How to Automatically “Forward Outlook to Gmail” and More

Navigating the labyrinth of modern digital communication can be daunting. One challenge many encounter is managing emails across different accounts.

If you’re an Outlook user considering a switch to Gmail or needing to forward your Outlook emails to another account, you’re in the right place.

This comprehensive, SEO-optimized guide will walk you through the process of automatically forwarding emails from Outlook to Gmail or another email, whether you’re using Outlook 365 or the Outlook app.

Forwarding vs. Redirecting: Understanding the Difference

Before we dive into the steps, let’s clarify the difference between ‘forwarding’ and ‘redirecting’ in Outlook:

Forwarding: When you forward an email, Outlook sends a copy of the email to the designated address. However, if the recipient replies, the response will be sent back to your Outlook account, not to the original sender.
Redirecting: A redirected email, on the other hand, maintains the details of the original sender. So, if the recipient replies, the response goes to the original sender, not your Outlook account.

Now, let’s jump into the process of setting up automatic email forwarding.

Automatically Forward Emails from Outlook to Gmail

Outlook Web (Outlook 365)

Open Outlook on your web browser and sign into your account.
Click the ‘Settings’ (gear) icon at the top right of the page, then ‘View all Outlook settings’ at the bottom of the pane.
Go to ‘Mail’, then ‘Forwarding’.
Select ‘Enable forwarding’, enter your Gmail address in the box, and if you want to keep copies of forwarded messages in Outlook, tick the ‘Keep a copy of forwarded messages’ checkbox.
Click ‘Save’.

Outlook Desktop App

Launch the Outlook desktop app.
Select ‘File’ > ‘Rules and Alerts’.
Click ‘New Rule’.
In the ‘Start from a blank rule’ section, select ‘Apply rule on messages I receive’ and click ‘Next’.
In the ‘Rules Wizard’, keep the conditions as they are and click ‘Next’.
When asked if you want to apply the rule to all messages, select ‘Yes’.
Choose ‘forward it to people or public group’ from the list. In the bottom pane, click on ‘people or public group’ and enter your Gmail address.
Click ‘Finish’ and then ‘OK’ to save the rule.

Forward Outlook Emails to Another Email

The process for forwarding emails from Outlook to another email is the same as forwarding to Gmail. Follow the steps above, substituting your Gmail address with the desired email address.

Using the Outlook App for Automatic Forwarding

If you’re using the Outlook app on your mobile device, note that it doesn’t support the automatic forwarding feature as of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021. You’ll need to set up forwarding through the web or desktop version of Outlook.