How to Change iCloud to Gmail? Best Effective Guide

Jamie Kaler ~ November 20, 2024 ~ 8 Minutes Reading

Want to change iCloud to Gmail? It can be a game-changer decision for individuals or businesses seeking enhanced features, better integration, and seamless integration across devices. Gmail provides a user-friendly interface and advanced management tools, and its compatibility with across devices such as mobile phone, tablet, android, ios, and windows platform.
iCloud is Apple’s cloud-based service, and it offers free 5 GB storage to store emails, photos, contacts, and other things. It ensures seamless sync across all Apple devices. Its email service, iCloud email, offers clean and reliable performance for Apple users. However, its ecosystem is more restrictive, making it flexible for non-Apple platforms.
Gmail is an email service provided by Google. It offers 15 GB of storage to contain emails, contacts, documents, photos, and videos in one place. It also seamlessly integrates with other Google apps such as Google Photos, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Google Meet, and more.

Why Transfer emails from iCloud to Gmail?

  • iCloud Mail is best optimized for Apple devices, while Gmail offers seamless integration across other devices, including Windows, Android, iOS, and web browsers.
  • Gmail provides advanced, robust security like two-factor authentication, AI-driven phishing detection, and easy backup solutions.
  • Google Mail also offers 15 GB of free storage shared across Google Drive and Google Photos, which is often more than that iCloud provides for mail storage in its free version.
  • Gmail’s powerful search capabilities allow you to find any specific emails that you received more than 10 years ago.
  • Gmail offers seamless integration with other Google services such as Google Tasks, Google Meet, Google Contacts, Google Calendar, and more.
Also Read: How to Migrate Roadrunner Email to Gmail Account?

Method 1. How to Import iCloud to Gmail?

If you want to transfer iCloud to Gmail then we recommend you to opt Jagware Email Backup Wizard as it allows to directly migrate iCloud emails to Gmail and it also allows to migrate selective data from iCloud emails to Gmail. This software is very easy to operate without depending on any technical guide. It also offers a free demo version to migrate 25 emails from each folder of iCloud to keep users aware with the performance of migration.

Steps to Import iCloud Emails to Gmail

  1. Download and run the “Jagware iCloud to Gmail Migration Tool” on your system to start the process.Launch iCloud to Gmail Migration Tool
  2. Now, choose “iCloud” Email in the list of email sources.Select iCloud as Email source
  3. After that, fill in the “iCloud email address” and password to allow access.Enter iCloud login credentials
  4. Select use “batch mode or proxy server” according to user requirement of migration.Use batch mode or proxy
  5. See “loaded iCloud files” to verify mailbox data.See loaded iCloud mailbox folder
  6. Select the “required folder from your iCloud account” if you want to transfer specific emails to Gmail.Select required iCloud folder to migrate
  7. Now, choose “Gmail” in the list of select saving options.Select Gmail
  8. Here, select “Save messages as default folder” and select Advanced settings.check save message in default fodler
  9. Thereafter, enter the “Google email address and password” to give permission for migration.Enter Gmail login credentials
  10. Finally, click on “Backup” to begin the transfer of emails from iCloud to Gmail.Press backup to begin transfer emails from iCloud to Gmail
  11. The tool automatically pops up a “Completion message” when the process gets finished.software shows you message migrate iCloud emails to Gmail
Read More: How to Import Yandex Mail to Gmail? – Top 3 Easy Methods

Notable Attributes of iCloud to Gmail Migration Tool

  •  It allows you to directly transfer emails from iCloud to Gmail, Office 365, RediffMail and many more.
  • This application also offers advanced filters to select specific data as per date range, subject, sender, recipients, or exclude empty folder and many more.
  • It also allows you to backup iCloud emails to PST, MBOX, EML, MSG, TXT, PDF, DOC, RTF and many more.
  • You can easily migrate a single or batch number of iCloud email accounts at a single attempt.
  • Ensure safeguard features will protect your mailbox data away from data loss or file corruption.
Let’s know more: How to Import Emails from Rediffmail to Gmail?

