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The Ultimate Guide: Seamlessly Transferring Your Verizon Email to Gmail

Are you still clinging to that old Verizon.net email address? Many long-time internet users find themselves in this predicament, especially since Verizon officially stopped providing email services back in 2017, effectively migrating them to AOL Mail. While you might be able to access your old emails through AOL, it's a clunky solution. The world has moved on, and Gmail offers a vastly superior, more integrated, and feature-rich experience.

If you're tired of juggling multiple email accounts or simply want to consolidate everything into one powerful hub, you've come to the right place. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of transferring your Verizon email (which is now likely an AOL Mail account) to Gmail, step by step. We'll cover everything from preparing your accounts to importing your precious emails and contacts.

Ready to make the switch and embrace the simplicity of Gmail? Let's get started!

Step 1: Confirm Your Verizon Email Status & Prepare for Migration

Before we dive into the technicalities, let's confirm the current status of your Verizon email. Since Verizon discontinued its email service, your old yourname@verizon.net email address has been transitioned to AOL Mail. This means you'll be dealing with AOL's servers when importing into Gmail.

Engage with me! Have you been accessing your Verizon email through mail.aol.com or another platform? Knowing this will help you understand the next steps more clearly.

Sub-heading: Understanding the Verizon-AOL Connection

It's crucial to understand that when you transfer your "Verizon" email, you're essentially transferring an AOL Mail account that used to be your Verizon.net address. This is a key point, as you'll be using AOL's credentials and server settings for the migration.

Sub-heading: Important Pre-Migration Checks

Access your AOL Mail: Make sure you can log into your AOL Mail account (using your old verizon.net address and its current password). If you've forgotten your password, you'll need to reset it through AOL's password recovery process before proceeding.
Clean up (Optional but Recommended): While not strictly necessary, it's a good idea to delete any unwanted emails from your AOL Mail account before the transfer. This can speed up the import process and reduce clutter in your new Gmail inbox.
Enable POP3 Access in AOL Mail: Gmail uses the POP3 protocol to import emails from other services. You'll need to ensure that POP3 access is enabled in your AOL Mail settings.
- Log in to your AOL Mail account.
- Navigate to Options or Settings.
- Look for an option related to POP & IMAP or Mail Settings.
- Verify that POP3 access is enabled. If it's not, enable it and save your changes.

Step 2: Generating an App Password for AOL Mail (Crucial!)

For security reasons, many email providers, including AOL, require you to generate a specific "App Password" rather than using your regular account password when connecting through third-party applications like Gmail's mail importer. This is a common point of confusion, so pay close attention!

Sub-heading: Why an App Password?

An App Password is a unique, randomly generated password that grants an application limited access to your account. This means if the App Password is ever compromised, your main account password remains secure.

Sub-heading: Step-by-Step App Password Generation:

Log in to your AOL Account Security:
- Go to the AOL account security page. You might need to search for "AOL account security" or "AOL manage app passwords" on Google if you can't find a direct link.
- Log in with your AOL Mail credentials (your verizon.net email address and its current password).
Navigate to Generate App Password:
- Look for options like "Account Security," "Generate app password," or "Manage app passwords."
- Click on "Generate app password" or a similar option.
Generate the Password:
- You might be asked to select the app you're generating the password for. You can often choose "Other app" or "Mail."
- Click the "Generate" button.
Copy the App Password:
- A unique, 16-character password will be displayed. Crucially, copy this password immediately! You will not see it again once you close this window. You'll need this password in a later step.

Keep this App Password safe and readily available. We'll use it when configuring Gmail to import your emails.

Step 3: Setting Up Gmail to Import Your Verizon/AOL Mail

Now that your AOL Mail account is ready and you have your App Password, it's time to configure Gmail to pull in your old emails.

Sub-heading: Accessing Gmail's Import Feature

Open Gmail: Log in to your Gmail account (the one you want to transfer your Verizon/AOL emails to).
Go to Settings: Click on the Gear icon (Settings) in the top right corner of your Gmail interface.
Select "See all settings."
Navigate to the "Accounts and Import" tab.

Sub-heading: Initiating the Mail Import Process

Under the "Check mail from other accounts:" section, click on "Add a mail account."
A pop-up window will appear. Enter your full Verizon/AOL email address (e.g., yourname@verizon.net) and click "Next."
On the next screen, select the option "Import emails from my other account (POP3)" and click "Next."

Sub-heading: Entering Your AOL Mail Details

This is where you'll use the App Password you generated earlier.

Username: Enter your full Verizon/AOL email address (e.g., yourname@verizon.net).
Password: Paste the 16-character App Password you generated in Step 2. Do NOT use your regular AOL Mail password here.
POP Server: Enter pop.aol.com.
Port: Select 995 from the dropdown list.
Always use a secure connection (SSL): Make sure this box is checked.
Leave a copy of retrieved messages on the server (Optional but Recommended): It's generally a good idea to check this box so that your emails remain on the AOL server even after they are imported into Gmail. This provides a backup in case anything goes wrong during the transfer. Once you're confident all your emails are in Gmail, you can always go back to AOL and delete them if you wish.
Label incoming messages (Optional): You can check this box and choose a label (e.g., "Old Verizon Mail") to easily identify emails imported from your Verizon/AOL account in your Gmail inbox. This helps keep your new inbox organized.
Archive incoming messages (Optional): Do NOT check this box if you want to see your imported emails in your main inbox. Checking this would automatically archive them.
Click "Add Account."

Sub-heading: Configuring Outgoing Mail (Send Mail As)

After successfully adding the account, Gmail will ask if you want to be able to send mail as your Verizon/AOL address from within Gmail.

