Switching from Microsoft 365 to Apple’s iCloud+ consolidates your email and saves you money. You can also keep using Microsoft 365 tools if you require them.
After all, if you pay for iCloud storage, you get iCloud+, which lets you set up a personalized email domain and share it with family members.
It takes roughly 30 minutes of focused time and a desire to experiment with Microsoft 365 capabilities.
- How Does iCloud+ Compare to Microsoft 365 for Email?
- The Benefits of iCloud+ Email
- The Drawbacks of iCloud+ Emailing
- How to Move Email from Microsoft 365 to iCloud+
- How to Move Email to iCloud+
- Keep Using Microsoft 365 Tools
How Does iCloud+ Compare to Microsoft 365 for Email?
Both iCloud+ and Microsoft 365 have benefits and drawbacks. The primary distinction is whether you are an email power user.
The Benefits of iCloud+ Email
- Cost-cutting: Subscriptions add up fast. Instead of managing multiple services, iCloud+ can save you money and time. Its free tier may be sufficient for occasional use of Microsoft 365 features.
- Consolidation: It takes time to check many inboxes. There are applications like Microsoft Outlook or Apple Mail that allow you to consolidate your email accounts. But if you do that, you might start wondering why you’re paying for so many.
- Several addresses: Each family sharing member can add up to three addresses per domain. This allows users to establish primary, secondary, and tertiary email addresses for their accounts. Along with Apple’s Hide My Email function, customers can create random email addresses that forward to their iCloud email.
The Drawbacks of iCloud+ Emailing
- No strong laws: Outlook’s strong rules are available on both the online and desktop. Comparatively, the regulations at iCloud.com and in Apple Mail are simple. The desktop version of Mail doesn’t sync rules with the web. That implies your Mac must be running for rules to work across devices. The available rules options should be sufficient for moving incoming mail to a certain folder, forwarding it, or deleting it.
- Web interface flaws: The web edition of Mail is bare-bones compared to Outlook for the web. Apple concentrates on the desktop and mobile versions of Mail, which are rarely updated.
- No catch-all: You can’t set up iCloud+ to establish a catch-all domain email address. This is a major issue for many. Also, the three email addresses per person limit isn’t always enough. Create an all-purpose mailbox in Microsoft 365.
How to Move Email from Microsoft 365 to iCloud+
Here’s how to use iCloud+ to condense your email.
- Save Your Email
- Backing up your email from Microsoft 365 to iCloud+ is the first step.
Backup Outlook for Mac:
- Go to Tools.
- Export.
- Check the Export to Archive File (.olm) box.
- Continue and choose a destination for the Archive File.
- When the export is finished, click Finish.
- It helps if your Microsoft 365 email account is linked to your iCloud email account. You can migrate email from Microsoft 365 (and other accounts) to iCloud.
So, here’s how:
- Download all Microsoft 365 emails.
- Your Microsoft 365 mailbox emails are selected.
- Drag to your iCloud inbox.
- Log into Microsoft 365 on the web and check your mailbox to make sure you have migrated everything.
Depending on your inbox size and Internet speed, this can take several hours.
How to Move Email to iCloud+
This process takes roughly 30 minutes and needs meticulous attention to detail. Luckily, Apple has simplified the procedure.
- First, go to www.icloud.com and sign in with your Apple ID. To change your name, click the drop-down menu next to it.
- Then choose Manage for Custom Email Domain.
- You can choose to use the domain exclusively or with your family sharing group.
- Enter the domain name for iCloud+.
- Enter the domain’s email address (you can create more email addresses later). Apple will then send you a verification email. The email will include comprehensive transfer instructions.
- Depending on your domain, you may only need to log in to your registrar. Your email will be moved to iCloud+.
- Like GoDaddy, a renowned US-based domain registrar that also sells Microsoft 365 licenses. Before switching, GoDaddy assures it will disconnect your email from Microsoft 365.
- If your domain registrar does not offer this service, you will need to manually alter your DNS records to point to iCloud.
- Apple will send you step-by-step instructions in an email. This information is also available from Apple.
- Make sure to copy and paste all DNS records exactly.
- It may take up to 24 hours for your new settings to take effect. Within 10 minutes, email usually arrives.
Keep Using Microsoft 365 Tools
You can still use Microsoft 365 products after switching to iCloud+. You can still use your email address and password to access Microsoft 365, such as Word and Excel. It’s possible that the free web-based version of Microsoft 365 is all you need.
You can even integrate your iCloud email to Outlook for desktop and mobile and use functions that Apple Mail lacks, like the strong send later option.
Summary
Transferring email from Microsoft 365 to iCloud+ takes care and roughly 30 minutes. If you use Apple goods, you undoubtedly already pay for this service.