How to Set Up a Gmail Account

This wikiHow teaches you how to create a brand new Gmail account on a computer, phone, or tablet.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Signing Up on an iPhone or iPad

  1. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 1
    1
    Open your iPhone or iPad’s Settings
    iPhone Settings App Icon
    .     You’ll usually find this app on the home screen.
  2. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 2
    2
    Scroll down and tap Passwords & Accounts. It’s near the middle of the menu.
    Advertisement
  3. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 3
    3
    Tap Add Account. It’s at the bottom of the ″ACCOUNTS″ section.
  4. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 4
    4
    Tap Google. It’s near the center of the menu.
  5. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 5
    5
    Tap Create account. It’s at the bottom of the page.
    • If you already have a Gmail account and want to connect it to your iPhone, type your username, tap Next, and then follow the on-screen instructions to sign in.
  6. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 6
    6
    Enter your name and tap Next. Type your first name into the first blank, and your last name into the second blank.
  7. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 7
    7
    Enter your birthday and gender and tap Next. Use the drop-down menus to select the month, day, and year of your birthday. Then, tap the Gender drop-down to choose the best fit.
  8. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 8
    8
    Type your desired username and tap Next. This is the name that will come before the ″@gmail.com″ part of your email address.
    • If the username you want is taken, keep trying other options until you find one that works.
  9. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 9
    9
    Create a password and tap Next. Your password must be at least 8 characters long, and should contain letters, numbers, and symbols. Type it the same into both boxes to confirm.
  10. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 10
    10
    Enter your phone number and tap Next. Google needs your phone number so it can send you a verification code to enter on the next screen.
  11. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 11
    11
    Enter the verification code and tap Next. If your phone number is already connected to another Google account, tap Continue when prompted.
  12. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 12
    12
    Review the terms of service and tap I agree. Tapping I agree confirms that you agree to all of the terms included listed. Your new Google account is now created.
  13. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 13
    13
    Tap Next to sign in. You’ve now added your new Gmail account to your iPhone or iPad.
  14. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 14
    14
    Download the Gmail app (optional). If you want to use Gmail’s official app to send and receive messages, download it from the App Store. Once the app is downloaded, open it, and then follow the on-screen instructions to sign in.
    15. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Signing Up on an Android

  1. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 15
    1
    Open your Android’s Settings
    Android 7 Settings
    .     You’ll usually find it on the home screen or in the app drawer.
  2. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 16
    2
    Tap Accounts or Accounts and Sync. The name of this option will vary depending on your Android. A list of accounts will appear.
  3. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 17
    3
    Tap + Add account. It’s at the bottom of the list.
  4. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 18
    4
    Tap Google. This opens the Google sign-in screen.
  5. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 19
    5
    Tap Create account. It’s at the bottom of the form.
    • If you already have a Gmail account and want to connect it to your Android, type your username, tap Next, and then follow the on-screen instructions to sign in.
  6. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 20
    6
    Enter your name and tap Next. Type your first name into the first blank, and your last name into the second blank.
  7. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 21
    7
    Enter your birthday and gender and tap Next. Use the drop-down menus to select the month, day, and year of your birthday. Then, select a gender from the drop-down.
  8. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 22
    8
    Type your desired username and tap Next. This is the name that will come before the ″@gmail.com″ part of your email address.
    • If the username you want is taken, keep trying other options until you find one that works.
  9. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 23
    9
    Create a password and tap Next. Your password must be at least 8 characters long, and should contain letters, numbers, and symbols. Type it the same into both boxes to confirm.
  10. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 24
    10
    Enter your phone number and tap Next. Google needs your phone number so it can send a verification code to enter on the next screen.
  11. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 25
    11
    Enter the verification code and tap Next. If your phone number is already connected to another Google account, you’ll have to tap Continue creating a new account to proceed.
  12. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 26
    12
    Review the terms of service and tap I agree. Tapping I agree confirms that you agree to all of the terms included listed. Your new Google account is now created.
  13. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 27
    13
    Tap Next to sign in. You’ve now added your new Gmail account to your Android.
  14. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 28
    14
    Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup. Once you’ve added the account, add it the Gmail app. Here’s how:
    • Open Gmail (it’s usually on the home screen and/or in the app drawer).
    • Tap the ≡ menu at the top-left corner.
    • Tap your old Gmail account (the one you’re logged into the Android with).
    • Tap Manage accounts.
    • Tap your new account. If it doesn’t already appear, tap Manage accounts, and then follow the on-screen instructions to sign in now.
    15. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Signing Up on a Computer

