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Written By
Suman Rawat -
Approved By
Sonika Rawat -
Updated on
October 28th, 2025 -
Read Time
6 minutes
Easily Migrate CenturyLink Email to Gmail – Best Guide
Users with CenturyLink emails over the years often notice that it has gradually become less flexible and less effective. Especially when compared to the modern cloud-based solutions, like Gmail. While it still works for basic mail exchange, users still encounter storage limits, slow sync, and poor mobile integration. Thus, many users decide to migrate CenturyLink email to Gmail. This guide lays out the easiest and most reliable ways to migrate, including manual IMAP-based migration and an IMAP Backup Tool, a time-saving option.
General Reasons to Transfer CenturyLink Email to Gmail
Before getting into the migration options, you might want to understand why it is worthwhile to migrate:
- Gmail will sync across all devices immediately without any complexities.
- Built-in spam filtering, two-factor authentication, and phishing detection.
- Direct integration with Google Drive, Docs, Meet, Contacts, and Calendar.
- No service disruption or restoration issues as Gmail is updated often.
- Convenient archiving of older messages and the ability to find them with advanced filters.
In short, Gmail is just a smarter, faster, and safer email experience, unlike CenturyLink email. And it is a straightforward decision for those who rely on efficiency and reliability.
Real-Time Scenario:
Jeffery, who owns a small business, maintained his CenturyLink account for many years to communicate with clients. However, as his business expanded, he became increasingly frustrated with login delays and syncing issues. He and his team decided to migrate CenturyLink email to Gmail to revolve their communication under a custom Google Workspace domain.
They tried to accomplish this manually, but quickly realized that with much larger mailboxes and folder structures, it would be much more complex.
That’s when David began looking for an automated IMAP Migration Tool to manage all the CenturyLink to Gmail migrations for him. He ultimately found a solution that migrated everything, efficiently and securely, without the loss of attachments or labels.
Securely Transfer Emails from CenturyLink to Gmail
Whenever managing multiple mailboxes or large accounts, use the SysInfo IMAP Email Backup Tool. It allows you to transfer all the data from the mailbox, including attachments, with ease and data fidelity. Additionally, all tech and non-tech users, whether on Mac, Windows, or Linux OS, can simplify the migration with zero data loss in minimal time. Moreover, this smart tool ensures the folder hierarchy is retained, and users can utilize all the advanced and unique filters and features for the desired conversion.
Simple & Quick Steps to Migrate CenturyLink Email to Gmail
- Begin the IMAP Migration Tool on your OS, and under prerequisites, press Continue.
- Then, opt for the Single or Batch Mode and accordingly, input CenturyLink credentials to log in.
- You will find the email folders in a tree structure and select those to migrate. Tap Next.
- Afterward, from the list of email clients, click Gmail and enter your Email and App Password.
- Complete the login, pick the filters needed, and press Start Process to initiate migration.
Within minimal time, all the emails and attachments, including folders and subfolders, appear in Gmail as they did in CenturyLink.
Also Read: Migrate Spectrum Email to Gmail
Why IMAP Route for CenturyLink Email to Gmail Migration?
IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) is what allows your email to sync between devices. Using IMAP means:
- You’ll keep your folder structure preserved.
- The system will migrate actively only the actual messages, not duplicates.
- It will provide a more accurate source of factual file exports directly to the desired destination.
- You can ensure the data is secure and protected without any breaches.
In essence, IMAP is like a virtual courier that carries your data safely from one mail server to another, without tampering or corruption.
Freely Migrate CenturyLink Email to Gmail
Since the professional tool is easy to use, secure, and saves both time and effort. It is a preferred choice for most users, and its Demo Version has like made a bonus for free conversions of 50 emails per folder. But for those who don’t wish to spend even a penny, what is the solution? How they can transfer the emails from CenturyLink to Gmail is the ultimate concern.
Well, for those users, there is a manual solution that you can perform directly through Gmail. It is easy to use with a need for a little technical expertise and a few steps.
Native Steps to Transfer Emails from CenturyLink to Gmail
- Log into your Gmail account.
- Next, navigate to the gear icon → See all settings → Accounts and Import Tab.
- Then, in the “Check mail from other accounts” section, click “Add a mail account”.
- Further, enter your CenturyLink email address and click “Continue”.
- After that, choose the option that says, Import emails from my other account (IMAP/POP3).
- Input the IMAP server information, use your CenturyLink credentials:
- Incoming Server: mail.centurylink.net
- Port: 993 & Encryption: SSL/TLS
- Outgoing Servers: mtp.centurylink.net
- Port: 587 & Encryption: STARTTLS
- Choose your import options (leave a copy, label incoming messages, etc.)
- At last, click “Add Account” to start the transfer. Gmail will automatically start importing your emails in the background.
Note: Depending on the size of the mailbox, this process could take several hours.
This method is free and all, but you need internet connectivity, technical skills, time, effort, and still no guarantee. There are chances for errors, incomplete transfers, or data corruption. Attachments are generally hampered, and delays occur for new messages. Moreover, the folder structure is not kept intact.
This is why Jefferry opted for the professional tool, and you must too!
Conclusion
When an individual or an organization migrates CenturyLink email to Gmail, they upgrade the infrastructure. Leaving the limited legacy IMAP, they scale up to a more intelligent solution provided by Google’s mail ecosystem. Gmail is faster, cleaner, and future-proof. As you assess how to streamline workflow processes or combine accounts, Gmail will create a more intelligent, connected communication system. To ensure all this is done in an effective, scalable, secure, and reliable manner, download the IMAP Mail Backup Software by SysInfo right away!
FAQs
Q. Can I manually migrate emails from my CenturyLink account to Gmail?
Ans- Gmail does allow you to manually import emails using IMAP. This could take considerable time, depending on how large your account data is. It may also not preserve folder hierarchy. Hence, use the professional IMAP Migrator for CenturyLink to Gmail migration.
Q. How do I transfer my old and new emails from CenturyLink to Gmail?
Ans- You can use a trusted and verified IMAP Email Backup Software that supports full mailbox transfer, including both old and new data.
About The Author:
Suman Rawat is a technical content writer and expert in the fields of email migration, data recovery, and email backup. Her passion for helping people has led her to resolve many user queries related to data conversion and cloud backup.
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