How to Migrate Gmail to Zoho Mail Account? Easy Guide

When Home Minister Amit Shah publicly endorsed Zoho Mail, the email service received a major user boost. This resulted in a significant impact on digital self-reliance that aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Digital India’ initiatives.

Summary: What was impacted globally by Amit Shah’s endorsement was that many users were motivated by his call to adopt this Chennai-based platform, offering an ad-free and privacy-focused alternative to Gmail. Although Gmail is one of the popular email clients and is widely used, it’s time for organizations to switch to a more secure, rapid, and modern era platform. This blog will guide you through manual ways and the professional CloudXena Gmail Backup Tool to migrate Gmail to Zoho Mail reliably, scalably, and precisely.

 

 

Top Concerns to Migrate Emails from Gmail to Zoho

To clearly and easily understand why users prefer to migrate from Gmail to Zoho Mail, we have drafted a comparison table. Go through it below to clarify all your doubts:

Concern Gmail Zoho Mail Benefit
Service Free by Google with subscription plans Business-focused free email plan by Zoho Access to enterprise-grade features without a premium
Storage 15 GB (Shared) 5 GB free storage Clear mailbox storage separation makes data management feasible
Integration With Google Workspace services like Drive, Meet, etc. With Zoho CRM, Projects, and other business applications

Personalized experience with ad-free and custom domain space

Filter Options Basic email filtering and search functionality

Advanced rule-based filtering with deep search capabilities

Better automation and faster retrieval of old and legacy emails
Signatures

Simple Text/Image Based

Branded professional Consistent email identity
Comtrol Interface

Limited configuration features

Fully-featured professional and admin panel Improved governance, user management, and compliance
Email Accessibility Compatible across devices Suitable for web, desktop, & mobile More unified workspace with Zoho

Hence, Zoho Mail prioritizes its users, keeps data secure, and offers domain-based email addresses. A complete modern workspace best suited for large enterprises and business professionals.

Prerequisites to Migrate Gmail to Zoho Mail

Before proceeding with either the manual way or a professional tool for Gmail to Zoho Mail migration, a pre-migration checklist must be fulfilled. It includes:

Verified Zoho Mail account or Zoho subscription with IMAP access IMAP-enabled Gmail account
Gmail and Zoho App Passwords (if 2FA is on)
Adequate storage in Zoho Mail
Stable Internet Network
Gmail Backup as a safety net to avoid loss
Updated Browser and Admin Console Access

Once you have completed all the prerequisites, proceed with the step-by-step guides for your desired method as explained below.

General Method to Transfer Gmail Data to Zoho Mail

Several free methods are available for migrating Gmail emails. We will discuss each one in detail here.

Method 1: Manually Forward Gmail Emails to Zoho Mail

  1. Open Gmail and go to its “Settings >> See All Settings >> Forwarding and POP/IMAP”.
  2. Then, under the Forwarding tab, click on Add a mail address.
  3. Next, type in your Zoho email address and click Continue.
  4. Open your Zoho Mail and verify the confirmation request from Gmail.
  5. Afterward, return to Gmail and choose to keep a copy of the forwarded messages.
  6. Finally, press Add and Save Changes to transfer the emails.

Con: Only new incoming emails are transferred and not the previous ones already stored in the Gmail mailbox.

Method 2: IMAP Migrate Gmail to Zoho Mail

With the new Gmail versions, IMAP is already enabled, so you can directly proceed with these steps:

  1. Open Zoho Mail and navigate to its Settings >> Mail Accounts.
  2. Then, click Add Mail Account and select IMAP as the protocol.
  3. Further, input your Gmail server details for configuration:
  4. At last, Zoho Mail automatically starts fetching the emails.

Note: If you are using an older Gmail version and your IMAP is not enabled, then

  1. Go to Gmail All Settings and navigate to Forwarding  and POP/IMAP tab.
  2. Within it, you will find the IMAP Access option. Enable  IMAP there.

