How to Merge Two or More Gmail Accounts into One: 2 Methods

You may want to merge your Gmail accounts to be able to have access to all your inboxes from one place. Or you may want to get rid of the Gmail accounts that you are no longer using and save their emails to your primary account.

If this sounds like something that you are thinking about, you’re probably asking yourself: "Can you combine all Gmail accounts into one?"

Unfortunately, Gmail does not offer the functionality to merge two Google email accounts and keep only one address.

However, depending on your goals, you can choose one of the following options:

  • Option 1. Copy the emails from the accounts that you are no longer using into your primary Gmail and then delete the unwanted accounts. You can consider this option if you have multiple Gmail accounts but are actively using only one of them. Basically, using this method, you will consolidate the contents of multiple Gmail accounts in one of them.
  • Option 2. Add your secondary accounts to your primary account if you wish to keep all your accounts active. This will join your Gmail accounts and you will be able to receive and send messages from one account. But you will still have multiple accounts, each with their own credentials.

In this article we’ll provide you with easy to follow instructions for each of these options.

Option 1: Merge all Gmail accounts into one inbox by copying emails into one account

There are two ways to copy emails from secondary Gmail addresses into your primary Gmail account: the automatic method and the manual process.

We start with the automatic option because it is easier to use and it will save you hours of your time. The manual option involves installing additional software and has a number of other limitations, but some owners of small accounts may see value in it.

How to copy emails automatically using VaultMe

VaultMe is a secure online application for copying emails between online accounts. Using VaultMe, you will be able to combine old emails from one or several Gmail accounts with the emails in your primary account.

Merging Gmail account by combining emails using an automated app
Merging Gmail email automatically

Here’s why we recommend VaultMe for Gmail migrations:

  • The app provides precise results (it copies the formatting, the read/unread status, and attachments of all email messages)
  • It saves the label organization of the copied Gmail account so that all your emails will stay organized
  • VaultMe runs migrations online (you can power off your computer once the copying process begins)
  • VaultMe takes only a couple of minutes to set up and requires no technical knowledge
  • VaultMe has made lots of people happy — and you should read our reviews!
If you have any questions about VaultMe, please contact us at support@vaultme.com. We’d be happy to help!

How to link Gmail accounts by copying emails manually using a third-party email app

This method has important limitations which will be described further below. Please consider them carefully before you start.

To copy your Gmail emails from one account to another, first you will need to install a third-party email app (such as Thunderbird or Outlook) on your computer. You will be able to access your copied emails in your primary Gmail account even if you uninstall the email app after you’ve finished.

Here’s how you can copy the emails using an email client:

  1. Export the emails from the secondary Gmail address to your computer.

    You can do that using Google Takeout or manually using the export menu of your desktop email app.

    To export your emails using a desktop email app:

    • Connect your secondary account to the app.
    • Go to the Import/Export menu and download your email archive as an .mbox file. (The screenshot below has been made in Outlook. The Import/Export menu in other email apps may look different.)
      Step 2 of merging Gmail manually. Exporting a .pst file from an email app
      How to copy Gmail emails to another account manually, Step 1: Export your email
  2. Connect your primary Gmail account to the desktop app.
  3. Select your primary account and go to the Import/Export menu. Then import the downloaded .mbox file to upload the email archive from the secondary account to your primary account.
  4. Repeat with each secondary account if you have multiple Gmail addresses.

Alternatively, you can connect your secondary and your primary account and then drag and drop emails between them.

But there are things you should consider before you start copying the emails manually:

  • You will need to have enough free storage space on your hard drive for a temporary copy of your secondary Gmail account.
  • Depending on the size of your secondary Gmail account, manual export and import may take up to several days (and in some cases even weeks).
  • Manual migration is often unreliable and some files are frequently lost during the copying process. The accuracy of the export and import may be affected by disruptions to power supply and broadband connection.
  • The copying process may slow down the work of your computer and increase power consumption.

After you’ve finished copying your emails from the secondary accounts into the primary one, you can delete the unneeded Gmail accounts.

Remember that deleting a Gmail account will erase all data that is associated with it, including any Drive files, contacts, and calendars that are associated with this email address. Make sure you save any valuable content before you proceed.

Option 2: Add secondary Gmail accounts to the primary account

This option will allow you to send and receive email from your secondary Gmail accounts in your primary account.

First you will need to set forwarding rules in your secondary email account so that all incoming messages land in your primary account’s inbox.

Here’s how you can do it:

  1. Go to your secondary Gmail account in a browser.
  2. Click the gear icon in the upper right menu and select "See all settings".
    Step 2 of setting forwarding rules in Gmail. The Gmail settings menu
    How to merge Gmail by setting forwarding rules, Step 2
  3. Click the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab.
    Step 3 of setting forwarding rules in Gmail. Accessing Forwarding menu
    How to merge Gmail by setting forwarding rules, Step 3
  4. Click "Add a forwarding address".
  5. Enter your primary Gmail address, click "Next" > "Proceed" > "OK".
  6. Open the confirmation email in your primary Gmail address and click the verification link.
  7. Go back to your secondary account, open the settings again, and refresh your browser.
  8. Go to the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab again.
  9. In the "Forwarding" menu, select "Forward a copy of incoming mail to".
  10. Choose what you want to happen with the Gmail copy of your emails. We recommend keeping Gmail’s copy in the Inbox
    Step 10 of setting forwarding rules in Gmail. Selecting what needs to be done with a copy of the message
    How to merge Gmail by setting forwarding rules, Step 10
  11. Click "Save Changes" at the bottom of the page.

Once you’ve set up forwarding, you will need to add your secondary email address as a sending address in the primary account.

Here’s how you do it:

  1. Go to your primary Gmail account in a browser.
  2. Click the gear icon in the upper right menu and select "See all settings".
  3. Navigate to "Accounts and Import" > "Send mail as".
  4. Click "Add another email" and sign into your secondary email account.
    Step 4 of adding a secondary sending address in Gmail
    How to merge Gmail by adding another sending address, Step 4
  5. Tick the "Reply from the same address the message was sent to" box and save changes.
  6. Open the confirmation email in your secondary Gmail address and click the verification link.

You can set your default "Send mail as" address (click "Make default" to the right of the address that you want to be default in the "Send email as" section) or select the account you need each time that you compose a new message.

Conclusion

If you wish to combine your accounts in Google’s Gmail, first you should consider what you want to achieve. This will define your choice of the merging method.

Gmail does not offer the native functionality to combine two Google email accounts and keep only one address, but you can:

  1. merge the contents of all Gmail accounts and delete the unwanted ones, or
  2. add your secondary accounts to your primary account.

If you select the first option, we recommend that you copy your Gmail emails into another account automatically using VaultMe. VaultMe is quick, easy to use, and reliable.

If you decide to go with the second option, you will be able to access email from all your accounts in one place, but you’ll still have multiple accounts and multiple credentials. Use the instructions provided in this article to set your account properly.

If you have any questions about VaultMe, please contact us at support@vaultme.com. We’d be happy to help!