Written by Jennifer Walsh. Reviewed for technical accuracy by Shubham Dixit, Independent Expert in Email Forensics and Data File Conversion.
Shubham is an independent external reviewer and not an employee of PCDOTS.
Quick answer. AOL Mail is an IMAP mailbox with no import button, and it needs an app-specific password for any mail app. To import an MBOX file to AOL, add AOL to Thunderbird or Apple Mail with that password, import the .mbox, and drag it into an AOL folder so it syncs up. For a large file, a tool uploads it straight in.
On this page
The one thing AOL needs first
Before anything else, this is the step that trips almost everyone. AOL will not let a mail client sign in with your normal password. For any third-party app, Thunderbird or Apple Mail included, AOL requires an app-specific password, which you create in your AOL Account Security settings under generate app password. Make that first, keep it handy, and use it wherever a step below asks for your AOL password. Skip it and every method here fails at the login screen, which is exactly why so many guides seem to stop working.
AOL refuses your normal password in a mail app, an app-specific password lets it in.
“Nine times out of ten when someone tells me the import to AOL will not work, they are typing their real password into the mail client. AOL simply does not accept it there, you need an app-specific password, and once that is in place the rest is ordinary IMAP. You import the .mbox into a client and drag it into the AOL folder, and it uploads. For a small archive that is a five-minute job by hand, for years of mail in one heavy file a tool that streams it straight to AOL is the kinder route.” Shubham Dixit, Email Migration reviewer (draft, pending approval)
The free route, through a mail client
AOL Mail has no button to upload an .mbox, because it is a webmail front on an IMAP mailbox. So you use a desktop client that already syncs with AOL, and whatever you drop into an AOL folder there rides up to the server. Two clients do this well, and both are free.
Thunderbird, on any system. Add your AOL account by IMAP using the app-specific password from above, the server is imap.aol.com. Then add the free ImportExportTools NG add-on, right-click Local Folders, choose Import mbox file, and pick your .mbox. Once the messages appear, select them, right-click, and Move to a folder under your AOL account, which uploads them.
Apple Mail, on a Mac. Add AOL under System Settings and Internet Accounts, again with the app-specific password, then in Mail use File, Import Mailboxes, Files in mbox format. Drag the imported messages into your AOL mailbox and Mail syncs them up. Either way it costs nothing and keeps your attachments intact.
Import into a client that syncs with AOL, and the mail rides up to your account.
What to expect
A few honest notes so nothing surprises you. The app-specific password is the main hurdle, once it is set the rest is routine. Uploading over IMAP is not instant, so a very large .mbox can take a while to push up, and it is worth letting it finish in one sitting. And if your .mbox is a single flat file, from Google Takeout for instance, it imports as one folder rather than splitting into neat sub-folders. None of this risks your attachments, they travel inside the messages and arrive intact, so you can ignore any warning that the manual route drops them.
A tool for a big mailbox
If the .mbox is large, or you would rather not set up a client at all, a tool does the upload for you. The PCDOTS MBOX Converter reads your .mbox files and uploads to AOL over IMAP using your AOL address and the same app-specific password, keeping attachments and folder structure. It runs on Windows, takes several files in one pass, and has a free version so you can test a batch first. It is the honest choice for a heavy archive or a stack of files, not something you need for a small one that the free route handles fine.
The tool route, an MBOX file streamed straight into AOL over IMAP.
Here are the tool steps with the screens.
Step 1. Install and run the software on Windows, then open the menu.
Step 2. Choose MBOX files and add your .mbox.
Step 3. Open Export and choose IMAP for the AOL upload.
Step 4. Enter your AOL address and app-specific password, then save to start.
To get the .mbox ready first, see our guides to import MBOX into Thunderbird and open MBOX files on Windows.
If you have a PST, not an MBOX
A quick check, because many people looking to fill AOL are holding an Outlook PST, not an .mbox. That is a different file, and the .mbox steps above will not read it. The idea is the same, add AOL to a client with the app-specific password and move the mail across, but you start from the PST. For that, the PCDOTS PST Converter reads a .pst and uploads to AOL over IMAP the same way. If your file really is an .mbox, carry on below.
The methods compared
Pick by your setup and how much mail you are moving.
| Method | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Thunderbird over IMAP | Any OS, free | Needs an app-specific password |
| Apple Mail | Mac users, free | Same app password, drag to AOL |
| MBOX Converter tool | A large mailbox, Windows | Uploads straight to AOL |
Frequently asked questions
Does AOL Mail have a direct MBOX import option?
No. AOL webmail cannot upload an .mbox. You bring the file in through a mail client that syncs with AOL over IMAP.
Why will not my AOL password work in Thunderbird or Apple Mail?
AOL blocks your normal password for third-party apps. Create an app-specific password in AOL Account Security and use that in the client instead.
What is the AOL IMAP server?
It is imap.aol.com on port 993 with SSL. Most clients fill this in for you once you sign in with the app-specific password.
Will importing lose my attachments?
No. Attachments live inside each message, so they upload with the mail. The old warning about the manual method dropping them is not accurate.
How do I import a large MBOX to AOL quickly?
Use a tool that reads the .mbox and uploads to AOL over IMAP in one pass, so you are not moving thousands of messages by hand.
Can I import a PST to AOL the same way?
The approach is the same, but a PST is not an .mbox. Use a PST route or tool that reads the .pst and uploads to AOL.
It is easier than the login screen makes it look
If the app-specific password step feels like a wall, take heart, it is a two-minute detour, not a dead end. Make the password once in AOL Account Security, and from there importing an .mbox is the same calm routine as any IMAP move, drop the mail into an AOL folder and let it sync. Your attachments come along, nothing is at risk, and for a small archive you will be done tonight. For a big one, hand it to the tool and let it stream up while you get on with your day. The only thing standing between your MBOX and AOL was that one password, and now you have it.