Cons:

  • Gmail labels often turn into duplicate folders in Zoho.
  • Large mailboxes often face slow syncs and sometimes migration failures.
  • No control for selective migration and support for contacts, calendars, and more.
  • Risk of IMAP throttling and migration interruption in the process.
  • Folder structure is generally not preserved.

Hence, the manual methods are available, but they are not very reliable. Take a look at this user query to know better:

“Our team of 150 members is ready to migrate Gmail to Zoho, a cost-efficient, privacy-focused platform. With years of Gmail data, a common concern we have is whether our folder structure, labels, attachments, and priority messages will be preserved. Manually transferring all the emails is a big, complex task, and thus, we need support to bulk migrate data for our growing team.”

Professional Method to Migrate Gmail to Zoho Mail

An expert migration tool like the CloudXena Gmail Backup enables you to eliminate all the manual issues and is best suited for enterprise-level migrations. It provides control, higher reliability, and migrates large mailboxes without timeout. Additionally, it preserves the folder hierarchy and Gmail label mapping and swiftly moves all the emails, attachments, and metadata in one go. Moreover, the software offers multiple filters and secure OAuth authentication to source and destination clients to avoid data theft or loss.

Note: If you want to understand its functionality, download the Demo Version and use it to free convert upto 50 emails per folder.

Steps to Migrate Emails from Gmail to Zoho

  1. Download, install, and start the Gmail Migration Tool. Choose an option to log in.
  2. Step-1
  3. Then, enter your Gmail credentials and click Sign In to authenticate. (Ensure you are logged in beforehand on the browser.)
  4. Step-2
  5. Further, select the root folders or Gmail labels you want to migrate. Tap Next.
  6. Step-3
  7. Afterward, select Migrate in Email Client and pick Zoho Mail. Enter the credentials and click Sign In.
  8. Step-4
  9. Finally, apply the filters, click Next, and then Download to migrate the email data.
  10. Step-5

This structured method has no IMAP dependency and directly transfers data between your source and target email clients with a click.

Tip: If you are looking to migrate Gmail emails to iCloud for Mac, then this tool is a must-have.

Conclusion

Migrate Gmail to Zoho Mail is a straightforward process when you have the right strategy and tools for migration. IMAP works well for smaller mailboxes, but dedicated software is suitable for all small and large mailboxes that require accurate, precise, and controlled conversions. GTeams who require options for customization, selective folder migration, or folder structure and labels retention can use it for ideal results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How do I import emails into Zoho Mail in bulk?

Ans. To transfer Gmail data to Zoho Mail in bulk, use the Gmail Email Backup Tool. It can easily handle multiple emails from various labels altogether and migrate them into Zoho without errors.

Q2. Do I need to backup my Gmail before moving to Zoho Mail?

Ans. If you do it manually, then yes, taking a backup is essential and useful for data security. However, with the tool, you can directly migrate Gmail to Zoho Mail without taking a backup because it is 100% secure and ensures no emails are hampered during or after transfer.

Q3. Can I migrate Gmail contacts and calendar, along with emails, to Zoho Mail?

Ans. If you are working with the Gmail Backup Software, then yes, all your Gmail contacts and calendars can be transferred to Zoho Mail at once. You just need to use the Modern Authentication option in the opening interface during Sign In.

Q4. Can I forward new incoming Gmail messages to Zoho Mail automatically?

Ans. Of course, Gmail’s built-in Forwarding feature allows you to automatically migrate Gmail to Zoho. However, only new emails are moved with this feature.

About The Author:

I, Simran Bhatia am a Technical Content Writer specializing in data management, email migration, and data recovery IT solutions. My focus is on simplifying complex processes into clear, practical guides that combine technical accuracy with real-world value for IT admins, decision-makers, and everyday users. For me, writing is not just about explaining technology, it’s about making it accessible, reliable, and valuable for readers.

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