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Written By Mithilesh Tata
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Updated on April 25th, 2025
Where Outlook Web App is a part of the Office 365 suite, Gmail is for G Suite. What’s so common between Outlook Web App and Gmail? Well, both are web-based email clients, accessed through a browser, anywhere with an internet connection. However, the difference is in what features they provide. Both are used for personal as well as business communications, but still Gmail is chosen more.
But why do users need to migrate from OWA to Gmail? The answer may be:
Both platforms stand equally in terms of features, however, they may differ depending on needs. Let us proceed to the solutions.
Here we will discuss multiple ways to export emails to Gmail, including free methods. The free method is to be performed manually and requires access to both platforms on your PC. However, the alternative option is using dedicated software for direct migration without depending on the email clients. Let us start with the manual steps first.
Follow the below instructed steps carefully to migrate emails from Outlook Web App to Gmail. You need to configure both OWA and Gmail accounts in Outlook Desktop. Follow the steps:
Step 1: Enable IMAP in your Gmail Account
Follow: Open Gmail > Go to Gmail Settings > See all settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP > Enable IMAP & define settings > Save Changes.
Step 2: Begin to Transfer Emails
However, this process has a major loophole. You can only view the incoming emails of the Outlook Web App via your configured Gmail account.
This is a lengthy and a bit complex procedure to import OWA emails. So we have tried to give step-by-step instructions for ease:
Step 1: Enable POP in OWA
You first need to enable POP Settings (Post Office Protocol) in your OWA account. Do as follows:
This will allow Gmail to retrieve emails from your OWA account.
Step 2: Make Settings in Gmail to Import OWA Emails to Gmail
After you have made all the settings and added the account, Gmail will start fetching emails from your OWA account. However, this process may take longer than usual. It depends on the number of emails you have in your OWA inbox. Many users find it difficult to perform the complex procedure.
Another significant way to transfer Emails from Outlook Web App to Gmail is through the Forwarding feature of OWA. Here is how to do it:
If you are familiar with the Outlook Web App interface and have to import a few emails, the manual is good to go. However, you may have to face some limitations as well. So, what’s the alternative? To completely export OWA emails to Gmail, you can use a professional backup solution.
Knowing the drawbacks of the manual approach, most users now prefer Aryson Hotmail Email Backup Tool (or Outlook.com Backup Tool). The software is developed especially to migrate from Outlook.com to other email platforms or create a backup. This is a sufficient tool to deal with all kinds of OWA email migration inconveniences. Moreover, you can export all the emails from Outlook Web App, including the sent box, draft, trash, etc.
It is worth every penny, as you can also export emails from Outlook Web App to PST, MSG, PDF, etc. The process is quite simple to execute, even if you are doing it for the first time. It ensures that the original mailbox data remains intact in Gmail. Furthermore, it’s not restricted to any particular Windows OS, versatile.
Here, we have discussed the manual & automated ways to transfer emails from Outlook Web App to Gmail. The best solution to opt for is an automated method, as it is a direct way and has no complexity. One can download the demo version of this software to cross-check the working efficiency while transferring Outlook Web App emails. Also, the software is fully loaded with various advanced features complementing the process.
Ans- Yes. The free method needs IMAP configuration of Gmail with Outlook Web App. Here is how:
1. Firstly, turn on IMAP access in Gmail.
2. Open Outlook Desktop and configure the OWA account.
3. Once OWA mailbox syncs properly, add the Gmail account to Outlook.
4. Drag-and-drop OWA emails to the Gmail mailbox folder.
Once everything is done properly, you can view OWA emails in Gmail.
Ans- However, if you want a free method to transfer all emails from Outlook Web App to Gmail, use Gmail’s Import Mail and Contacts feature. It fetches OWA emails via POP3 and moves them to your Gmail inbox.
Ans- The easiest method is using the Aryson Hotmail Backup Tool. It is secure and processes migration fast. You need to make a minimal setup, and it has a simple interface to make migration hassle-free.
Ans- If you are transferring emails manually, you face the following limitations:
1. POP-based migration doesn’t preserve folder structure.
2. Also, it only imports inbox emails and not the rest folders.
3. This doesn’t support real-time synchronization.
4. IMAP configuration is complex and has a chance of human error.
5. Moreover, the process is time-consuming and involves technicalities.
Ans- Yes, you can automatically sync Gmail to Outlook Web App through the Forwarding option. But, this will only copy your inbox emails to Gmail; it won’t reflect other folder emails. For better email management, go for professional software.
Ans- Yes, but only if you are using a credible and authentic method. Aryson Outlook.com Backup Tool ensures folder hierarchy is maintained during migration and keeps the email structure intact.
Ans- No. This is a myth. IMAP synchronization does not delete emails from Outlook Web App until deleted manually. This simply creates a copy of your OWA emails in the connected account, like Gmail. However, the original email messages are intact on the OWA server.
About The Author:
Mithilesh Tata is dedicated to making the lives of his customers as simple as possible. He enjoys learning about new applications and utilities that can help people protect their data. Mithilesh also has a strong grasp on email migration & data recovery. He enjoys validating every component of the software, technical materials, and anything else that has to do with his working life.
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