Migrate from Personal Gmail to Google Workspace – Learn How

A business venture in its initial stages used personal Gmail accounts for collaboration and document sharing. As the company expanded, this work setting led to inefficiencies and inconsistency. Therefore, they decided to migrate their emails to Google Workspace. While there are manual methods to migrate personal Gmail to Google Workspace, they are time-consuming and require effort. Also, one can use an expert-recommended Gmail Backup Tool for faster and reliable backups. Through this blog, you will understand the benefits of this migration process, how you export it, and much more. 

Gmail is a web-based email service that allows users to send and receive emails over the internet. Google Workspace is a collaboration and productivity platform developed by Google. Migrating from personal Gmail to Google Workspace lets you choose various tools to operate as the business grows. 

Why Is There a Need to Migrate from Personal Gmail to Google Workspace?

Companies choose to transfer emails to Google Workspace for improved collaboration and better productivity. Given below are the main reasons why both businesses and individual users find this process beneficial: 

• Google Workspace allows users to create a personalized email domain for professional branding.
• Personal Gmail lacks centralized control, while Google Workspace provides administrative tools for more control. 
• Google Workspace offers advanced security features such as 2FA, encryption, data loss prevention, etc.
• With Google Workspace, teamwork becomes efficient by using collaborative tools such as Google Meet, Sheets, Docs etc.
• Personal Gmail is controlled by Google, whereas Google Workspace allows the organization to own both the data and access. 
• Google Workspace provides 24/7 enterprise support and a 99% uptime SLA to resolve issues efficiently. 

How to Migrate Personal Gmail to Google Workspace?

Gmail emails can be migrated to Google Workspace using two approaches. There is a manual approach, and the second one is by using a specialized tool that is recommended by experts. Let’s explore both approaches.

Use Google Data Migration Service to Convert Personal Gmail to Workspace

This method is ideal for individuals or small teams that are migrating only a few emails. It is a simple, free, and built-in migration service.

Use the following instructions to initiate the migration process:

1. Sign in to your Google Admin Console.
2. Navigate to Account > Data Migration > Set Data Migration Up.
3. Select Gmail as the migration source and click on Start.
4. Set the Migration Start Date and Migration Options. Then, click on Select Users.
5. Press Add user and input the Gmail address. Click on Authorize.
6. After that, log in to your Gmail account and allow Data Migration Service access.
7. Copy and paste the generated code and enter your Google Workspace email.
8. Finally, click on Start.

Limitations: It migrates only the emails. For migrating contacts and calendars, there are different steps. The process can take a lot of time when migrating large mailboxes. Also, Google Drive is not migrated using this method.

Setting Up Email Forwarding to Convert Gmail Account to G Suite

This method allows you to consolidate emails from both accounts but still keep your personal Gmail account active. Users use it as a temporary solution. 

Follow these steps to set up email forwarding: 

1. Open Gmail and log in with your personal Gmail account credentials.
2. Go to Settings > See all settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
3. Now, fill in your Google Workspace email address.
4. Confirm the email sent by Gmail to your Google Workspace email address.
5. Then, go back to Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
6. Choose Forward a copy of incoming mail to the Google Workspace account.
7. Lastly, click on Save Changes. 

Limitations: It does not migrate the old emails. Also, only the new emails are forwarded. Contacts and calendars are to be migrated separately. 

A Specialized Tool to Migrate Personal Gmail to Google Workspace

The Gmail Backup Tool offers a secure and reliable way to back up Gmail accounts. It allows users to back up Gmail in multiple formats like PDF, PST, MBOX, etc, while preserving the folder structure. Users also have an option to preview the mailbox before backing up the data. Moreover, one can selectively download emails and migrate to different email platforms. This tool is ideal for both businesses and individuals.

Below is the step-by-step process to migrate from personal Gmail to Google Workspace:

1. Download and install the tool on your PC.
2. Fill in your Gmail username and password and press Sign in.
3. The files/folders appear. Pick the desired Gmail folder and click on Next.
4. Select Migrate in Email Client and select Google Workspace as the Email format.
5. Now, sign in with your Google Workspace account credentials.
6. Select the additional features as per your choice and choose the destination folder.
7. Finally, click on the Convert button.

Conclusion

Migrating from Personal Gmail to Google Workspace is essential when the business scales. In this blog, we have addressed various ways by which one can transfer their personal Gmail data to Google Workspace. The manual method is cost-effective but is not suitable for migrating only the email data. Therefore, use a specialized Gmail Backup Tool to easily migrate personal Gmail to Google Workspace and to various other formats. It supports complete migration, selective download option, and much more. 

Related Post: Migrate from Zoho to Google Workspace.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q- Can I upgrade my Gmail account to Google Workspace?

Ans- Follow these steps to begin the process:

1. Access Google Admin Console.
2. Move email data using Google Data Migration Service.
3. Select Gmail as the source account.
4. Authorizing and granting permission for the migration service.
5. Copy and paste the generated code and complete the setup.

Q- Can I use my personal Gmail for Google Workspace?

Ans- No, you cannot directly use your personal Gmail account for Google Workspace email. You can do the following:

Migrate emails from personal Gmail to Google Workspace

• Sign up with Google Workspace

• Create a custom domain email

• Set up forwarding emails