[Gmail] Help with transferring emails from one account to another via Takeout?

How to Safely Transfer Emails and Data from One Google Account to Another: A Step-by-Step Guide

Many users find themselves in situations where they need to migrate their data from one Google account to another, whether due to account changes, institutional policies, or other reasons. If you’re unfamiliar with the process, the task can seem daunting. This guide aims to provide a clear, professional overview of how to effectively transfer emails, files, and other Google data using Google Takeout and other tools.

Understanding the Challenge

Suppose your alma mater unexpectedly deletes your alumni Gmail and Google Drive accounts—accounts that were promised to be available for life. You’ve accumulated thousands of important emails and files that you wish to retain. After downloading your data via Google Takeout, you may find yourself unsure of how to restore or access this data within your new or personal Google account.

Step 1: Download Your Data with Google Takeout

Google Takeout is an official tool that enables users to export their data from Google services. Since you’ve already successfully used Google Takeout to download your emails, files, and photos, you’ve taken the first essential step.

Step 2: Understanding What You Have

The downloaded data typically comes in formats like:

Emails: MBOX files
Drive Files: Usually in archive formats such as ZIP
Photos: In standard image formats within your archive

Recognizing these formats is key to knowing how to re-import or access your data.

Step 3: Importing Emails Into Your New Gmail Account

Exported emails often come in MBOX format. To access these emails in your new account, you need to import them into Gmail. Unfortunately, Gmail does not support direct upload of MBOX files via its web interface, but there are several effective methods:

Method A: Use an Email Client (Recommended for Beginners)

Download an Email Client: Applications such as Mozilla Thunderbird, Microsoft Outlook, or Apple Mail can import MBOX files.
Configure Your New Gmail Account:
Use IMAP settings to add your Gmail account to the email client.
For Gmail, IMAP details are usually imap.gmail.com with port 993, requiring OAuth authentication.
Import the MBOX Files:
In Thunderbird (or similar), import the MBOX file into a local folder.
Then, drag or copy the emails from the local folder into your Gmail account