Transfer Mailbird Emails to Gmail

You want to move Mailbird mail into Gmail and Mailbird has no Export to Gmail button. It stores mail in a local store on your PC so it never moves with a normal account switch. Below are three ways to move Mailbird to Gmail, with clear limits for every method.

Why transfer Mailbird emails to Gmail?

Gmail stores your mail online so every phone and browser sees one mailbox. Mailbird stores contacts, emails and settings in a data folder on one PC. A new PC, a new client or a shared team inbox all push users to move Mailbird mail into Gmail.

Moving mail also gives you a safe copy. Once Mailbird emails sit in Gmail, a broken laptop cannot take your history with it. Retain your Mailbird data until you confirm your Gmail folders and counts.

Where does Mailbird store emails before you move them to Gmail?

Mailbird stores data in C:\Users\<your user name>\AppData\Local\Mailbird. A Mailbird support article says that folder contains your contacts, emails and account settings. It also says to quit Mailbird fully before you copy it or your backup breaks.

That folder only restores Mailbird on another PC. A Mailbird support post from June 2024 explains a PC move in short steps. You copy that Mailbird folder, install Mailbird on your new PC without opening it and overwrite its folder. It does not put your mail into Gmail. That article also says Mailbird has no direct server to server email transfer and points users to provider tools.

How to move Mailbird mail into Gmail with drag and drop?

Add your Gmail account to Mailbird and drag messages from your old account into it. Mailbird includes that on its Moving emails between accounts page.

1. Open Mailbird and add your Gmail account with its setup wizard.
2. Open your old account folder and select messages.
3. Drag them onto a Gmail folder. Press Ctrl while you drag to copy instead of move.
4. Wait for Mailbird to confirm that messages arrived.
5. Open Gmail in your browser and check counts.

The catch is it moves what you select, folder by folder. That is fine for a few hundred messages and slow for years of mail across several accounts. Mailbird gives no message count limits so test it on one folder first.

How to move Mailbird mail into Gmail with Mailbird Export Tool?

It exports emails from POP3 or IMAP accounts to EML files or uploads them to an IMAP server. A Mailbird support article says EML to a folder is faster and more reliable. Gmail is an IMAP server so its direct upload option is your closest fit for Gmail.

1. Back up your Mailbird data folder first.
2. Download Mailbird Export Tool, extract your ZIP file and start MailbirdBackupTool.exe.
3. Select your email account and an export method.
4. For IMAP upload, enter your Gmail server details as imap.gmail.com with port 993 then select Next.
5. Wait until it finishes, then check your Gmail folders.

The catch is that Mailbird says it exports emails only. Contacts remain in Mailbird and its article does not name Gmail as a tested target. Gmail also wants an app password or Google sign-in for outside apps so prepare that first.

Steps to move Mailbird mail into Gmail with software

1. Install it on a Windows PC and start it.
2. Select Open, then Desktop Email Clients and MailBird Accounts.
3. Enter your Mailbird account credentials. Its page says server and port are detected after login.
4. Tick folders to transfer and preview messages.
5. Select Export, then Gmail under Email Services.
6. In Gmail Export Options, switch on Create empty folders, Include email headers or Append into default folders only if you need them.
7. Enter a Backup folder name, your Backup email address and your Gmail password. Corbett's Gmail page says Google logins use a 16 character app password so prepare one first.
8. Select Save and watch progress.
9. Wait for a success message, then select Open Gmail.
10. Check your new label and folders in Gmail.

Same Export menu also saves PST, EML, MBOX and PDF files so you can save a file copy while mail moves to Gmail. Lifetime licence starts at $99 with a 30-day money-back window. Heading to Outlook instead? See how to Export Mailbird emails to Outlook.

Which way to move Mailbird mail into Gmail is best?

Match your method to your volume. Use drag and drop for a few folders, the Export Tool for one IMAP mailbox and software for many accounts.

Moving a Google Workspace mailbox? Google says its IMAP data migration tools need a super admin and move email and labels only, with no contacts or calendar. See also how to Clone a Gmail account.

Why does Mailbird to Gmail transfer go wrong?

Mailbird data folder copy is incomplete

Mailbird support warns that a copy taken while Mailbird is still open in background is compromised. Quit Mailbird in Task Manager before you copy its folder.

Gmail refuses your login

Google refuses typed passwords from outside apps. Switch on 2-Step Verification, create a 16 character app password and use it where your tool asks for a Gmail password.

Mailbird emails appear twice in Gmail

If your Mailbird account is already Gmail or IMAP, its mail sits on a server and a copy creates a second message. In Gmail, All Mail contains every label so untick it in your tool.

EML files do not reach Gmail

The Export Tool saves EML files to a folder but Gmail does not import a folder. Use its IMAP upload option or software that exports to Gmail.

Contacts remain in Mailbird

The Export Tool exports emails only and Google's data import includes email and labels only. Save contacts separately as vCard or CSV from your software.

What to do after you move Mailbird mail into Gmail?

Open Gmail and compare folder counts with Mailbird. Check a few messages with attachments, then retain your Mailbird data folder until you are sure. For files attached to that mail, see how to Extract Mailbird attachments and for contact lists, see how to Extract Mailbird email addresses.

Questions about Mailbird mail in Gmail