How to switch email providers for a better service

Email can be one of the stickiest services to shift away from, since so many online accounts get tied to it. The longer you have an account, the harder it gets to switch email providers.

TPG group telcos like TPG, iiNet, Internode and Westnet, and Vocus group’s iPrimus and Amnet email addresses have all handed email hosting to The Messaging Company.

The original paid service for these addresses began in September 2024, so a lot of users are hitting a renewal this month and finding that the fee has more than doubled from the original $30 per year to $69.99 per year.

That explains why so many of our readers have been asking about how to switch email providers recently.

Here’s our top recommendation and a guide on how to get started shifting your email across.

Our pick: Proton Mail

There are plenty of great email providers around, but one of our favourites is Proton Mail. Proton is a Swiss company with a strong focus on privacy and security. It provides end-to-end encryption, it doesn’t scan your email for advertising or data, and it provides an Easy Switch tool that helps smooth the transition to their service.

Proton offers 1GB of storage and 150 messages a day for free, which should cover most users. There are optional paid tiers that add extra storage, email aliases, custom domains, filters, and an autoresponder, among other features in the suite like VPN and cloud storage.

Outlook and Gmail are also free options that provide a good amount of storage for free, but they don’t have the same level of privacy Proton offers. If you need the increased storage, don’t want to clear out old emails, and don’t mind the reduced privacy, they’re solid options.

How to switch email providers, step-by-step

There’s no one-button solution to switch email providers. No matter which way you cut it, there will be some manual work involved to update your information with online accounts, and depending on how many you have it could take more or less time.

However, getting started is easier than you might think.

1. Keep your old email address active for a couple of months. While you make the move to your new account, it can be helpful to have access to the old one for recovery information. For The Messaging Company, that might mean paying for a few extra months.
2. Set up your new account with your new provider. Take some time to evaluate which one suits your needs best. Our recommendation is Proton Mail.
3. Use your new provider’s import tool. All the big email providers offer an import tool that can bring your old messages and contacts across. Proton offers Easy Switch that walks you through importing emails, contacts, and calendar events. Gmail provides similar access, but Outlook doesn’t have as simple instructions.
4. Set up an autoresponder on your old email address. Most major providers offer this functionality somewhere in Settings – for The Messaging Company addresses, follow this guide. In the autoresponse, state your new account and that the old one will be unmonitored.
5. Update your most sensitive accounts. Services like myGov, active social media accounts, utilities, and subscriptions are worth shifting over straight away. This is the hard work part that takes time. You’ll have to check each account’s settings and update your contact information.

As you live with the two addresses side-by-side for a few months, start changing over accounts that you want to keep with companies who continue to contact your old address. After a while, all the accounts you actually use should be using the new email and you can finally ditch the old one.

With this method, you don’t have to worry about getting overwhelmed since you can keep the old email until you’re sure you’ve moved all your important contacts across.

For more info on email, check out our guide on dealing with spam email, and the difference between unsubscribing and marking as spam.