Written by Jennifer Walsh. Reviewed for technical accuracy by Shubham Dixit, Independent Expert in Email Forensics and Data File Conversion. Updated 16 October 2026.
Shubham is an independent external reviewer and not an employee of PCDOTS.
Quick answer. To forward Gmail to another account, open Settings, See all settings, then Forwarding and POP/IMAP. Select Add a forwarding address, enter the other account and verify it with the link Gmail sends there. Then select Forward a copy of incoming mail to and Save Changes. One thing to know, forwarding sends new mail only, your old inbox stays put.
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How do you forward Gmail to another account?
You forward Gmail to another account with a free setting built into Gmail, no tool needed. Add the other address, verify it, and Gmail sends your mail on from then on.
There’s one thing worth knowing up front, because it trips people up. Forwarding sends new mail only. The messages already sitting in your inbox don’t move, so if you want those across too, that’s a separate step covered near the end.
You can forward three ways. Send all new mail automatically, send only some with a filter or forward a single email by hand. Here’s the automatic route first, then the other two.
Forwarding sends new mail to the other account for free, while old mail needs an import or a converter.
“The mix-up I see most is people expecting forwarding to carry their history over. It doesn’t. Forwarding is a forward-looking setting, it sends mail that arrives after you switch it on, and the old inbox stays exactly where it is. For most people that’s fine, they just want future mail in one place. When someone also needs the years of old mail in the new account, I point them at Gmail’s own import first, and only reach for a converter when it’s a big mailbox or they want an offline copy as well. Set it up, send one test message, and check it lands.” Shubham Dixit, Data File reviewer (draft, pending approval)
How to forward all Gmail to another account automatically
You switch on automatic forwarding in Gmail’s settings. It takes a minute, and the one catch is a quick verification in the other account.
Here are the six steps.
- In the Gmail you’re forwarding from, open Settings, then See all settings.
- Open the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
- Select Add a forwarding address, enter the other account, then Next, Proceed and OK.
- In the other account, open the verification email and select the link inside it.
- Back in Gmail, refresh the page, reopen the tab and select Forward a copy of incoming mail to.
- Choose what happens to Gmail’s copy, keeping it in the Inbox is the safe choice, then select Save Changes.
From now on every new message, apart from spam, lands in both inboxes. Send yourself a test email to confirm it arrives in the other account. The other account can be any email, a different Gmail, Outlook or Yahoo, forwarding works the same to all of them.
Open the Forwarding tab, add the address, verify it in the other account, then select Forward a copy and Save Changes.
How to forward only some Gmail with a filter
Don’t want every message forwarded? A filter sends only the mail that matches a rule, like a sender or a subject. First add and verify the forwarding address above, and leave the Forward a copy option switched off so it doesn’t send everything.
Here are the five steps.
- In the Gmail search box, select Show search options.
- Set your rule, like a sender in the From field or a word in the subject.
- Select Create filter at the bottom of the search box.
- Tick Forward it to, then select the verified address.
- Select Create filter again. For more than one address, make a filter for every one.
How to forward a single email in Gmail
Just need to send one message on? Forward it by hand, no settings to change.
- Open the email you want to send.
- Select Forward, or Forward as attachment to send the original as a file.
- Enter the other account, add a note if you want, then Send.
Does forwarding move your old Gmail too?
No, and this is the part the setup screen doesn’t spell out. Forwarding only sends mail that arrives after you switch it on. Everything already in your inbox stays in the old account.
To bring the old mail across too
- Free, with Gmail. In the other account, open Settings, Accounts and Import, then Import mail and contacts and sign in to the old Gmail. Gmail copies the old mail and keeps importing new mail for about 30 days.
- Bulk or a backup. For a large mailbox, or an offline copy on your PC, a converter copies the full account to another inbox or a file.
- Forwarding still helps. Keep forwarding switched on so future mail reaches the new account while you move the old mail.
PCDOTS Gmail Converter copies a Gmail mailbox to another account, or to a PST, MBOX or EML file on Windows, which suits a big archive or an offline backup. For a normal move, Gmail’s own import above is free and enough.
Related reading, our guides to import Google Takeout to a new account and fix the Gmail storage full issue.
Forwarding handles new mail for free, an import or a converter brings the old mail across.
Which method should you use?
Use automatic forwarding for all new mail, a filter for only some and a manual forward for a single message.
| Method | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic forwarding | All new mail | Free, verify the address once, new mail only |
| Filter forwarding | Only some mail | Free, forwards mail that matches a rule |
| Import or converter | Old mail too | Gmail import is free, a converter does bulk |
Not sure which fits? Match what you want to send to the route below.
Match what you want to send to the route, all new mail forwards automatically, some mail takes a filter, one message goes by hand, old mail needs an import.
Key takeaways
- Forward Gmail to another account in Settings, Forwarding and POP/IMAP, add and verify the address.
- Select Forward a copy of incoming mail to, then Save Changes, and new mail goes to both inboxes.
- For only some mail, create a filter and tick Forward it to the verified address.
- Forwarding sends new mail only. For old mail, use Gmail’s Import mail and contacts or a converter.
Frequently asked questions
Can you forward emails from one Gmail account to another?
Yes, for free. Add the other account as a forwarding address in Settings, Forwarding and POP/IMAP, verify it, then select Forward a copy of incoming mail to and Save Changes.
Does forwarding move my existing Gmail?
No. Forwarding sends new mail only, from the moment you switch it on. Your old inbox stays in the first account unless you import it or copy it with a converter.
How do I forward only some emails?
Create a filter. In the search box select Show search options, set a rule like a sender or subject, Create filter, then tick Forward it to and select the verified address.
How do I forward one email by hand?
Open the message, select Forward, or Forward as attachment to send the original file, enter the other account, and Send.
How do I bring my old Gmail to the new account?
In the other account open Settings, Accounts and Import, then Import mail and contacts and sign in to the old Gmail. For a large account or a backup, a converter copies the full mailbox.
Is Gmail forwarding free?
Yes. Forwarding, filters and manual forwarding are all built into Gmail at no cost. A converter is only for bulk moves or an offline copy of old mail.
Can I set up forwarding on the Gmail mobile app?
The automatic forwarding setting lives on desktop Gmail, so open gmail.com in a browser to set it up. The mobile app can still forward a single email, and once forwarding is on it works for mail on every device.
How do I stop Gmail forwarding?
Open Settings, Forwarding and POP/IMAP, select Disable forwarding, then Save Changes. If you used a filter, delete it under Filters and Blocked Addresses.
Is forwarding the same as adding another account?
No. Forwarding sends your mail to a second inbox. Adding an account, or multiple sign-in, only lets you switch between inboxes in one place, it doesn’t move any mail.
So how are you sending your Gmail to the other account?
Forwarding Gmail to another account is free and quick, add the address, verify it and select Forward a copy of incoming mail to. Use a filter for only some mail, or forward a single email by hand. Remember forwarding sends new mail only, so for the old inbox use Gmail’s import or a converter. So how are you sending your Gmail to the other account, all of it, a filtered slice or just one message?
