Check Email by Using Google Mail

Gmail is one of the most popular free email services in the world, and you can access it almost anywhere. The web interface has grown in functionality over the years, and with the ability to add non-Gmail accounts, you can now manage all of your email in one place without installing any programs.

Steps

Using the Gmail Website

  1. Visit mail.google.com in your browser. The main way to access Gmail is to use the website. You can perform all of your mail functions from the web interface.
  2. Log in with your Google account. Click here for instructions on creating a Google account.
  3. Get familiar with the interface. When you first load Gmail, you will be shown the Primary tab of your inbox. This is where the majority of your newly received messages will appear. The menu on the left allows you to view all of your labels, and the tabs along the top allow you to check your various auto-sorted tabs.
  4. Import your mail and contacts from your old service (Optional). If you're switching to Gmail from another mail provider, you may be able to import your old messages and contact list into Gmail.
    • Click the Gear button.
    • Click "Settings".
    • Click the "Accounts and Import" tab.
    • Click "Import mail and contacts".
    • Enter in your account information for your old service. Not all email services allow Google to retrieve your messages and contacts.
  5. Add additional accounts to Gmail (Optional). If you have other email accounts that you still use but want to consolidate in one place, you can add them to Gmail so that all of your email ends up in one spot. Everything will still be organized by what address it was sent to.
    • Click the Gear button.
    • Click "Settings".
    • Click the "Accounts and Import" tab.
    • Click "Add a POP3 mail account you own".
    • Enter in the full email address for the other service and click "Next Step".
    • Enter your password.
    • Choose your import options. It's recommended that you keep a copy of messages on the original server. It is also recommended to ensure that Labels are enabled so that you can easily see what messages belong to what address.
    • Set up email sending. You can use Gmail to send emails through the other address from within Gmail. Follow the prompts to set it up for your added account.
  6. Click an email to open the message. Any previous replies to the message will be displayed above the current message when you open it. This is referred to in Gmail as a "Conversation", and lets you easily see all of the relevant messages in one spot.
  7. Click the box beneath the message to compose a reply. If you need to reply to everyone or forward the message instead, you can click the "Type of response" button to change what kind of message you are sending.
  8. Compose a new message by clicking the red "Compose" button. This will open a smaller window where you can select recipients, enter a subject, and write your message.
    • You can change text formatting by clicking the "Formatting options" button at the bottom of the message box. This will open another toolbar with several text formatting options.
  9. Attach files to a message by dragging them into the body. You can also click the "Attach files" button beneath the message box and browse your computer for a file to attach.
  10. Send your message by clicking the "Send" button. Your message will be sent immediately after clicking Send, so make sure it's correct!
  11. Delete or Archive a message if you don't need it anymore. Your Gmail account comes with a lot of space, so there's rarely a need to delete anything, but you can checking the box next to each message you want to delete and then clicking the Trash button.
    • You can archive messages instead so that they don't show up in your inbox but stay in your account. This allows you to Find-Archived-Mail-on-Gmail, but they won't clutter your inbox.
  12. Label your messages to stay organized. Gmail has a powerful labeling and filtering function that allows you to keep your messages sorted and easy-to-find. For a detailed breakdown of how to best take advantage of labels, Move-Mail-to-Different-Folders-in-Gmail.

Using the Mobile App

  1. Download the Gmail app (if necessary). Some Android devices come with the Gmail app pre-installed. If your device doesn't have it, you can download it for free from the Google Play Store.
    • Note: This method applies to Android devices. If you have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, Set-Up-Gmail-on-an-iPhone.
  2. Open the app. If you aren't already logged into your device with your Google account, you will be prompted to log into the Gmail app.
  3. Get familiar with the layout. When you first open the Gmail app, you will be shown the Primary tab of your inbox. New messages in your other tabs will appear grouped together with that tab's name (Social, Updates, etc.). Your messages are organized by the order that they were received.
  4. Tap a message to open it. This will expand the message, allowing you to read the entire thing. You can zoom in and out by pinching your screen.
  5. Press and hold text to select it. If you need to copy anything out of a message, press and hold the text until the selection tool appears. You can then drag the edges to select the text you want to copy. To copy the highlighted text, tap the "Copy" button.
  6. Scroll to the bottom of a message to select how you want to reply. You can choose to Reply, Reply All (if there are more than two people involved in an email), or Forward. Tap the button for your choice and the message composition box will appear.
  7. Tap the red Compose button to start a new message. The screen will change, allowing you to enter in the recipients, subject, and body of the message.
    • It is not possible to change the formatting of your text from the mobile app.
  8. Move emails into labels to sort them. You can move any of your messages into your Gmail labels by tapping the "More" button at the top of an open message. Select "Move to" and then choose the label you want to file it under.
    • Move-Mail-to-Different-Folders-in-Gmail for detailed instructions on creating labels and filters. You can only create labels and filters from the Gmail website interface.
  9. Open the Gmail menu to view all of your labels. Tap the ☰ button in the upper-left corner to open the Gmail Menu. Your tabs will be at the top of the menu, followed by all of your labels.
  10. Add additional email accounts to your Gmail app. Gmail now allows you to manage multiple email accounts in Gmail, even if they aren't Google accounts. This means you can use the Gmail app to manage all of your email on the go in one spot.
    • Tap the Menu (☰) button.
    • Scroll to the bottom of the menu and tap "Settings".
    • Tap "Add account".
    • Select the account type (Gmail or other).
    • Enter in your account information as prompted.
    • Select how often you want Gmail to retrieve messages from the account.
    • Switch between accounts by opening the Menu and tapping the account at the top.

Adding a Gmail Account to Outlook

  1. Open the Gmail website. Before you add your Gmail account to Outlook, you'll want to make sure a few things are configured correctly on Gmail's end.
  2. Click the Gear button and select "Settings".
  3. Click the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab.
  4. Click the "Enable IMAP" option and then click Save Changes. This will enable IMAP for your Gmail account, which allows you to store your original messages on the Gmail server after they are downloaded to Outlook. Not only does this allow you to keep a backup, it helps improve syncing between Outlook and Gmail.
  5. Open Outlook and click the File tab.
  6. Click the "Add Account" button on the Account Information screen.
  7. Select the "Email Account" option.
  8. Enter in your name and Gmail login information. Outlook will attempt to automatically connect to your Gmail account and retrieve your messages.
  9. Select your Gmail account in the left frame of the Outlook window. Expanding it will display a list of all of your labels.

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