There are many reasons why you might want to know how to create a new Gmail account.
For many, Gmail is email. It’s one of the best email services around, not just in terms of its features and usability, but also because it offers a very generous 15GB of free storage for consumers, with more available for as little as $1.99 a month. Looking more professional than your average Yahoo or Hotmail account certainly helps, too.
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If you’ve filled that space, or simply fancy a fresh start, it’s incredibly easy to create a new Gmail account. Perhaps you’ve started a new business and need a new professional sounding address, or maybe your name has changed and you need your email address to reflect that? Newcomers to Android will find they need a Gmail address to log in and get started, too.
Whatever the reason, here’s exactly how to create a new Gmail account.
1. Head to Google's signup page
This is at http://accounts.google.com/signup, and it's also very easy to find via search, as you’d expect for a Google product.
2. Enter your name, desired address and password
Google needs some fairly basic information in order to open your Gmail account: your first name, last name, the username you want, and a password (typed twice to ensure it's typo free).
While there’s no rule that you have to use your real name as with the likes of Facebook, bear in mind that this is how your emails’ recipients will see you.
3. Find a unique email address (optional)
Skip this section if you don't see the below error.
People have been grabbing Gmail addresses since 2004, so unless your name is really unusual, it’s hugely unlikely that you’ll get the dream firstnamelastname@gmail.com address on your first attempt.
Think creatively. Try including an initial, your profession, or a series of numbers that’s memorable to you, though avoid anything that could be useful to cybercriminals looking to steal your details for phishing attempts.
(Note: Gmail ignores periods in email handles, so "john.smith", "joh.nsmith" and "johnsm.ith" would all end up being equivalent to "johnsmith@gmail.com".)
Tap outside of the box when you’ve changed the username. Do that enough times, and eventually the warning that an email address already exists will vanish. That means that it's available and yours for the taking.
You may need to confirm your identity by giving Google your phone number for a two-factor authentication code.
4. Fill in personal information
You’re in! Now you just need to fill in a few more details before you can start using your shiny new Gmail account.
Note this time that two of the boxes are optional. There’s no need to fill in your phone number or recovery email address if you don’t want to, although the latter seems like a sensible precaution to avoid future lockouts.
You may also get a prompt to use your phone number with your account — feel free to click Skip.
5. Complete the Privacy and Terms section
It’s easy to glide through this and simply tick the two compulsory boxes — that you agree to abide by Google’s rules and agree to have your information processed according to the privacy policy — but there are actually a couple of extra customizations available.
Expand the "More Options" dropdown just above the checkboxes and you can stop advert personalization and prevent your app, web and YouTube history from being linked to your new account if you wish.
Your page may look different, depending on the rules in your country.
6. Your Google account is ready
You’ve created a Google account — and with it, your free Gmail address.
7. Open Gmail.com
You could also click the Gmail icon in the top right corner.
More Gmail tips
- How to use Gmail — essential tips and tricks
- How to create a new Gmail account
- How to delete your Gmail account
- How to log out of Gmail
- How to change your name in Gmail
- How to block emails in Gmail
- How to recall email in Gmail
- How to mark all as read in Gmail
- How to delete all emails in Gmail
- How to create folders in Gmail
- How to empty trash in Gmail
- How to change your password in Gmail
- How to archive email in Gmail
- How to activate Gmail dark mode
- How to turn on Gmail's two-factor authentication on your desktop
- How to set up Gmail two-factor authentication (2FA) on your phone
