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Google Workspace lets admins import old email from any IMAP server during setup
When moving to Google Workspace, admins can now import past email from Zoho, Yahoo!, iCloud, Hostinger and other IMAP services with just the email address and password, right inside the setup flow.
On September 23, 2026, Google announced the general availability of a simpler way for admins setting up Google Workspace to bring over past email: import it from any IMAP-based email provider, such as Hostinger, Zoho, Yahoo! or iCloud.
How it works
- The option sits inside the Google Workspace setup flow and only appears after you have verified your domain and activated your email records.
- It takes two steps: choose the IMAP server to connect to, then enter the IMAP email address and password.
- The import runs in the background while the admin carries on with the rest of setup.
- This new flow imports past email for one user. To import several IMAP mailboxes, follow Google's separate Help Center instructions.
- It is an admin-only feature, available to all Google Workspace customers and already live on both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release.
What it means for small businesses
The biggest worry when switching email providers is losing old mail. Google says the new flow significantly cuts the time and effort of moving to Workspace and brings important email into one place. A company with a single main mailbox (a shop's shared inbox, for example) benefits most; companies with many mailboxes still need a per-user migration plan.
Weighing the two office suites? See Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace: which should a small business choose?.