BlueM@il: Move Mailbox Content to a Different Microsoft 365 Account


This process will require that you have the Office 365 desktop applications installed on your machine. If you have not installed them, please follow Office 365 Pro Plus: Install on Personal Computers.

The Outlook desktop application that comes with Office allows you to move mailbox items using two different methods, but first you will need to connect Outlook to each Microsoft 365 mailbox. If you are moving items out of a mailbox, connect only that account. If you are also moving items into a different mailbox, you will need to connect both accounts.

Connecting Outlook Desktop to Your Microsoft 365 Mailbox

Outlook for Windows

  1. Open Outlook
  2. Click on the File menu. Then click the 'Add Account' button.
  3. At the next prompt, enter the email address for the account and click 'Connect'. You will then be prompted to enter the password for the account.
  4. If you receive an error while attempting to connect the account, select account settings from the error window, then select the 365 icon.

Outlook for Mac

  1. Open Outlook.
  2. On the Outlook menu, click on Preferences, the click on Accounts.
  3. Select Exchange or Office 365 as the account type.
  4. Enter the email address of the account, your username (same as email address), and your account's password.
  5. If you receive a message asking if you want Autodiscover to configure your settings, please click on Allow.

Moving Your Email or Other Mailbox Items

Drag and Drop Method

You can use the drag and drop method if you want to move only select items from one account to the other. For example you may have only a handful of emails, contacts, and/or tasks that you wish to keep from the old account.

  1. Connect Outlook to both accounts using the methods above
  2. Using the mouse or a combination of mouse and keyboard, select the items you wish to move.
  3. Once the items are selected, use the mouse to drag them to the new folder in the new account. Make sure you are moving items to matching folder types (Contacts to Contacts, Mail to Mail, etc)

Export/Import Method

You can use the export/import method if you want to move a large amount of items, such as all emails or all contacts. It can also be used to move the entire contents of your mailbox. This is done by first exporting the items to an Outlook Data File (.pst) file, then importing the Outlook Data File (.pst) file to the new account.

  1. Export mailbox items to an Outlook Data File
  2. Import mailbox items from an Outlook Data File