How to Migrate IMAP to New Server? Secure Ways

Today’s generation is supersonic. People want to accomplish all tasks instantly. In such times, speed is something most sought after even when people are performing the process to migrate IMAP to new server. Let us see how you can do this speedily!

IMAP tends to play a significant role in handling emails along with other mailbox data across various email programs. At times, people might need to switch from a particular email server to some new host or upgrade their email infrastructure for different reasons.

During such transitions, they usually opt to migrate IMAP to new server. If you are also looking to learn how to do this migration, ensure to read through this entire blog. It covers the manual ways to do this task along with a fast solution to help you do this migration in the shortest time possible.

Why Migrate IMAP to New Server Anyway? Here’s Why!

Emails live on servers. When these servers become slow & outdated, or when you switch to some new hosting provider, it is kind of mandatory to transfer IMAP email to new host for retaining your existing email history. If you do not do this, your old mails might be lost forever.

Have you ever asked the following questions:

Q: How to migrate IMAP email to new server without losing any of them?

A: You can migrate using manual moves that are slow, but a dedicated tool serves this purpose well.

Q: Is it possible to drag & drop emails from old to new with an email program?

A: Yes! But manual dragging & dropping usually takes a lot of time, specifically with big mailboxes, so fetch the fast dedicated tool for this task.

Issues Usually Encountered During IMAP Migration

IMAP tends to store mail messages on the server, and not locally. So during server changes, emails do not automatically move. This means users have to actively migrate IMAP email to new server to access all messages in the new inbox.

An Actual Scene from the Real World

A businessman, who has been in this field for the last 10 years, decided to move his website to a faster host, but once he changed his DNS, all new emails started going to the new server, but his old mails stayed on the old one. Without migrating everything, he would lose years of crucial mail.

He shared, “IMAP migration tends to fail if server settings are not proper, leading to panic. It is good to trust a fast dedicated tool as manual moves are very slow.”

Why is it Needed to Transfer IMAP email to New Host?

IMAP (Internet-Message-Access-Protocol) is like the backstage manager for the emails. It helps your email client sync up with the server, so that you can check/receive/read your mail messages in a hassle-free way. Whether you move, delete, or mark the mail as read/unread, IMAP ensures everything stays in sync across all devices. The need to move IMAP emails to new server may arise in any of the following situations:

• Migrating to a new server with higher performance & better security.
• Upgrading to a better hosting provider or a new server.
• Your current email service is very slow or highly unreliable.
• You wish stronger security or bigger storage.
• While consolidating multiple email accounts into a single platform.
• Your company is shifting to a cloud-based email service.
• For adapting to sudden organizational changes or restructured environments.

Manual Move to Migrate IMAP to New Server

Regardless of the reason for the migration, the process should be a planned move with careful execution to avoid downtime. Here are some manual moves that can be tried:

Manual Move 1: By Making Use of an Email Client

This move can be tried by using an email program:

Steps:

• Set Up Both Email Accounts: You need to first configure both your old & new email accounts as IMAP in your email client (Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, or Apple Mail).
• Drag-&-Drop Emails: Now, open both accounts side by side, and select all folders & emails in your old account and then drag them to the corresponding folders into the new email account. This will sync the email data.
• Sync and Verify Migration: You have to wait for the email client to sync all mail messages. This can take time for big mailboxes.

Pros:

• No such additional tool is needed here.
• This process works well for small migrations.

Cons:

• This method would appear slow for big mailboxes.
• You may miss emails or email attachments.
• There is risk of sync issues and/or errors.

Manual Move 2: Try Using Built-In Server Migration Tool

Some hosts (like Google Workspace & Microsoft 365) give a migration option in the admin panel. Microsoft 365 provides IMAP batch migration using CSV files.

• Connect to the Source: In the admin console (example Google Admin, Microsoft 365), and begin with a new Data Migration. You have to select IMAP as the source.
• Enter Server Details: You have to give your old IMAP server address, port, & credentials, and after that test the connection.
• Form Migration Batch: Make use of a CSV file for multiple users (listing the old email, the new email, and password/app password) or you can add users individually in case of small migrations.
• Begin and Verify: You can now start with the migration batch and check the status in the console.

Pros:

• This process is faster than the manual drag-&-drop method.
• This method works without any local email client.

Cons:

• You can only move mails (and not contacts & calendars).
• At times, such a way is limited by server restrictions.
• Such a method is usually a complicated one for beginner-level users

Challenges Faced with These Manual Moves 

Manual moves do not always work. Here’s why:

• Manual copying is a pretty slow process to follow.
• You can lose crucial metadata like read/unread statuses.
• Such ways can’t be scaled for bulk accounts.
• There is no automated tracking or error handling offered here.

Useful Features of the Tool

The tool offers features tailored for IMAP migrations. These features make it ideal for users, businesses, and IT teams with accuracy and control. These features are as follows:

• Easy connect – The software connects to both source as well as destination servers.
• A big mailbox isn’t an issue – The software can handle big migrations also without any manual effort.
• Bulk mailbox transfer – The software works with many mailboxes and move multiple accounts all at once.
• Automatic folder sync – The tool preserves folder structure & email details, and also keeps inbox, sent, & custom folders intact.
• Selective migration filters – It is possible to select specific folders or date ranges.

Working Steps of the Tool 

Below are the easy working steps of the software that you can follow for this process:

1. First and foremost, you must launch the tool.
2. Then, from the left panel, select the relevant IMAP email source.
3. Now, you have to enter old IMAP server credentials.
4. The software will now analyze your email folders.
5. You will be able to view the folder list on the left side.
6. Next, select a relevant saving option.
7. Thereafter, add the new server details where you want your emails to go.
8. Now, select a destination path for saving the output.
9. After that, select folders/emails that you wish to migrate.

Finally, start the migration by clicking the Backup button and monitor the progress until complete.

Using a Dedicated Tool is Better Than Manual Moves

Manual moves are no doubt free, but a dedicated tool is always going to deliver the best results in less time. Check out their comparison below:

Some Queries With Quick Replies

It is natural to have queries. Users come up with many sorts of questions. Here, we answer a few of them:

Q: How much time does it take to migrate IMAP to new server?
A: It largely depends on the mailbox size. Manual moves are slow, while a dedicated tool does it fast!

Q: Will the contacts & calendar items move too?
A: Manual moves usually transfer only mail messages, and not contacts & calendars, but a dedicated tool migrates them all!

Q: Is it possible to migrate without using any specialised tool?
A: You can, but the manual moves are slow and not recommended at all for large or multiple email accounts.

Conclusion

To migrate IMAP to new server speedily, you need to think beyond the slow manual moves and trust a dedicated tool for the task!