A Gmail address is also a Google account, which you need for an Android phone, YouTube, Google Drive and most application portals. It is free. What matters is setting it up so you do not lose it later.
Create it
- Go to accounts.google.com/signup in a browser, or on an Android phone open Settings, Passwords & accounts (or Accounts), Add account, Google, Create account.
- Enter your real first and last name and your date of birth. Google uses the date of birth to check your age, and a wrong one can lock you out of features later.
- Choose your address.
- Choose a strong password you have not used anywhere else. See passwords you can remember.
- Add your phone number when asked. It is how you get back in if you forget the password.
Choose a sensible address
This address will go on CVs, school applications and official forms for years. Use a version of your name:
ama.mensah@gmail.com,amamensah92@gmail.com,a.k.mensah@gmail.com- Not
sexyama@,bigboss233@or a football club.
Gmail ignores dots, so ama.mensah and amamensah are the same account.
Do these three things straight away
Go to myaccount.google.com.
- Security, Recovery phone and Recovery email. Add both. A recovery email should be a different account, perhaps a family member's.
- Security, 2-Step Verification. Turn it on. See two-step verification.
- Write down the address and password and keep it at home. Many people create an account for a phone setup, then cannot remember which address it was a year later.
One account or several?
One personal account is easier to keep safe than five. If you run a business or a church group, a second account for that is sensible so you can hand it over one day without giving away your personal email.
Checking email on your phone
On Android the Gmail app is already installed and signed in. On an iPhone, install the Gmail app from the App Store, or add the account in Settings, Mail, Accounts, Add Account, Google.
Children
Google accounts for children under 13 must be created by a parent through Family Link. See keeping children safe online.