As a Mac user, you may need to move your Mac Mail folders to another system. You may need to migrate your mail for a variety of reasons, such as purchasing a new computer or transferring data from your work account to your personal account. Fortunately, this is a simple task.
There are two main ways to achieve the desired result. The first is to use a specialized tool that will save you a lot of time. The other is to do everything manually, which is not difficult and requires no special knowledge or skills. You can also transfer your Mac mail to Outlook if you have chosen a new client. Let's take a look at both methods so you can choose the one that best meets your needs and expectations.
Migration Assistant
Migration Assistant is a utility that simplifies the process of transferring folders from Mac Mail to your new computer. It can move your mail, contacts, calendars, photos, music and other data from one Mac to another in just a few clicks. The Migration Assistant works both ways – from the old computer to the new computer or from the new computer to the old computer. The process is generally simple, as you just need to connect the two computers with a cable or Wi-Fi network and follow the on-screen instructions.
Migration Assistant is a great solution for those who need to transfer their Mac Mail folders quickly and easily. It saves your time from transferring files manually as it does all the work in just a few minutes. The tool also ensures that all your data will be transferred correctly and completely, so you don't miss anything important.
How to do it manually?
If you don't have access to a migration assistant, you can still transfer your Mac Mail folders manually. First, you need to locate the mail folder on your old computer. It is usually located in the “Library” folder which you can access by clicking on the “Go” menu then selecting the “Go to folder…” option. Then enter the following path: ~/Library/Mail/.
Once you locate the Mail folder, copy it to an external hard drive. Next, move the external hard drive to your new Mac and copy the Mail folder from it. Finally, place the folder in its original location on your new computer: ~/Library/Mail/.
Once you've copied the Mail folder, launch Mac Mail and it should recognize all your old emails and accounts. That’s all – you have successfully transferred your Mac Mail folders to your new computer. If necessary, you can make Outlook the default email for Mac and start using its many capabilities right away.
It may also be necessary to transfer your email preferences. To do this, you need to copy the “com.apple.mail.plist” file from your old Mac and paste it in the same location on your new computer.
Make a backup
Whichever method you choose – migration assistant or manual copy, it is always good to create a backup of your email data. This will allow you to have an extra copy of your emails and files in case something goes wrong. You can use any external hard drive or cloud storage provider for this purpose.
The process of creating a backup is quite simple. First, you need to locate the Mail folder on your old computer, as we explained above. Then copy it to an external drive or upload it to a cloud storage provider. Once you have completed the backup, move the data to your new computer and place it in its original location – ~/Library/Mail/. That's all there is to it!
Last word
Using any of these methods, you can easily transfer all your Mac Mail folders to the new machine. It is generally advisable to make a backup copy of all data before transferring it, in case something goes wrong. You should now be able to quickly and easily migrate your Mac Mail folders to a new device.