Yes, I want to be able to send mail as [your Verizon/AOL email address]: It's highly recommended to select this option. This allows you to reply to old emails or send new emails that appear to come from your Verizon/AOL address, providing a seamless transition for your contacts. Click "Next Step."
Name: Enter the name you want to appear when sending emails from this address (e.g., your full name).
Treat as an alias: Keep this box checked. This is usually the desired setting, as it means emails sent from this address will appear to come from your primary Gmail account, but with the Verizon/AOL address as the "From" address.
Next Step.
SMTP Server: Enter smtp.aol.com.
Port: Select 465 (for SSL) or 587 (for TLS, if 465 doesn't work). Port 465 with SSL is usually preferred.
Username: Enter your full Verizon/AOL email address.
Password: Paste the 16-character App Password again.
Secured connection using SSL (recommended): Make sure this is selected.
Click "Add Account."

Sub-heading: Verification

Gmail will send a verification email to your AOL Mail account to confirm you own the address.

Check your AOL Mail inbox: Go back to your AOL Mail account (or wait for the email to be pulled into your Gmail if the import started quickly).
Open the verification email from Gmail.
Click the confirmation link within the email or copy and paste the confirmation code into the Gmail pop-up window.
Click "Verify" or "Confirm."

Congratulations! Your Verizon/AOL email account is now linked to Gmail, and the import process should begin shortly.

Step 4: Monitoring the Import Process & Finalizing

The import process can take anywhere from a few hours to up to 48 hours, depending on the volume of emails in your Verizon/AOL account.

Sub-heading: Checking Import Status

Go back to Gmail Settings > Accounts and Import.
Under "Check mail from other accounts:", you should see your Verizon/AOL email address listed with a status indicating that mail is being imported. You'll also see when it last checked for new mail.
Periodically check your Gmail inbox for the imported emails. If you created a label for them, they will appear under that label.

Sub-heading: What to Expect During and After Import

Batch Import: Gmail usually imports emails in batches, starting with your oldest messages. Don't be alarmed if you don't see everything immediately.
Folder Structure: While Gmail imports messages, it doesn't always replicate the exact folder structure from your AOL Mail. Instead, it converts folders into labels. This means emails from a specific AOL folder might appear with a corresponding label in Gmail.
New Emails: Once the import is complete, Gmail will continue to check your AOL Mail account for new emails for the next 30 days. This gives you time to update your contacts with your new Gmail address.

Sub-heading: Updating Your Contacts

Once you're comfortable with your new Gmail setup, it's time to inform your contacts about your new email address.

Compose a message from your new Gmail address, letting everyone know about the change.
Advise them to update their address books.
You can also export your contacts from AOL Mail (if you had any stored there) and import them into Google Contacts. This is typically done by exporting contacts as a CSV file from AOL and then importing that CSV into Google Contacts.

Step 5: (Optional) Disconnecting Your Verizon/AOL Mail from Gmail

After 30 days (or when you are confident all your emails have been transferred and your contacts have the new address), you can choose to stop Gmail from checking your old AOL account.

Go to Gmail Settings > Accounts and Import.
Under "Check mail from other accounts:", find your Verizon/AOL email address.
Click on "delete" next to it.
Confirm the deletion.

Remember: This only stops Gmail from importing new mail. Your old Verizon/AOL account will still exist on AOL's servers unless you actively delete it from there.

Related FAQ Questions (How to...)

Here are 10 common questions related to transferring Verizon email to Gmail:

How to access my Verizon.net email now?

You can access your Verizon.net email by logging into mail.aol.com, as Verizon email services were migrated to AOL Mail.

How to find my AOL Mail App Password if I forgot it?

You can generate a new App Password by logging into your AOL account security settings and following the "Generate app password" option. The old one cannot be retrieved.

How to ensure all my old emails are transferred?

Check the "Leave a copy of retrieved messages on the server" option during the Gmail import setup. This ensures emails remain on AOL Mail even after being pulled into Gmail, providing a backup until you confirm the transfer is complete.

How to import contacts from Verizon/AOL to Gmail?

You'll typically need to log into your AOL Mail account, find the contacts section, export your contacts (usually as a CSV file), then go to Google Contacts (contacts.google.com) and use the "Import" feature to upload the CSV file.

How to stop getting new emails in my old Verizon/AOL account?

Once you've fully transitioned to Gmail and notified your contacts, you can eventually stop Gmail from checking the old account by going to "Settings" > "Accounts and Import" in Gmail and deleting the imported account. You may also consider closing your AOL Mail account if you no longer need it.

How to send emails from my Gmail account using my old Verizon.net address?

During the Gmail setup process, make sure to select the option "Yes, I want to be able to send mail as [your Verizon/AOL email address]" and complete the SMTP configuration using the AOL App Password.

How to fix "Could not validate this combination of email address and password" during import?

This usually means you're using your regular AOL Mail password instead of the 16-character App Password generated in your AOL account security settings. Make sure to use the App Password for Gmail's import function.

How to manage my old Verizon.net folders after importing to Gmail?

Gmail converts folders into labels. You'll find your old Verizon.net folders as new labels in your Gmail sidebar. You can then manage these labels, rename them, or merge them as needed.

How to speed up the Verizon to Gmail email transfer?

The transfer speed depends on the number of emails and server load. Cleaning up unnecessary emails in your AOL Mail before starting the import can potentially speed up the process.

How to delete my old Verizon/AOL Mail account after migration?

Once you are absolutely certain all emails and contacts have been transferred and you no longer need the old account, you can log into your AOL Mail account settings and look for an option to close or delete the account. Be very careful, as this action is usually irreversible.

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How To Transfer Verizon Email To Gmail