How to set up email forwarding in Gmail on Mac: browser steps and filters

Gmail on a Mac runs in your browser, and forwarding lives in its settings. I did not find a Gmail desktop app for Mac on Google's own pages, so the steps here use the web version in Safari or Chrome. Any Mac browser works the same way. Most of the work happens on Gmail's Settings page, so you do not need the Mac menu bar.

What you need before you start

• A Gmail account you can sign in to in Safari or Chrome
• A second address that receives the copies, and access to its inbox
• A few minutes, plus time for the verification email to arrive
• For a Google Workspace account, an admin who allows users to forward their own mail

Pick the destination address with care. Gmail sends a verification link to it, and every forwarded message lands there. Choose an inbox you check often and control yourself. Do not use an address that other people share unless you want them reading your mail.

Add and verify the destination address

Add the address on the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab, then leave that page open while you switch to the destination inbox. The address does nothing until it is verified. A typo sends the confirmation to someone else, or to nobody, so read the address back before you click Next. The steps are short. The verification step is where most people get stuck.

Turn on forwarding for new mail

Once the address is verified, forwarding is still off. Return to Settings, refresh the browser, and reopen the Forwarding tab. Google's steps ask for the refresh so the verified address loads into the list. Then select Forward a copy of incoming mail to and pick the address. Google's page says automatic forwarding covers all new mail except spam.

What happens to Gmail's copy

The option for Gmail's copy controls whether a message stays in your Gmail Inbox after it is forwarded. Google recommends keeping Gmail's copy in the Inbox. That suits most people, because you can still search and reply in Gmail. If you want the destination to be your main place to read mail, read the other options on the page before you change this setting.

Forward only some mail with a filter

Automatic forwarding sends everything new, so it is the wrong tool for one sender. For a subset of mail, turn automatic forwarding off first. Then build a filter. Click the Show search options icon in the search box, enter your criteria, and click Search. At the bottom of the search window, click Create filter, choose Forward it, select the address, and click Create filter again.

Say you want only messages from your accountant to reach a second inbox. Search for from:accountant@example.com, create the filter, and choose Forward it. Google's steps say to make one filter per address, so repeat the process for each extra destination. Each filter only covers the address you picked.

Test forwarding before you rely on it

Send a fresh message from another account to your Gmail address. Give it a few minutes, then check the destination inbox. If it arrives, forwarding works. Gmail also shows a notice that says you are forwarding your email to the address you chose. That notice stays for the first week after forwarding turns on, so you will see it while you test.

Gmail sending limits to keep in mind

Google's sending limits page says you may see a limit error if you send more than 500 emails in a day. The same page says the limit also applies if you send one email to more than 500 recipients. That page is about sending, so check it if your outgoing volume grows. Forwarding a few messages a day is unlikely to be the problem.

Turn off Gmail forwarding on Mac

Open the Forwarding tab, click Disable forwarding in the Forwarding section, and click Save Changes. The forwarding notice goes away when forwarding is off. Turning it off stops new copies, but it does not pull old messages back out of the destination inbox. Check that inbox for mail you still need before you walk away from it.

Mistakes people make with Gmail forwarding

• Forgetting Save Changes. Gmail does not start forwarding until you save the page.
• Testing with an old message. Google's page does not say that existing mail moves over, so test with a new one.
• Forwarding everything when you want a few messages. Turn automatic forwarding off and use a filter instead.
• Ignoring a notice you did not set up. Google's page says to change your password right away, then turn forwarding off.
• Leaving forwarding on after you change jobs or addresses. Turn it off once the destination no longer reads your mail.

If the verification email never arrives

Start with the destination's spam or junk folder, then check the spelling of the address in Gmail. Forum posts and third-party blogs also name a full destination inbox, or a destination that forwards or bounces mail, as causes. Google's help page does not confirm those causes, so treat them as things to check rather than known problems.

Google Workspace accounts need an admin

If your Gmail is a work account on Google Workspace, your admin may control forwarding. Google's admin help describes address maps under Menu > Apps > Google Workspace > Gmail > Routing in the Admin console. Changes can take up to 24 hours to apply. The admin also has to turn on the setting that lets people forward their own mail. If you do not see the option, ask your admin instead of guessing.

Keyboard shortcuts for the Gmail steps

Most of this guide is clicks, but a few shortcuts help with the test message. Shortcuts must be turned on first. Go to Settings > See all settings > Settings tab, scroll to Keyboard shortcuts, select Keyboard shortcuts on, and click Save Changes. After that, ⌘ Enter sends a message and Shift + ? opens the shortcut list. Google's list marks ⌘ ; as Mac only, for jumping to the next misspelled word.

Apple Mail is a different job

Apple Mail can also read a Gmail account, and that confuses people. To add it, open Mail and choose Mail > Add Account. Enter your address, click Continue, and follow the steps. That signs Mail into your account so you can read it there. It does not forward copies to another address. For forwarding, use Gmail's own settings in the browser.

Security risks of email forwarding

Forwarding moves your mail to a second provider, and that adds risk. A 2023 study of email forwarding, published at IEEE EuroS&P, examined 20 forwarding services. Those were 16 leading email providers and four mailing list services. The study's abstract names Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, and Zoho among providers where spoofed messages can be delivered.

Spoofing is a risk on the sender's side, so it does not mean your Gmail is broken. What you control is the destination. Forward only to an account protected by a strong password and two-step verification. Turn forwarding off when you stop using that account. The study is a research paper, so read it for the details rather than this page's summary.

Where to go next

If you want only some mail to move, the filter guide covers searches and filters in more depth. If you are away for a while, you may also want an automatic reply. The out of office guide shows Gmail's vacation responder steps.