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. Moving AOL to iCloud can mean two things. To move the emails you already have, add both accounts to a mail client and copy the AOL folders into iCloud over IMAP. To keep new mail coming, set AOL to forward to your iCloud address. Both need an app-specific password. Here are the steps and settings.
On this page
Move it or forward it?
Before you start, decide what moving AOL to iCloud means for you, because there are two different jobs and people often want one while reading about the other.
The first is moving the mail you already have, copying your existing AOL emails and folders into iCloud so your history lives there. The second is forwarding new mail, pointing AOL at your iCloud address so future messages arrive in iCloud automatically. Many people want both, move the old and forward the new. Either way, AOL and iCloud are both IMAP services, and both ask for an app-specific password rather than your normal one.
Two jobs behind one phrase, move the old mail, or forward the new.
“The first question I ask is whether someone wants their old AOL mail in iCloud, or just their new mail, because the answer sends you down two different paths. Moving what you already have is an IMAP copy, you connect both mailboxes and drag. Forwarding is a setting on the AOL side that only affects mail arriving from now on. And on both accounts you will hit the same wall if you use your normal password, AOL and iCloud each want an app-specific one for outside apps.” Shubham Dixit, Email Migration reviewer (draft, pending approval)
The settings you will need
Both routes lean on the same account settings, and these are also what you enter when adding AOL to an iPhone, iPad or Mac. Generate an app-specific password on each side first, in AOL account security, and at appleid.apple.com for iCloud.
The same settings add AOL to your iPhone or iPad, and drive the migration.
Move the existing mail
To bring over what you already have, use a mail client as the meeting point for both mailboxes. Apple Mail on a Mac is the natural choice since iCloud is already there, but any IMAP client such as Thunderbird works on Windows too.
Add both accounts. Add AOL to the client with imap.aol.com and its app-specific password. On a Mac iCloud is usually already present, otherwise add it with imap.mail.me.com and its app-specific password.
Copy AOL into iCloud. Open your AOL folders, select the emails, and drag them into a folder under your iCloud account. Because it is IMAP, they upload to iCloud and appear across your Apple devices, with attachments.
For related moves, see our guides to import MBOX to iCloud if your mail is in a file, and import EML to AOL Mail for the AOL side.
Forward new mail to iCloud
If your goal is that future AOL mail simply shows up in iCloud, forwarding does that without touching your old messages. Note two honest points, forwarding only affects new mail, not what is already in AOL, and it keeps both accounts active, since AOL still receives first and passes it on.
In AOL Mail, open Options or Settings, look for Forwarding, enter your iCloud address, and save. If your AOL account does not show a forwarding option, the alternative is simply to keep the AOL account added on your device alongside iCloud, so both inboxes are in one place.
The bulk way, a tool
Dragging folders by hand is fine for a small mailbox, but for years of mail across many folders it is slow, and it needs a client set up. A migration tool copies AOL straight into iCloud over IMAP, server to server, with no client in the middle. The PCDOTS Email Backup Software connects to your AOL account, reads the mailboxes, and moves them into iCloud in bulk, keeping folders, attachments and headers. It runs on Windows and uses the app-specific password on each side. A free version moves the first ten items per folder so you can test it first.
The tool route, for a large AOL mailbox moving in one pass.
Here are the steps with the screens.
Step 1. Install and run the software on Windows, then open the menu.
Step 2. Choose Email Account, Add Account, and add AOL.
Step 3. Enter your AOL address and app-specific password, then Add.
Step 4. Click Export, pick IMAP, enter your iCloud address and app-specific password, then Save.
What about contacts?
Contacts move separately from mail, they are not part of the mailbox. The simple way is to export your AOL contacts as a vCard or CSV file, then import that into iCloud Contacts at icloud.com. If you add your AOL account to your iPhone or iPad, the AOL contacts can also sync onto the device directly.
The methods compared
Match the route to whether you want the old mail, the new mail, or a large migration.
| Method | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Client, drag AOL into iCloud | Moving existing mail, free | App password on both sides |
| AOL forwarding | New mail only, free | Both accounts stay active |
| Email Backup tool | A large AOL mailbox | Windows, server to server |
Frequently asked questions
Can I move my old AOL emails to iCloud?
Yes. Add both accounts to a mail client and drag the AOL folders into iCloud over IMAP, or use a tool that copies them server to server. Both need an app-specific password.
Does iCloud import email directly from AOL?
No. iCloud has no file import. You move the mail through a client or a tool over IMAP, or forward new mail from AOL’s settings.
Why will AOL or iCloud not accept my password?
Both block normal passwords from third-party apps. Generate an app-specific password in AOL account security and at appleid.apple.com, and use those.
What are the AOL and iCloud IMAP settings?
AOL is imap.aol.com on port 993 with SSL, iCloud is imap.mail.me.com on port 993 with SSL. These are also the settings for adding AOL to an iPhone or iPad.
Does forwarding move my old AOL emails?
No. Forwarding only sends new mail on to iCloud. To bring across what you already have, use the move method or the tool.
How do I move my AOL contacts to iCloud?
Export AOL contacts as a vCard or CSV, then import that into iCloud Contacts. Adding AOL to your device can also sync the contacts across.
Pick move or forward, then set it once
My suggestion is to be clear about which job you are doing before you touch a setting. If you want your years of AOL mail living in iCloud, do the move, add both accounts to a client with their app-specific passwords and drag the folders across, or let the tool handle a big mailbox in one go. If you only care about new mail from here on, set AOL to forward and you are done. Do the move once and forward alongside it if you want both, and your AOL history and your future mail will all sit together in iCloud, on every Apple device you own.
