Whether you’re switching to a new provider, consolidating multiple inboxes, or just want messages sent to an old address to land somewhere you actually check, email forwarding lets you redirect incoming mail without missing anything.This feature, which allows you to continually and seamlessly send email from one inbox to another, makes it easier to communicate with colleagues and clients from one central email address.
Below are the exact steps for Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, and Proton Mail along with what forwarding does and doesn’t do, and what’s worth considering before you decide where to forward your email to.
- How to forward emails in Gmail
- How to auto-forward emails in Outlook
- How to forward emails to another email using Yahoo Mail
- How to forward emails in Proton Mail
- What does forwarding an email do?
- A more private place for your emails
How to forward emails in Gmail
- Open Gmail on a computer and sign in.
- Click Settings ⚙ → See all settings.
- Go to Forwarding and POP/IMAP and click Add a forwarding address.
- Enter the recipient’s email address and click Next. (If you’re looking specifically for how to forward Gmail to another Gmail account, the same steps apply — just enter your second Gmail address here.)
- A new browser tab opens, and you may be asked by Gmail to verify your identity. After doing so, click Proceed.
- Sign in to the recipient email account and verify the Gmail confirmation message.
- Return to Gmail settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
- Select Forward a copy of incoming mail to and choose the recipient email address from the menu. You can also choose from keeping Gmail’s copy in the Inbox, mark it as read, archive it, or delete it.
- Click Save changes at the bottom.
This forwards future incoming Gmail messages, not all existing emails already in your inbox. If you later change your mind, return to Gmail’s Forwarding and POP/IMAP settings, select Disable forwarding, and click Save Changes.
Alternatively, you can set up Gmail forwarding for certain messages only by creating a filter. Go to Settings → See all settings → Filters and Blocked Addresses → Create a new filter, choose your criteria, and select Forward it to. Before creating the filter, you must add and verify the forwarding address.
When moving from Gmail to Proton Mail, you can use Easy Switch to migrate your messages, contacts, and calendars. You can also continue receiving and sending emails from your Gmail address directly within Proton Mail, making it easier to transition gradually to a private Gmail alternative until you are ready to make the full switch. Proton Mail removes trackers from your Gmail messages and protects your data with zero-access encryption.
How to auto-forward emails in Outlook
Microsoft offers several versions of Outlook: Outlook.com, Outlook on the web, new Outlook, and classic Outlook. Email forwarding is similar in Outlook.com, Outlook on the web, and new Outlook. Classic Outlook works differently because it usually requires you to create a forwarding rule.
The instructions below are specifically for Outlook.com, Microsoft’s web-based email service for personal addresses such as @outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com, and @msn.com.
- Go to Outlook.com and sign in.
- Click Settings ⚙ in the upper-right corner.
- Go to Mail → Forwarding and IMAP and sign in if required.
- Toggle on Enable forwarding.
- Enter the recipient email address.
- Select Keep a copy of forwarded messages if you want the original messages to remain in your Outlook.com inbox.
- Click Save.
Once forwarding is enabled, new messages sent to your Outlook address will automatically be forwarded to the address you entered. Existing emails already stored in your mailbox will not be forwarded automatically. If you later change your mind and wish to turn off email forwarding, return to Settings → Mail → Forwarding, toggle off Enable forwarding, and click Save.
Alternatively, you can automatically forward only certain emails in Settings → Mail → Rules using conditions such as the sender, subject, recipient, or keywords — along with exceptions.
When migrating from Outlook to Proton Mail, you can use Easy Switch to import your entire mailbox in just a few clicks — including emails, calendars, and contacts — in addition to forwarding new messages. Proton Mail gives you a private Outlook alternative with end-to-end encryption, strong privacy protections, and no ads or tracking, so you can manage your communications securely without sacrificing convenience.
How to forward emails to another email using Yahoo Mail
Yahoo Mail’s automatic forwarding feature sends a copy of new incoming messages to another email address. The feature requires Yahoo Mail Plus or the equivalent paid plan available in your region, and it may not be offered in every location.
Unlike other email services, Yahoo Mail doesn’t support conditional auto-forwarding for only certain senders or subjects.
- Sign in to Yahoo Mail on desktop.
- Go to … More → ⚙ Settings.
- Select Mailboxes and, next to Auto-forwarding, click Set up.
- Enter the recipient email address and click Verify.
- Sign in to the recipient email account and follow the Yahoo Mail instructions to confirm email forwarding.
After verification, new messages received by your Yahoo Mail account will automatically be forwarded to the address you selected. This does not transfer emails already stored in your inbox. If you later change your mind, return to Settings → Mailboxes and remove the forwarding address.
When switching from Yahoo Mail to Proton Mail, you can set up Easy Switch to quickly import your existing emails, calendars, and contacts while also forwarding new messages to your Proton inbox.
How to forward emails in Proton Mail
Automatic email forwarding is available on paid Proton Mail plans.
- Sign in to Proton Mail in your web browser.
- Click Settings ⚙ → All settings.
- Go to Forward and auto-reply and click Add forwarding rule.
- Under Forward from, select the Proton Mail address you want to forward messages from.
- Under Forward to, enter the destination email address.
- To forward all new messages, do not add any conditions. Click Next.
- Click Send confirmation email.
- Open the confirmation message in the receiving account and accept the forwarding request.
Once confirmed, new messages sent to the destination email address will automatically be forwarded. Emails already stored in your mailbox will not be transferred.
Alternatively, you can forward only certain Proton Mail messages by creating a conditional forwarding rule. Take the same steps as above, but click Add condition and choose which messages to forward based on criteria such as the subject, sender, or attachment (with or without attachments).
If you later change your mind and want to disable email forwarding, return to Settings → All settings → Forward and auto-reply, click the three-dot menu beside the forwarding rule, and select Pause or Delete.
What does forwarding an email do?
Emails can be forwarded manually or automatically. It means they are copied and redirected to another email address, but that can happen in different ways.
With manual forwarding, when you select Forward for a specific email, a new message window opens so you can enter the recipient’s address and add an optional note. The forwarded message usually includes the original sender, subject, message content, and attachments. Fw: or FWD: is typically added to the beginning of the subject line by default. The original email remains in your inbox unless you delete or move it.
Automatic forwarding works differently: Instead of forwarding messages one at a time, you configure your email account to send new incoming messages to another address automatically. Depending on the provider, you can forward every new message or only emails that match specific rules or filters. The original message may remain in your inbox, depending on the settings you choose, and emails already in your mailbox are not forwarded retroactively.
A more private place for your emails
Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo are among the most widely used email services in the world. But there’s a privacy issue, as these providers show ads in your inbox and integrate AI features that raise a fair question: How exactly is your sensitive data being processed, and who else gets to see it?
There’s also a jurisdictional issue. Because these services are run by US companies, they are subject to laws such as FISA Section 702 and the CLOUD Act, which can require them to hand over your data (including emails), regardless of where you live. All of this is possible because Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo have the technical ability to scan the contents of your emails.
By contrast, Proton Mail protects your emails with end-to-end encryption and zero-access encryption, which means we never have access to your messages. No ads, no AI training, no surveillance of any kind. We operate under Swiss privacy laws, outside US jurisdiction, and our privacy claims can be verified by anyone since Proton Mail is open source and independently audited.
If you prefer a European email provider that treats your correspondence as private rather than a data source, Proton Mail is built for exactly that, whether you’re forwarding messages while you transition, or making the switch for good.
