Hotmail has been around for a few decades while Gmail is the relatively new and powerful kid on the block. So, how can you switch from Hotmail to Gmail? Is it worth the change?
Let’s find out.
Steps To Switch From Hotmail To Gmail
So, you’ve decided to give Gmail a shot! Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to switch from www.Hotmail.com to Gmail.
Step 1: Create A New Gmail ID
As a first step, create a new Gmail id. Go to gmail.com and create an account.
Enter a username and password. Set up a backup email/phone number to receive codes and you’re good to go.
However, you may not get the email ID you want. For example, if you are using [email protected], you may not get [email protected] because Gmail has billions of users, and there is a chance that most straightforward IDs are already taken.
So, be ready to tweak or change your email ID.
Step 2: Import Emails In Gmail
Once you have your Gmail ID, it’s time to move all your Hotmail emails to Gmail. To do this, log in to your Gmail account and click on the Settings (cogwheel icon) in the top right-hand corner.
On the settings page, look for a tab called “Accounts and Import” and click it.
Next, click on “Import mail and contacts”. This will open a pop-up window and you’ll be prompted to enter your Hotmail ID. Enter the email ID and press the Continue button. Simply follow the instructions on the pop-up window, and at the end, you’re all set to import your Hotmail emails to the newly-created Gmail ID.
Step 3: Forward Incoming Hotmail Emails To Gmail
The last step is to open your Hotmail account and forward all incoming emails to Gmail.
To do this, log in to your Hotmail account and navigate to Settings (cogwheel again) on the top right-hand corner.
On the Settings page, look for an option called “Forwarding” on the left-hand pane and click it.
On the next screen, check the “Enable forwarding” checkbox. Type the Gmail ID to which you want to forward the emails and also check the “Keep a copy of forwarded messages” if you want all incoming emails to be stored on both Hotmail and Gmail accounts. Many people choose this option as it helps them to have a backup of messages across two email services.
Thus, this is how you switch from Hotmail to Gmail. Sounds simple, right? Are there any potential problems in this process?
Note: If instead you want to switch from Gmail to Hotmail click here.
Potential Problems In Hotmail To Gmail Switch
The forwarding process is simple and as mentioned, you can have a backup on a different email provider.
That said, Gmail has a 15GB storage limit and this includes all that you store on Google Drive as well.
So, if you’re one of those people who want to use both your Hotmail and Gmail accounts extensively, you can quickly reach the Gmail limit.
The other point to consider is the varying algorithms that determine if an email is spam or not. Google has a more stringent spam filter than Hotmail, and this means all your important Hotmail messages can go to the Spam folder.
Other than these two aspects, you can easily have two email IDs and switch between them for more convenience.
Pros and Cons of Hotmail vs Gmail
Should you even switch to Gmail from Hotmail? What is Hotmail used for? Let’s briefly look at the pros and cons of both.
Pros of Hotmail
- Provides access to emails, contacts, calendar, notes, and more.
- You can set rules to manage the emails you receive.
- Comes with built-in email templates.
Cons of Hotmail
- The user interface is a bit clogged.
- Not compatible with many third-party platforms
- Only 5GB of storage space for free users when compared to the 15GB of Gmail.
- Attachment limit of 10 mb
Pros of Gmail
- Has a basic view for slow connections.
- Supports third-party integration
- Clean and user-friendly interface
Cons of Gmail
- No built-in calendar and notes.
- No automatic option to delete duplicate messages
- Replies to emails can be hard to find
Alternatives To Switching To Gmail
Here’s a look at some alternatives to switching to Gmail from Hotmail.
- Set up email forwarding.
- Switch to Yahoo Mail as it offers 1TB of storage
- Register your domain and have an email address through it.
