How to Migrate from Hotmail to Gmail: Redirecting, Importing, & More

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Migrate Hotmail, Outlook, or Live email to Gmail in minutes
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If your Hotmail is jammed with spam or is otherwise inaccessible, switching from Hotmail to Gmail can make a huge difference in your internet experience. You can easily transfer your messages and contacts from Hotmail to Gmail, and opt to forward Hotmail to Gmail if you'd like. Once you make the switch, update your email address with all the accounts, apps, and services you use. Read on to learn how to move from Hotmail (Outlook) to Gmail.

Switching from Hotmail to Gmail

  • You can easily import Hotmail messages and contacts into Gmail from within Gmail on your computer.
  • Go to See all settings > Accounts and Import > Import mail and contacts. Enter your Hotmail address and follow the prompts.
  • To redirect Hotmail to Gmail, log in to Hotmail, go to Settings > Mail > Forwarding and IMAP , enable forwarding, and enter your Gmail address.
Section 1 of 5:

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  1. Log in to your Gmail account, click the gear icon at the top-right, and select See all settings . [1]
    • To import your contacts and messages into Gmail, you will need to have a Gmail account already set up. If you haven't signed up for Gmail yet, sign up now .
    • If you don't want to import Hotmail messages or contacts into Gmail, you can forward new messages to Gmail instead.
    • Gmail does not use traditional "folders" to sort email messages. When you import your Hotmail into Gmail, you will not have the same folder structure you did in Hotmail.
  2. In the Settings window, choose the Accounts and Import link from the menu across the top.
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  3. In the Accounts and Import window, choose this option beneath "Import from Yahoo!, Hotmail, AOL, and other webmail or POP3 accounts."
  4. A new pop-up will appear.
  5. 5
    Click Continue and log in to Hotmail. After clicking Continue again, you may be prompted to sign in to your Hotmail (Microsoft) account. If you're already logged in, you will be brought to a screen asking if you want to give a service called "ShuttleCloud" access to your info in Microsoft.
  6. 6
    Click Accept . This allows Shuttlecloud access to your Hotmail account.
    • When you see a message that you were authenticated successfully, you can close the window.
  7. Select the options you wish to include when importing from Hotmail into Gmail. You can import any or all of the options: Import your contacts, import mail, and import new mail for the next 30 days. When you've selected the desired options, click Start import to start transferring your messages and contacts from Hotmail to Gmail.
  8. 8
    Click Start import .
    • Be patient. It can take a while to import all your information, especially if you have a lot of email messages and contacts. When it's finished, your email messages and contacts will be imported to Gmail.
    • This method also works for other email providers .
    • If you chose the option to import new messages for the next 30 days, don't forget to check your Hotmail email every once in a while after that to make sure you aren't missing anything. Otherwise, consider forwarding Hotmail to Gmail , even if only temporarily.
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Section 2 of 5:

Redirecting Hotmail to Gmail

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  1. 1
    Log in to your Hotmail account in a web browser. If you are switching to Gmail from Hotmail, you can automatically forward all future messages sent to your @hotmail.com email address to your @gmail.com email address. Go to Outlook.com and sign in with your Hotmail username and password to get started.
    • If you also want to import your mail and contacts from Hotmail into Gmail, you can do so using this method .
  2. 2
    Click the gear icon to open your settings. It'll be at the top-right corner of your Outlook/Hotmail inbox.
  3. 3
    Click the Mail tab. It's on the left panel.
  4. 4
    Click the Forwarding and IMAP tab. It's in the middle panel.
  5. 5
    Toggle on the switch next to "Enable forwarding." This allows you to forward messages to another email account.
  6. 6
    Enter your Gmail email address into the field. If you'd like to keep a copy of each forwarded message in your Outlook inbox, you can also check the box next to "Keep a copy of forwarded messages" as well.
  7. 7
    Click Save . All future messages sent to your @hotmail.com address will now automatically be forwarded to your Gmail account.
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Section 3 of 5:

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  1. If you have decided to forward your Hotmail email to Gmail on an ongoing basis, you may want to add your @hotmail.com email address as a sending address in Gmail so you can still send messages from your @hotmail.com address. To get started, log in to your Gmail account, then click the gear icon at the top-right and select See all settings .
    • This method allows you to select which email address to send mail from in Gmail. You can choose either your Hotmail or Gmail address as the "From" address.
    • You can skip this method if you don't want people to use your @hotmail.com email address anymore.
  2. It's one of the options running along the top of the Settings panel.
  3. 3
    Under "Send mail as," select Add another email address . A yellow window will appear.
  4. 4
    Enter your @hotmail.com email address into the field. If you'd like, you can also edit the name you use when sending from that address. [2]
    • Leave "Treat as an alias" selected. [3]
    • By default, if you send messages from your @hotmail.com address, that address will appear in the Reply to field, which means anyone who responds will be responding to your @hotmail.com email address. If you'd rather responses be sent to your Gmail address, click Specify a different "reply-to" address , then enter your Gmail address into the field.
  5. 5
    Click Next Step . Now you'll be asked to enter some information about your Hotmail account.
  6. 6
    Enter the SMTP server details for your Hotmail (Outlook) account. Enter your Hotmail username and password into the fields. Gmail should automatically fill in the "SMTP" server field, but if it doesn't, use smtp-mail.outlook.com , port 587 . Leave the "Secured connection using TLS (recommended)" option selected. [4]
  7. 7
    Click Add Account . Now, when you send messages from Gmail, you can choose to send the message through Hotmail (Outlook) instead of Gmail. Just click the From field in the new message and select your @hotmail.com email address to do so. [5]
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Section 4 of 5:

