Access Gmail

Google’s email program, Gmail, can be easily accessed through an Internet browser, mobile app, or desktop client. You can also configure most e-mail clients (like Outlook and iMail) to send and receive messages with your Gmail account. Learn how to set up your Gmail account on other mail clients, plus how to access Gmail on your computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Steps

In a Web Browser

1. Open your web browser. One of the most popular ways to access Gmail is through a web browser. Any modern browser (e.g., Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, Edge) on any internet-enabled device can be used to launch Gmail.
2. Type www.gmail.com into the browser address bar, then press ↵ Enter. This will bring you to a sign-in page.
3. Enter your Gmail email address and password. If you don’t already have a Gmail address, you will need to create one.
   • Check the box next to “Stay signed in” (beneath the “Sign In” button) if you would prefer not to type your password each time you open Gmail. Only check this box if you don’t share this computer with others.
4. Click “Sign in”. As long as your username and password is accepted, you arrive in your Gmail inbox.
   • Remember that passwords are case-sensitive.
   • If you’re unable to log in with your username and password, click the “Need Help?” link, then follow the prompts to retrieve or reset your password.

iOS App

1. Open the App Store on your iPhone or iPad. You can install the Gmail app for free on your iOS device by using the App Store.
   • If you don’t already have a Gmail address, you’ll need to create one to use the Gmail app.
2. Tap “Search”, then type “gmail”. Any apps that match your search criteria will appear on the screen.
3. Tap “Gmail – email from Google”. This will launch the details page for the Gmail app.
4. Tap the “Get” button, then tap “Install”. The app will download and install on your device.
5. Tap the Gmail app on the home screen to launch Gmail.
6. Enter your Gmail username and password to sign in. Once your password is accepted, you’ll have the opportunity to view a short tour of the Gmail app. If you want the tour, tap “Start Tour.”
7. Tap “Go to inbox” to view your inbox. You now have access to your Gmail account on your iOS device.

Android App

1. Tap the “Gmail” icon to launch Gmail. Your Android comes with the Gmail app already installed, so logging in will be quick and easy.
   • If the Google account associated with your Android is the same one you use for Gmail, you should be able to launch the app and reach your inbox without making additional changes.
   • To add a Gmail address that isn’t yet on your phone, continue with this method.
2. Open the ≡ menu, then select “Settings”.
3. Tap “Add Account”. The “Set up email” screen will appear.
4. Select “Google” and then tap “Next”.
5. Type your Gmail address in the blank and then tap “Next”.
6. Enter your password and then tap “Next”. You’ll notice a “Forgot password” link beneath the password blank. If you don’t remember your password, tap that link and follow its prompts.
7. Tap “Accept” to agree to Google’s Terms of Service. Once you accept, the setup will be complete.
   • Any mail on the server will sync to your phone, which can take anywhere from several minutes to several hours, depending on the size of your mailbox.

Other E-mail Clients

1. Log in to your Gmail account in a web browser. You can set up a different e-mail client (e.g., Outlook, Thunderbird, iMail) to send and receive messages from your Gmail account. First, you will need to set up Gmail to allow connections from other programs.
2. Click the gear icon at the top right of your inbox, then select “Settings”.
3. Click the “Forwarding and POP/IMAP” tab.
4. Select “Enable IMAP”. Gmail recommends using IMAP so you can check your Gmail more than one location. This is helpful if you use a mail client but also want the ability to use the or mobile app if necessary.
   • Another option is POP. Select “Enable POP for all mail” if you don’t want to save copies of your Gmail messages on Gmail’s server. When your e-mail client retrieves messages through POP, the messages on the Gmail server will be deleted.
5. Click the “Configuration Instructions” link. You will find this link under POP or IMAP (whichever service you chose). This will launch Google’s official support page that contains up-to-date server addresses that you’ll need to input into your e-mail app.
   • Some clients may not require this information, but you should open it just in case.
6. Navigate to the mail client’s account settings page. The location is different depending on your mail client.
7. (If you’re using iMail), Click “Mail” and then “Add Account.”
   • Choose “Google,” then sign in with your Google username and password.
   • Follow the prompts to start receiving your Gmail on your Mac.
8. (If you’re using Outlook or another program) Click “Tools,” then “E-mail accounts.” Other programs should have similar menus—you’ll need to dig around a little. This is where you’ll configure your Gmail settings.
   • Select “Add New Account,” then select “IMAP” or “POP” from the options, depending on what you chose previously. Click “Next” to proceed.
   • Enter the information from the “Configuration Instructions” into the appropriate blanks.
9. Open the Gmail troubleshooting page if you experience problems with mail client setup.

