Home › Guides · Updated 24 October 2026

How to move your Virgin Media email to Gmail

Quick answer

You'll need two app passwords: one from the My Virgin Media app and one from Google. Then either copy everything with a tool (every folder, original dates), or use Gmail's import (inbox only, often fails with Virgin). Gmail accepts about 500 MB a day, so 1 GB takes about two days.

Written by an independent developer. Not affiliated with Virgin Media, Virgin Media O2 or Junara.

Virgin Media is handing its old email service to a new provider, Junara. If you'd rather use Gmail than pay to stay, you can bring all your old emails, in their folders, with their original dates into Gmail. This guide shows three ways, from easiest to most hands-on.

Before you start

A Gmail account. Create one at gmail.com if you don't have one.
A Virgin Media Mail app password. Tools can't use your My Virgin Media password; Virgin requires a separate app password. Here's how to create one.
A Google app password (for tools that write into Gmail): turn on 2-Step Verification in your Google Account, then create an app password at myaccount.google.com/apppasswords.

Option 1: let Keep My Emails copy everything (about 5 minutes of your time)

Go to the Keep My Emails home page and enter your Virgin address and Virgin Media Mail app password.
We scan your mailbox for free and show how many emails and folders you have.
Choose Move everything, pick Gmail, and enter your Gmail address and Google app password.
Pay once (£14.99). We copy every folder. Your folders appear in Gmail as labels under "Virgin Media", your inbox goes to your Gmail inbox and sent mail goes to Sent.
When it's done, delete the Virgin app password in the My Virgin Media app.

Big mailbox? Gmail only accepts about 500 MB of copied email per day from any tool. A 2 GB mailbox takes about four days. Keep My Emails pauses and carries on automatically, so you don't need to do anything.

Option 2: Gmail's built-in "Import mail and contacts"

Gmail has an import option under Settings › Accounts and Import. It's free, but people moving from Virgin Media often find it doesn't connect, or puts every email in the inbox with no folders. It's fine if you have one folder and a small mailbox.

Option 3: do it yourself with Thunderbird (free, a few hours)

Install Thunderbird (free) on a computer.
Add your Virgin account using IMAP: server imap.virginmedia.com, port 993, SSL on, your full email address, and your Virgin Media Mail app password (settings from Virgin Media's help page).
Add your Gmail account to Thunderbird too.
Drag each Virgin folder into your Gmail account and wait. Large folders can stall; Gmail stops accepting uploads after about 500 MB a day with an "exceeded bandwidth limits" message, so you may need several sessions.

What you can't move

Your Virgin email address itself can't move to Gmail; it only continues with Junara. After moving your emails, update the address on your bank, GP, HMRC and other important accounts, and tell your contacts your new address.

Questions people ask

Can I move my ntlworld address to Gmail?

No, only the emails. The address stays with Virgin Media's email service (Junara) or is deleted.

Will Gmail's import keep my folders?

No. Gmail's "Import mail" puts everything in the inbox with a label, and it often won't connect to Virgin Media at all.

How long does it take?

Gmail accepts about 500 MB of copied email a day, so a 1 GB mailbox takes about two days and carries on by itself.

Keep every email, in a few minutes

Keep My Emails moves your whole Virgin Media mailbox, every folder with its original dates, to Gmail, Outlook or iCloud, or gives you a download. Check your mailbox for free first. One payment, no subscription.

Check my mailbox free