T-Online to Gmail: Securely migrate your emails
Switching from T-Online (Telekom Mail) to Gmail? mailriva lets you transfer all your T-Online emails to your new Gmail account — locally on your computer, with no data passing through third-party servers, and without altering your T-Online mailbox.
Why moving from T-Online to Gmail is not straightforward
T-Online is one of the most widely used email providers in Germany, but migrating away from it can be surprisingly tricky. There is no built-in export function for your emails, and Gmail's own import feature often struggles with large mailboxes or complex folder structures. Many users also worry about losing emails during the transfer, or about their credentials being sent to an online service. With T-Online, you also need to ensure that IMAP is properly enabled and that you are using the correct server settings — something that trips up even experienced users.
On top of that, Telekom has changed its authentication requirements over the years. If you have an older @t-online.de address, you may need to create a separate app password before any IMAP client can connect. mailriva guides you through this process step by step.
How to transfer your T-Online emails to Gmail
Check IMAP access at T-Online
Log into your Telekom email account at t-online.de. Navigate to Settings and make sure IMAP access is enabled. If needed, generate an app-specific password under Security settings.
Download mailriva
Download mailriva for free and install the app on your Windows PC or Mac. No account registration is required.
Connect T-Online as source
Select T-Online as the source provider in mailriva and enter your T-Online email address and password (or app password). The connection is established directly on your machine.
Connect Gmail as destination
Select Gmail as the target account and authorize access. Gmail has IMAP enabled by default, so no extra configuration is needed.
Start the migration
Review the folder overview, choose which folders to transfer, and start the migration. Your T-Online mailbox remains completely unchanged — mailriva only reads from the source.
What makes mailriva the right tool for T-Online migrations
Unlike web-based migration services, mailriva runs entirely on your local machine. Your T-Online password never leaves your computer, and the email data is transferred directly between the two IMAP servers through your device. This approach is not only more private, but also more reliable — if your connection drops, you can resume where you left off instead of starting over.
- Passwords stay on your device — no cloud intermediary
- T-Online mailbox remains completely unchanged
- Folder structure and subfolders are preserved
- Local backup copy of all emails available
- Works with older @t-online.de and newer @magenta.de addresses
- Resume interrupted transfers without duplicates
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a special password for T-Online?
If you have enabled two-factor authentication at Telekom, you will need to generate an app password. mailriva will prompt you if a regular login fails and guide you to the right settings page.
Will my T-Online emails be deleted?
No. mailriva only reads from the source mailbox. Your T-Online account remains fully intact after the migration.
How long does the migration take?
That depends on the size of your mailbox. A typical T-Online account with a few thousand emails usually transfers within 15 to 30 minutes.