Gmail to Tuta (Tutanota) Migration

Users may move from Gmail to Tuta Mail (formerly Tutanota) when they prefer Tuta’s privacy-focused email environment and encrypted mailbox design. However, the migration method is different from a normal IMAP-to-IMAP transfer because Tuta does not provide standard IMAP, POP3, or SMTP access for third-party email clients.

Important: A direct EdbMails IMAP-to-IMAP migration into Tuta is not supported because Tuta is not an IMAP target. Tuta’s current supported email-import workflow is file based: users export email from the source and then import .eml files or .mbox mailboxes using Tuta’s email import feature.

For Gmail, Google provides a data-export workflow that can be used to download Gmail mailbox data. After exporting the required Gmail mail, import the resulting supported email files into Tuta Mail using Tuta’s desktop-client import feature. Contacts and calendars are migrated separately using the formats supported by Tuta.

1. Gmail to Tuta Migration Plan

   • Identify which Gmail messages or labels need to be moved and estimate the mailbox size.
   • Create and configure the target Tuta account and confirm that the selected Tuta plan supports the required email-import functionality.
   • Export the required Gmail data before changing forwarding, domain, or mail-flow settings.
   • Perform a small test import into Tuta and verify message content, attachments, dates, and folder organization.
   • Plan contacts and calendars separately because they are not transferred through the email-file import itself.
   • After validation, complete the remaining email imports and configure forwarding or custom-domain mail flow as required.

2. Pre-migration Activities for Gmail to Tuta

   • Make sure you can sign in to the source Gmail account and the target Tuta account.
   • Review the Gmail labels and messages you want to export.
   • Install or update the latest Tuta desktop client before starting the email import.
   • Create a separate destination folder in Tuta for the imported Gmail data if you want to keep imported mail distinct from new mail.
   • Back up the exported Gmail files until the Tuta import and verification are complete.

    Google: export Gmail data

    Tuta: import email into Tuta Mail

3. Steps to Migrate Gmail Email to Tuta

   • Step 1: Export the required Gmail email data

     • Sign in to the Google account that contains the Gmail data you want to move.
     • Use Google’s data-export process to create an archive of the required Gmail mailbox data. Select only the mail data or Gmail labels you need when appropriate.
     • Download the completed export and keep the original archive as a backup until the migration has been fully verified.

   • Step 2: Prepare the target Tuta account

     • Sign in to Tuta Mail and make sure you are using a plan and client version that supports email import.
     • Create a destination folder such as Imported Gmail if you want the imported mail separated from new Tuta messages.
     • Do not enter Tuta as an IMAP target in EdbMails or another IMAP client; Tuta does not expose a standard IMAP endpoint.

   • Step 3: Import the Gmail email files into Tuta

     • In the Tuta desktop client, open Settings → Email import.
     • Choose the destination folder for the imported messages.
     • Select Import and choose the supported .eml or .mbox files containing the Gmail messages.
     • Allow the import and indexing process to finish before evaluating the final message count.

   • Step 4: Verify the imported Gmail messages

     • Check representative messages, attachments, sender and recipient information, dates, and the destination folder structure.
     • Review Tuta’s import history for messages that did not import successfully.
     • Keep the exported Gmail archive until you are satisfied that all required email data is available in Tuta.

   • Step 5: Move contacts and calendars separately

     • Export Gmail / Google contacts in a format supported by Tuta and import them through Tuta’s contact-import feature.
     • Export calendars separately and import them using Tuta’s supported calendar import workflow.

   • Step 6: Configure mail flow after validation

     • For users moving to a new Tuta address, Gmail forwarding can be used temporarily while contacts are notified of the new address.
     • For custom-domain migrations, update the required DNS and MX records only after the Tuta account and imported data have been verified.
     • Send internal and external test messages to confirm new mail is arriving at the intended Tuta mailbox.

4. Gmail to Tuta Post-migration Tasks

   • Verify email import: Check Tuta’s import history and inspect representative messages and attachments.
   • Verify contacts and calendars: Confirm separately imported contacts and calendar entries.
   • Test new mail flow: Send and receive test messages after forwarding or custom-domain DNS changes.
   • Retain the Gmail export temporarily: Keep the source archive until the migration has been accepted and the agreed retention period has passed.

5. Troubleshooting Gmail to Tuta Migration

   If a message does not appear after import, allow Tuta time to finish importing and indexing the mailbox, then check the import history for failed items. Use the latest Tuta desktop client and confirm that the source files are in a supported email-import format.

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Additional resources:

• Tuta email import instructions
• Export Gmail data
• Gmail to Office 365 migration
• EdbMails IMAP migration software for compatible destinations
• IMAP migration knowledge base