How to set up email forwarding

How to Set Up Email Forwarding

Email forwarding can help you boost your productivity. It can reduce the number of emails you check daily and save time you can use elsewhere.

This article will explain how to set up mail forwarding in Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Apple Mail, and AOL.

What Is Automatic Email Forwarding?

Email forwarding is the process of redirecting messages from your inbox to a new address you have specified. For instance, most people have separate emails for personal and business use. You may need to forward messages automatically from your work address to your personal one while on vacation so that you don’t miss anything urgent.

Most email providers offer this feature, and it’s usually pretty easy to set up. Read on to learn how to set up mail forwarding for the most popular email services.

How to Set Up Gmail Automatic Forwarding

Gmail makes it very easy to forward emails automatically. Here’s how you set up Gmail email forwarding:

1. Open Gmail.com and log into the account you want to forward messages from.
2. Click on the Settings icon from the top menu.
3. Tap See All Settings

1. Click on the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab in the top menu.

1. Tap the Add a Forwarding Address button.

1. Type the email address to which you want to forward messages and click Next > Proceed > OK.
2. Google will send a verification message with a unique link to your typed address. Click on the link to verify the request.
3. Return to your Gmail account and go to Settings > See All Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
4. Tap Forward a Copy of Incoming Mail To. Then, choose what you want to happen to the forwarded messages. You can keep them in your original mailbox or immediately delete them after forwarding.
5. Tap Save Changes.

How to Set Up Outlook Automatic Forwarding

Setting up automatic forwarding in Outlook is very similar to that of Gmail. Follow these steps to set up automatic forwarding for an Outlook email address.

1. Head to Outlook.com and log into the email account you want to forward messages from.
2. Tap the Settings icon in the top right corner.
3. Tap View all Outlook Settings.

1. Tap Mail > Forwarding and check the Enable Forwarding box.

1. Type the email address you want to forward messages to. Check the box below if you’d like to keep copies of forwarded messages in your mailbox.
2. Click Save.

How to Set Up Yahoo Mail Automatic Forwarding

Automatic forwarding setup on Yahoo Mail is similar to the process for Gmail and Outlook. However, this feature is only available to Yahoo Mail Plus subscribers, unlike other mailbox providers offering it for free.

Yahoo Mail Plus costs US$5 per month. It removes ads from your inbox and gives you access to premium features. Follow these steps to activate email forwarding:

1. Go to Yahoo.com and log into the account you want to forward emails from.
2. Click on the Settings icon in the top-right corner.
3. Tap More Settings.

1. Tap Mailboxes.
2. Look at the Mailbox List, and choose the email address you want to set up forwarding for (your current address).
3. Scroll down and tap Forwarding. Enter the email address you wish to deliver your messages to.
4. Click Verify. Yahoo will send a verification email to the address you’ve entered. Log into that email address and follow Yahoo’s verification instructions. After verification, messages will be automatically forwarded from your original Yahoo email address to the one you specified.

How to Set Up Apple Mail Automatic Forwarding

You can set up automatic forwarding on Apple Mail (iCloud) by following the steps below. Again, the process is pretty straightforward.

1. Head to iCloud.com and log into your email account.
2. Click on the Settings icon in the top-left corner and Tap Settings.

1. Tap Mail Forwarding
2. Choose Forward my email to and enter the email address you want to forward messages to.

1. Choose whether to Delete messages after forwarding.
2. Close the Settings menu to save your changes.

How to Set Up AOL Automatic Forwarding

Setting up automatic forwarding on an AOL email address is easy. Before following the steps below, ensure you set your inbox view to Classic.

1. Head to aol.com and log into your email account.
2. Click on the Settings icon.
3. Click on General Settings.
4. Click Forwarding > Forward a Copy of Incoming Mail to.
5. Enter the email address you want to forward messages to.
6. Tap Save Changes.

However, note that automatic forwarding is only available to AOL premium users.

Tips and Best Practices to Manage Forwarded Emails

You’ve learned how to set up automatic email forwarding on different email services. As you can observe, the process is quite similar for all popular email providers. The steps are easy to follow; we have explained what to do in detail.

Most email providers offer automatic forwarding for free users. Yahoo and AOL are the exceptions that allow it on premium accounts only.

Now, let’s examine the tips and best practices to manage your forwarded emails effectively and ensure they don’t overwhelm your inbox.

Organize Your Emails With Labels

You can create labels for different types of emails to keep your inbox organized. For example, you can create educational, work, personal, and shopping labels.

You can then choose the exact one that any message from a specific address should be classified under, e.g., any message from a work address ends up in the work label.

You can sort your inbox using labels at any time. They help you organize your messages and reply to them more efficiently. You can even assign multiple labels to a single email for extra flexibility.

Use Filters

For more sophisticated email management, set up filters for incoming mail if your mail client supports this feature. Filters are applied to all incoming mail automatically. Using filters allows for more precise sorting of your messages. You can assign labels to your messages based on sender address or certain keywords, archive them or put them into your custom folders.

Review Your Settings Frequently

Don’t just set up automatic forwarding and then abandon your settings. You should constantly review your forwarding setup to ensure you only receive relevant emails.

Conclusion

Automatic email forwarding offers many benefits. It ensures a steady information flow within a team, enabling you to read every message, even when communicating from multiple email addresses.

We have explained how to set up email forwarding in the most popular email clients, including Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo Mail, Apple Mail, and AOL. The steps are easy to follow, and you shouldn’t face problems setting up automatic forwarding on your email account.

FAQs on Automatic Email Forwarding

Can you automatically forward emails?

Yes, most mailbox providers allow you to set up automatic email forwarding. Every message coming into your inbox will be automatically forwarded to another email address.

How do you set up automatic email forwarding?

On your Settings page, you’ll provide an email address to which your email client should forward every incoming message. Any incoming email will automatically be transferred to the specified address.

Do auto-forwarded emails appear in sent items?

Yes, you can choose whether your auto-forwarded emails should still appear in your sent inbox, or you’d rather have them deleted immediately after forwarding.