Overview: Are you a Gmail user & trying to switch over to Microsoft Office 365 and wondering how to do it? Then, this article is for you. We have searched for the solution to this common query asked by many Gmail users over the various forums. After finding the solutions we have selected the top 2 methods to migrate email from Gmail to Office 365 without any hassle.
Elizabeth Matthews asks on the Microsoft forum – “Hello All! In my organization, we are currently using free Gmail as our default email client. But, due to the storage limitation of Gmail, we have decided to switch over to Office 365 cloud platform. We have 100+ employees and we need to migrate emails from Gmail to Office 365. Please provide me with a solution so that I can complete this task easily and quickly. Thanks in Advance!!”
Rippan Roy on Quora Asks – “Greeting Everybody, I am facing some problems with Gmail. My Gmail account storage is full and I cannot store any more data in my Google account. My College had assigned us Office 365 education account. But, I don’t know how I can move emails from Gmail to Office 365 account. I have no technical knowledge, please give me a solution with screenshots. I will be grateful to you.”
There are multiple Gmail users trying to switch over to the Office 365 platform to ask these types of queries. If you have a similar kind of problem, then we have two solutions for you. Read the whole blog carefully and choose the method that suits your requirements.
Table Of Content
Reasons For Migrating Email From Gmail to Office 365
Office 365 has become the most dominant cloud platform available today. Office 365 integrated cloud-based service, has opened new ways for businesses in terms of collaboration and productivity. Hence, there are a number of organizations looking to switch from their current platform (like Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail, and Yahoo) to the Office 365 suite.
But, the unavailability of a trusted and reliable solution has made them hesitant to take the leap and migrate over to the Office 365 platform. It is all because of the lack of information & inexperience regarding the migration procedure. As we all know that data is very important for business organizations, and losing their data during migration could mean financial ruin. This article will help these organizations by providing relevant information and making them aware of the best possible solutions to move from Gmail to Office 365 without any hassle.
Before starting with the migration methods, one should also know the benefits of such migration. To understand this, read the below-mentioned reasons:
- Managing Emails using the folder structure of Office 365 is quite easy as compared to labels of Gmail.
- Office 365 interface is simple and easy to use, whereas Gmail has an outdated layout.
- Office 365 apps like PowerPoint, MS Word, MS Excel, and others are more user compatible and friendly. These applications are widely used which does not create any compatibility issues when collaborating with other organizations.
- Gmail only provides 15 GB of storage space, which is very not enough at the organizational level.
Also Read: All You Need to Know About Google Vault to Office 365 Migration
How to Migrate Email From Gmail to Office 365? Best Solutions
In this article, we have picked out the most efficient and reliable techniques to switch to Office 365 from Gmail. The techniques are as follows:
- With the help of a reliable automated solution.
- Using Microsoft Outlook to export emails.
Let’s start with the process which is most beneficial for the user, the automated solution.
Solution 1: Move From Gmail to Office 365 – 100 % Secure
The easiest and fastest way for this migration is by using an automated tool. Here, we will use the IMAP to Office 365 Migrator. The benefit of using an automated tool is that there are no chances of error and the user is not required to have any technical knowledge. Also, this solution is suitable for all use cases like organizational data migration or even migrating data from an individual user’s account.
Features of The Automated Tool
The features of this tool provide the user with additional functionality to make the process smooth and make the tool suitable for any migration situation. Some of the advanced features of the tool are mentioned below:
- The tool supports the simultaneous migration of multiple Gmail accounts to the destination platform.
- There are different filters for Date-Range and Category to migrate only the desired data.
- Options like Re-Run full Migration or Re-try Failed Items help the user migrate any data that did not migrate on the first migration attempt.
- After the migration is completed the software generates different types of reports that brief the user about the process of migration.
- The Delta Migration option can be used after the migration is completed and is useful when the user has to migrate the data that arrived during the process of migration.
- The Concurrent Migration option can be used to migrate multiple IMAP accounts.
- This tool supports the migration from all of the IMAP email servers.
How to Migrate Emails From Gmail to Office 365? Steps for Automated Approach
1. First, download the migration software and install it. Mark the Source as IMAP and the destination as Office 365.
2. Choose the workload for migration by checking the Emails checkbox. Use the Date-Range filter for selecting data from a particular time period.
3. Now, choose the source IMAP server as GSuite and provide the required details. Then, validate the permissions for the source server.
4. In the destination screen, input all of the necessary details of the Office 365 account and validate the permissions.
5. Provide a CSV file with mapped source and destination user accounts. The Download Template button will provide a sample CSV file to help the user map the user accounts.
6. Press Start Migration to start the process.
Solution 2: Move From Gmail to Office 365 Manually
Here, we will be using Microsoft Outlook to export the email data from the Gmail account. This method can be quite tricky and confusing for migrating Gmail data. There is a good chance of losing crucial data while migration. The process has countless limitations which make it unsuitable for migration.
Limitations of Using Microsoft Outlook
- This method is totally dependent on the availability of the Microsoft Outlook desktop client. This method is impossible to perform without the email client.
- The user needs to have some experience working with the Microsoft Outlook email client.
- PST files are infamous for being prone to corruption or damage. This puts user data at risk.
- The user has to be technologically literate to perform this method. Otherwise, this method becomes even harder.
- This process is highly time-consuming and tiring.
Steps to Manually Move From Gmail to Office 365
The steps of this process are pretty complex. Still, we have tried to explain it in the simplest manner below.
Note: The user is required to configure the Gmail account into the Microsoft Outlook desktop application. After successful configuration, the Gmail account will be visible right below the Office 365 mailbox.
Phase 1: Export Gmail data into PST format
- Open MS Outlook >> File >> Open&Export >> Import/Export >> Export to a file >> Outlook data file (.pst) format.
- Now, choose the Gmail account from the list and check the Include Subfolders button.
- Provide a location for storing the file and choose an option to decide what to do with duplicate files. Click Finish to export.
Phase 2: Import File into Office 365 Account
- Open MS Outlook >> File >> Open&Export >> Import/Export >> Import from another program or file >> Outlook data file (.pst) format.
- Use the Browse button to go to the location of the PST file stored in Phase 1 of the process.
- Now, from the options, choose Import items into the same folder in: and select the Office 365 mailbox from the drop-down menu. This will move from Gmail to Office 365.
Wait for Outlook to synchronize all the emails from a PST file into Office 365 Account. After completion, you can view all the emails in your Office 365 account.
Also Read: Google Apps to Office 365 Migration-Complete Stepwise Guide
Conclusion
This blog contains the top two solutions to migrate email from Gmail to Office 365 in the easiest way. Both methods can be used for migration purposes. However, the automated approach is preferable as it significantly reduces the user’s effort and saves a lot of time. This is why we endorse the automated tool.