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Apple mail migration or archiving questions

I have a dilemma. Hopefully someone here can help me figure out or direct me how I should approach this.


Background:

My email service provider of 20+ years is transitioning their email host/server system over to Google. I am not sure how I feel about that. I have one set of email addresses for business and personal use which I purposely keep far far away from Google. I have a couple of other Gmail address that I created for spam crap and traps. Now that my service provider is joining up with Google for email service, I am concerned. They say they will seamlessly migrate all my email over, that they will maintain security and privacy policies, and nothing much for me to do in the process. My delimma is I do not want Google anywhere near some of my stuff. So this situation has me in a bit of conundrum about a path forward.


I use an iMac and use the Apple Mail program to manage all of my email accounts in one window/app on the Mac. Most all of the email exists on the servers (IMAP). One thought I have is to download or export all of the mail into a storage directory on my Mac. Then delete everything off of the email servers. My thinking being that when my provider does the migration to Google, the account will be empty and Google will not have any of my stuff. But what then? Will I be able to open the exported emails on my Mac? Will they still be organized and tagged and prioritized in the exported file, exactly as it was before?


My question is what to do or where to go next for an email service that is separate, secure, and has nothing to do with Google.


Thoughts? Comments?


iMac 27″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Feb 10, 2021 12:39 PM

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5 replies

Feb 11, 2021 1:15 PM in response to BDAqua

Thank you. So I understand correctly.

In apple mail create new inbox folder under `on my Mac`. Then just drag and drop from the IMAP folders into the `on my Mac` folders. So this means I do not need to be concerned at about how to use export/import features of apple Mail. If that's all there is to it, thanks a bunch. Much simpler than I was thinking it would be.


As for alternate email services with better privacy, thank you for that link. I will have a read. FYI, I am not so much concerned about someone hacking the inbox ... My biggest issue ( humongous peeve) with Google is it links and interlaces across apps and platforms to everything and every one without your knowledge or approval until you go looking for such happening. It is really painstaking process to pick through and remove those. Along the same/similar violations, FaceBook is just as bad if not much much worse.


I do like Goggle and their apps. I just hate having them constantly picking through everyone of my nickers draws looking about. It is like having the neighbours hyperactive kid with no social manners come over and popping open every closet and drawer and asking whats this whats this whats this whats that .......


Feb 11, 2021 2:04 PM in response to FaceDeAce

After creating the On My Mac Folders like inbox, inbox2, Sent, Sent2, etc,. got to the appropriate Inbox, select all, right click & choose copy to... the new Inbox2 or whatever, ten back to te inbox that is going away, select all again & delete after you're sure the copies are On My Mac... this is to make sure the server isn't confused & actually deletes the files one you have them.

Feb 16, 2021 11:58 AM in response to BDAqua

Thank you. I started creating the On My Mac folders. I am finding a hiccup of sorts. For whatever reason my plan is working for some but not for others. I want to create subfolders under each On My Mac folders, to maintain how they are organized. The problem is I can create the subfolders on some of them but not on others. Maybe I just need to be patient, perhaps there is alot of background file and data moving going on that is preventing me from seeing the changes right away. For example:


On My Mac

MeeToo email archive

Inbox

good stuff

simple stuff

Sentbox

important stuff

everything else stuff


I can create this structure on only two On My Mac folders. The others do not show up or allow the extra subfolders to be created. I am trying to do this with 5 separate email accounts, all in Mail.





Apple mail migration or archiving questions

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