Fix Gmail error: Too many messages to download

Do you get the Gmail error Too many messages to download. Mail cannot be retrieved from this account at this time? We compiled a list of the best workarounds for this error to help you fix it as soon as possible.

Gmail is one of the most popular webmail platforms in the world with millions of accounts. However, some Gmail users experienced error while using Gmail to fetch Outlook mails.

This is because they have too many messages to download. For instance, importing 50,000 Outlook mails into Gmail might be hit with technology restraints. However, not all emails are useless, therefore there is a need to salvage the situation and solve this Gmail error problem.

The Windows Report team has compiled the best solutions to fix the Gmail error ‘Too many messages to download’.

SOLVED: Too many messages to download Gmail error

1. Clean up your email
2. Use an alternative webmail
3. Enable Labs
4. Disable Labs

Method 1: Clean up your email

Firstly, you need to free up your Gmail account so as to be able to import new mails. Some Windows users were able to fix this error simply by deleting old mails from their email account.

Follow these steps to free up your Gmail:

• Login to your Gmail account
• Open Gmail in standard view
• Now, in the search box, use the following search commands (before:, after:, older:, newer:. ). For instance:

after:2015/12/31 before:2017/01/01

• Hit the Enter key afterwards
• Now, tick “select all” ( the checkbox in upper left region)
• Also, click on the hyperlink in the text that pops up in the “Select all conversations that match this search”
• Click the “delete” button on the top(trash can icon)


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Meanwhile, you can repeat this procedure to continue deleting unwanted/old mails clogging on your mailbox. Afterwards, you can then import Outlook mails into your Gmail account.

However, if the problem persists after trying out this method, you can proceed to the next method.

— RELATED: FIX: Gmail won’t load in Chrome on Windows 10

Method 2: Use an alternative webmail

Another workaround to bypass the Gmail error too many messages to download is by using Gmail alternatives. Some of the best Gmail alternatives include: YahooMail, ZohoMail, AOL Mail, and Yandex Mail among others.

Therefore, you can setup an email account on any of the other webmails, and then import your Outlook mails into the new email account. Alternatively, you can also use email clients such as eM client, Hiri, and Mozilla Thunderbird.

Solution 3: Enable Labs

Gmail error too many messages to download may be caused when all Gmail labs are disabled. Therefore, you need to enable Labs, here’s how to do this:

• Open your Gmail account.
• Click the Gear icon on the upper right side.
• Select Settings.
• Click the Labs tab.
• Enable an Available Labs.
• Click save changes to confirm

— READ ALSO: SOLVED: ‘Something’s not right’ Gmail error

Solution 4: Disable Labs

Alternatively, some enabled labs might cause the Gmail error too many messages to download. So, you need to disable each Labs one at a time to figure out the guilty labs. Follow these steps in order to do this:

• Open Gmail.
• In the top right, click Settings
• Click Settings.
• Click the Labs tab.
• Next to any labs you have enabled, select Disable.
• At the bottom of the page, click Save Changes.

Conclusively, if you try out any of the aforementioned fixes and it doesn’t fix the ‘Gmail error too many messages to download’ problem, contact Gmail Help support for advanced troubleshooting.

Were you able to resolve the Gmail error too many messages to download problem using any of these solutions? Let us know in the comments section below.

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