How to Migrate from Apple Mail to Airmail

<h2>Problem</h2><p>You want to switch from Apple Mail to Airmail and need help migrating your email setup.</p><h2>Before You Start</h2><p>Since email is stored on the server (IMAP), there's nothing to "transfer" — Airmail will download your emails from the same server. You just need to set up your accounts.</p><h2>Step 1: Note Your Account Details</h2><ol><li>Open Apple Mail → <strong>Mail → Settings → Accounts</strong></li><li>Write down each account (Gmail, iCloud, Outlook, etc.)</li><li>Note any custom server settings if using IMAP/POP manually</li></ol><h2>Step 2: Set Up Accounts in Airmail</h2><ol><li>Open Airmail</li><li>Click <strong>+</strong> to add an account</li><li>Select your email provider (Gmail, iCloud, Outlook, etc.)</li><li>Sign in with your credentials</li><li>Repeat for each account</li></ol><h2>Step 3: Recreate Your Setup</h2><ul><li><strong>Signatures</strong> — Set up your signatures in Airmail Settings → Signatures</li><li><strong>Rules</strong> — If you used Apple Mail rules, recreate them in Airmail Settings → Rules. Note: Server-side rules (Gmail filters) carry over automatically</li><li><strong>VIP Contacts</strong> — Re-add VIP contacts in Airmail</li></ul><h2>Step 4: Set Airmail as Default</h2><ol><li>Go to <strong>System Preferences → General → Default email reader</strong> (macOS Monterey or earlier)</li><li>Or <strong>System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Default email reader</strong> (macOS Ventura+)</li><li>Select <strong>Airmail</strong></li></ol><h2>Tips</h2><ul><li>Let Airmail fully sync before judging performance — initial sync takes time</li><li>Apple Mail and Airmail can coexist — no need to delete Apple Mail</li><li>Local-only Apple Mail folders won't appear in Airmail; move those emails to an IMAP folder first</li></ul>

Updated on: 03/28/2026