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  1. 1
    If you want to keep your Hotmail email address If you don't want to get rid of your @hotmail.com email address forever, there are a few things you should do:
    • Consider forwarding Hotmail to Gmail . If you use your Hotmail address as your login for other accounts (or for two-step verification), you will not want to lose access to it in case you ever need to verify your identity.
    • Check your Gmail Spam folder often. Gmail may mark some of your incoming Hotmail messages as spam. If you catch important emails in your spam folder, you can mark them as safe to return them to your inbox and teach Gmail which messages you want to receive.
    • Sign in to Hotmail every so often. Hotmail will automatically close your account if you don't sign in at least once within two years. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/reopen-your-microsoft-account-52d7f36e-4c2f-489a-8584-de5fc7918362 . You may want to log in every so often to see if any contacts you forgot to remind are still sending you messages to your old Hotmail email address.
  2. If you are trying to distance yourself from your @hotmail.com email address because it gets a lot of spam, you might want to cancel your account after switching to Gmail. In this case, here's what you'll want to do:
    • Email your contacts and tell them your new Gmail address. Let them know you will be canceling your Hotmail email address and that they'll need to save your new email if they want to write you in the future. After all, once you've moved to Gmail, you won't be checking the old Hotmail address very often—you'll want to make sure all your friends are kept up to date.
    • Update your accounts. If you log in to any services or apps with your @hotmail.com email address, you should change your email address with those services. If you ever need to reset your password or verify an account, you won't be able to if your email address is set to the Hotmail account you plan to cancel.
    • Update your subscriptions. If you're signed up for any newsletters, you'll usually need to unsubscribe and resubscribe using your new email address.
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Section 5 of 5:

FAQ: Hotmail vs. Gmail

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  1. 1
    Is Hotmail or Gmail better? This comes down to personal preference, but because Outlook.com has been the official replacement for Hotmail for many years now, having a Gmail address looks more up-to-date and professional to others. However, Outlook.com, where you can easily access your Hotmail, offers similar features to Gmail, so either is a safe option.
  2. 2
    Is Hotmail discontinued? Hotmail email addresses still work, but Microsoft phased out Hotmail.com in 2013 in favor of Outlook.com. You can use Outlook to access your Hotmail, but it is technically not "Hotmail." [6]
  3. 3
    Can I use my Hotmail account in Gmail? Yes. You can import your Hotmail emails into Gmail, transfer your contacts, and even send email from your Hotmail.com email address through Gmail.
  4. 4
    Why use Gmail instead of Hotmail? Using a Hotmail email address might result in your emails being filtered as spam because so many Hotmail addresses were used by spammers. Gmail addresses look more professional than Hotmail addresses. Gmail is also very integrated into Google Drive, so it will be useful if you use Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Meet.
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  • Question
    What happens if I have forgotten my email password?
    Community Answer
    Try hitting the "forgot password" button and then checking the confirmation email on your phone or at your alternate address.
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    When I switch from Hotmail to Gmail, are my contacts automatically informed of the change?
    Community Answer
    No, you'll have to let them know you've switched.
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    I have just imported all my data from Hotmail to Gmail, but I don't want to lose my Hotmail address. Will people still be able to write to my Hotmail address? I want to keep both.
    Community Answer
    You can keep both email addresses. If someone sends you an email to Hotmail, you receive it there and vice versa with Gmail.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.google.com/mail/answer/21289?hl=en&sjid=13066531788668057707-NC#null
      2. ↑ https://support.google.com/mail/answer/22370?sjid=13066531788668057707-NC
      3. ↑ https://support.google.com/a/answer/1710338?ctx=gmail&hl=en&authuser=0&visit_id=01744661427247-4769422543979261870&rd=1
      4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/pop-imap-and-smtp-settings-for-outlook-com-d088b986-291d-42b8-9564-9c414e2aa040
      5. ↑ https://support.google.com/mail/answer/22370?sjid=13066531788668057707-NC
      6. ↑ https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/outlook/email-and-calendar-software-microsoft-outlook

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