  1. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 29
    1
    Open a web browser. You can use any browser to create a Gmail account, including Microsoft Edge, Safari, Chrome, or Firefox.
  2. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 30
    2
    Navigate to https://www.gmail.com.
    • If you or somebody else is already logged into a Gmail account in this browser, click the profile photo at the top-right corner of the page, click Sign Out, and then click Use another account near the center of the page.
  3. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 31
    3
    Click CREATE AN ACCOUNT. It’s at the top-right corner of the page.
    • If someone was already logged in to Gmail, click Create account below the ″Sign in″ area at the center of the page.
  4. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 32
    4
    Fill out the form. On the right side of the web page, you see a few empty text fields. This is where you are going to put our personal information, as listed below:
    • Enter your first and last name into the top two blanks.
    • Type your desired username. This will be the first part of your Gmail address (the part that comes before ″@gmail.com″).
    • Type a password into the first blank. Make sure the password has at least 8 characters, with a mix of letters, symbols, and numbers. Don’t reuse a password from another site.
    • Retype the password into the ″Confirm password″ blank.
  5. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 33
    5
    Click Next. It’s the blue button below the form. As long as the username is not already taken, you’ll be brought to another page to confirm more details.
    • If the username you chose was already taken, you’ll see a message that says so beneath the ″Username″ blank. Try typing a different username, or click one of Google’s suggestions.
  6. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 34
    6
    Confirm your phone number and click Next. Google needs to send you an SMS text message to confirm your new account. This text will contain a code you must enter on the next screen.
  7. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 35
    7
    Enter the verification code and click Verify. Once the code is verified, you’ll be prompted to fill out another form.
  8. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 36
    8
    Fill out the form. These are additional details that are required to set up your account:
    • Enter another email address you have access to into the ″Recovery email address″ field. This is optional, but it ensures that you’ll be able to recover your Gmail password if you ever lose it.
    • Enter the month, year, and date you were born.
    • Select your gender from the drop-down menu.
  9. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 37
    9
    Click Next.
  10. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 38
    10
    Choose whether to connect your phone number to your Google account. If you want to include your phone number in your account information, click Yes, I’m in, and then follow the on-screen instructions. If not, click Skip.
  11. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 39
    11
    Read the terms of service. You can’t create an account without reading these terms. Scroll down to the bottom of the terms after reading to activate the ″I agree″ button.
  12. Image titled Set Up a Gmail Account Step 40
    12
    Click I agree. It’s the blue button at the bottom of the page. Your Gmail account is now active. Once the finishing touches are placed on your account, you’ll be redirected to your Gmail inbox.
    • Click Next on the welcome screen to view the Gmail tutorial.
    13. Advertisement

Community Q&A

  • Question
    Someone has set up a fake Gmail account to send me unwanted emails and harass me - how can I find out who this is?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Generally, you can't. You can, however, report their email as spam and set up a filter to block them.
Advertisement

You Might Also Like

Recall an Email in Gmail
How to
Recall an Email in Gmail
Contact Gmail5 Simple Ways to Contact Google Support for Gmail
Bypass Gmail Phone Verification
How to
Bypass Gmail Phone Verification
Hack Gmail
How to
Hack Gmail
Send an Email Using Gmail
How to
Send an Email Using Gmail
Recover a Disabled Gmail Account2 Easy Ways to Restore a Disabled Gmail Account
Create a Gmail Account2 Simple Ways to Create a New Gmail Account
Log In to Gmail4 Simple Ways to Log Into Your Gmail Account
Access GmailHow to Access Gmail: Getting Started & Adding Multiple Accounts
Find Old Emails in GmailHow to Search for Old Emails in Gmail: Desktop and Mobile
Report a Gmail Account3 Easy Ways to Report and Block a Gmail Account
Add an Account to Your Gmail3 Easy Ways to Add Other Accounts to Gmail: Mobile & Desktop
Log Out of Gmail
How to
Log Out of Gmail
Make a Mailing List in Gmail
How to
Make a Mailing List in Gmail
Advertisement

About This Article

Nicole Levine, MFA
Written by:
Nicole Levine, MFA
wikiHow Technology Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA. Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. This article has been viewed 74,363 times.
How helpful is this?
Co-authors: 5
Updated: January 21, 2019
Views: 74,363
Categories: Gmail
Advertisement