Sign Into Multiple Accounts

1. Open Gmail in a web browser. Gmail allows for multiple users to be signed into their accounts simultaneously on a single computer. This is great for families or other people who share computers.
   • This method will help you switch between accounts on the web interface. To switch between accounts in the Gmail app on a mobile device, simply tap your profile image in the ≡ menu, then select a different account.
   • This is not recommended on public computers.
2. Log into your Gmail account. If no user is currently signed into Gmail, sign one of them in now.
3. Click the profile icon at the top right corner of the screen. The image is small and round, and should be a picture that you selected at a prior time.
   • If you don’t see a picture, look for a circle containing the first letter of the user’s name.
4. Click “Add Account”. You’ll arrive at a screen that contains a list of Gmail accounts that have signed in recently (though there may only be one).
5. Select a different account to sign in. If you see other users listed, choose one to sign in.
   • Clicking a user will prompt you to enter that user’s password.
   • Once the password is entered correctly, you’ll be brought to that user’s inbox.
6. Click “Add Account” to sign in a different user. If the user you wish to sign in is not listed, add it by following this link.
   • Enter the E-mail address and password for this user, then select “Next” to sign in.
7. Click the profile icon of the current user, then select “Add Account”. Notice how the small pop-up menu now also displays the profile icon of the user who signed in first.
8. Click the other user’s name or profile icon to switch to that account. Whenever you want to switch between users, you can do so by clicking the profile icon.
   • To add another account, click the profile image, then choose “Add Account”.
   • When using other Google products (such as Google Photos), pay attention to the profile image at the top of the page. The active Gmail user is also the active user on other Google products.
   • To sign the currently active user out of Gmail, tap the profile icon, then select “Sign Out.”

Gmail Offline with Chrome

1. Visit the Chrome web store in Google Chrome. Gmail Offline is a Chrome plugin that stores up to 7 days of emails offline. This means if your Internet access goes out or Google goes offline, you will be able to see recent emails. If you use Gmail for work, it is a good extra backup option.
   • You’ll need to be on a computer for this method to work.
   • Never use Gmail Offline on a public computer.
2. Search for “Gmail Offline” in the search bar.
3. Click “+Add to Chrome” next to the “Gmail Offline” app. A confirmation box will appear.
4. Click Add app to confirm. The Gmail Offline app will now install directly to Chrome.
5. Press Ctrl+T (Windows) or ⌘ Cmd+T (Mac) to open a new browser tab. A new pane with Offline Gmail should be added.
6. Click the new “Gmail” icon at the bottom of the new tab to launch Gmail Offline. A new window will appear containing some configuration options.
7. Select “Allow Offline Mail”, then click Continue.
8. Press Ctrl+T (Windows) or ⌘ Cmd+T (Mac) to open a new browser tab. When it’s time to check your mail offline, you’ll start by opening a new tab.
9. Click the “apps” icon (9 square cubes) at the top right corner of the tab. This will display a list of Chrome apps installed on the computer.
10. Click the Gmail Offline icon. A slightly different-looking version of your normal Gmail inbox will appear. You will be able to access this box even when not connected to the Internet.

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• Change Your Gmail Password

Sources and Citations

See also

• Install the Gmail Drive
• Access Gmail With Mozilla Thunderbird
• Unarchive an Email on Gmail on Android
• Use Bitmoji with Gmail on Android
• Unarchive an Email on Gmail on iPhone or iPad
• Enable Basic HTML View for Gmail
• Use Gmail for Personal Data Storage
• Email Video Clips via Gmail
• Hack Gmail
• Add an Animated GIF to a Gmail Email

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