a few weeks before cancelling it.

What if the migration fails?

• Credentials rejected: check the address and password, or create an app password.
• IMAP access disabled: some providers require you to turn on IMAP in the mailbox settings before allowing it.
• Very long migration: a mailbox of several gigabytes can take time. Let the copy carry on in the background.
• Destination mailbox full: the copy stops when the Upkyo mailbox reaches its maximum size. Order a larger mailbox or clean up.

Frequently asked questions

How do I transfer my emails from Gmail to another address?

With Upkyo, open Migrate your emails in your Upkyo Mail plan, choose Gmail as the provider and connect your account. Messages are copied into the chosen Upkyo mailbox, with their folders.

Will I lose my old emails if I change email host?

No, as long as you migrate them before closing the old account. The copy deletes nothing at your previous provider.

Can I run the migration several times?

Yes. A new copy does not create duplicates: only messages missing from the Upkyo mailbox are added.

How long does an email migration take?

It depends on the number of messages and the speed of the previous provider: from a few minutes to several hours. You can follow progress in Your migrations.