Method 2. How to Change iCloud Emails to Gmail?

In this method, we will use Google Import Settings to transfer emails from iCloud to Gmail. Now, follow the steps as we have explained below:

  1. First, open the web browser and visit “Gmail’s” official website.
  2. Enter your Google email address and password to “Sign in” to your Gmail account.
  3. Navigate to the “Gear icon” in the top-right corner and click on See All Settings.
  4. Choose “Accounts and Import” and select Import Mail and Contacts.
  5. Under the “Check Mail from Other Accounts section”, click on Add a Mail Account.
  6. Enter your “iCloud email address” and press Continue.
  7. Choose to “import emails from my other account (POP3)”.
  8. Now, enter the “iCloud email address” and POP3 configuration:
  9. Mail server: imap.mail.me.com Port: 993
  10. Check on the “Leave copy of retrieved messages on the server” if you want to stay emails in iCloud as well.
  11. Click on “Start Import” to add your iCloud email to your Gmail account.

Challenges You May Face Using Google Import Settings

  • Google import settings use the POP3 protocol, which may not support folder-specific migrations. All emails will be transferred to the inbox, losing their original folder structure.
  • The import process generally takes lots of hours or even 3-4 days to complete the import of iCloud email to Gmail.
  • Attachments or read/unread status will not be maintained in Gmail as in iCloud.
  • Stable connectivity is essential when transferring emails from iCloud to Gmail. If any abrupt occurrence happens, then you need to start it over repeatedly; starting it can create duplicates in Gmail.
  • As Google doesn’t offer to select a specific folder If your Gmail storage is close to full, then the process gets stopped midway, and you need to upgrade your plan.
Here you know: How to Migrate Roundcube email to Gmail?

How to Forward iCloud Emails to Gmail?

Forwarded emails are too beneficial to manage all emails in one place. As it offers to forward all your incoming iCloud emails to Gmail, perform the steps as we have stated below:

  1. Go to the “iCloud” website and log in using your Apple ID and password.
  2. Once logged in, click on “Settings” in the lower-left corner.
  3. Then, check the box that says “Forward my emails”.
  4. Enter the “Gmail email address” where you want to receive it.
  5. Check box “Leave a copy message of forwarded mail”.
  6. If you don’t want to, then “leave the box empty”.
  7. Click on “Save” or apply to enable forwarding emails from iCloud to Gmail.
Let’s know about: How to Transfer BigPond Email to Gmail?

Frequently Raised Concerns to Import iCloud Emails to Gmail

What happens to emails when iCloud is full?
When your iCloud storage is full, you won’t be able to receive new emails. Incoming messages will be delayed or returned to the sender. To resolve this, you must either delete existing emails or upgrade your iCloud storage plan.


How many iCloud emails can I have?
iCloud allows you to have up to 5 GB of email storage in its free tier. However, depending on your iCloud storage plan, you can store more emails. For more storage, you can upgrade to 200GB or 2TB plans, which also include space for other iCloud data.


What is the difference between iCloud email and regular email?
iCloud email is an Apple-provided email service that integrates with the iCloud ecosystem, syncing across all Apple devices. Regular email can be provided by any email service provider, such as Gmail or Outlook, with varying features and device compatibility.


What is the outgoing mail server for iCloud?
The outgoing mail server for iCloud is smtp.mail.me.com. The port used for this server is 587, and it requires authentication using your Apple ID username and password to send emails securely.


Can iCloud send to Gmail?
Sign in to your Gmail account Go to Settings Select Accounts and Import Select Import Mail and Contacts Enter your iCloud IMAP settings and click Next.

Overall Reflection

In this guide, we have shared the reliable and reasonable way to change iCloud emails to Gmail by using Google import settings, enable forwarding and iCloud to Gmail Migration Tool. As manually approaches are a time taking process and also doesn’t offer any assurance for data protection. So, we recommend you to opt iCloud emails to Gmail Migration as it is completely feasible and the fastest way to complete the process without facing any trouble.