You can add other email accounts to Gmail so you can read and send from them without leaving Gmail

Gmail lets you connect other email addresses to your Gmail inbox. Once you add an account, you can read messages from that address, reply to them, and send new messages as if you were using that email directly — all from within Gmail. You can add up to five other email accounts this way.

The process takes about five minutes and requires your other email password. Gmail stores that password securely and uses it only to pull in your messages.

Key Takeaways

  • You can add up to five other email accounts to Gmail and read all of them in one inbox.
  • Adding an account requires your password for that email address, which Gmail encrypts and stores securely.
  • After you add an account, you choose which address appears when you send messages from Gmail.
  • Some email providers require you to turn on a special setting before Gmail can connect to them.
  • If Gmail cannot connect, you may need to use an app password instead of your regular password.

Steps to add another email account to Gmail

Open Gmail in your web browser and click the gear icon in the top right corner. Select See all settings, then click the Accounts and Import tab.

Under the section labeled Check mail from other accounts, click Add another email account. A popup window will open asking for the email address you want to add. Type the full address and click Next.

Gmail will ask for the password to that email account. Enter it and click Add account. Gmail will then try to connect to that email service automatically. If it succeeds, you will see a confirmation message and your messages will start arriving in your Gmail inbox within a few minutes.

If Gmail cannot connect automatically, it will ask you for more information about your email provider's server settings. You can find these details on your email provider's website, usually in a section labeled "IMAP settings" or "POP3 settings". Enter the information and try again.

Choosing which address to send from

Once you have added an account, you can send messages as that email address. When you compose a new message in Gmail, look for a line that says From: near the top. Click on it to see a dropdown menu showing all your email addresses.

Select the address you want to send from, write your message, and click Send. The recipient will see the message coming from that address, not from your main Gmail account.

You can set a default sending address so Gmail always uses a particular email unless you change it. Go back to Settings, click Accounts and Import, and look for the section labeled Send mail as. Click make default next to the address you want to use most often.

What to do if Gmail cannot connect

Some email providers, including Yahoo, Outlook, and AOL, require an extra security step before Gmail can access them. These providers ask you to create an app password — a special password just for Gmail that is different from your regular login password.

If Gmail tells you it cannot connect, check your email provider's security settings or help page for instructions on creating an app password. Once you have the app password, go back to Gmail's settings, remove the account you tried to add, and add it again using the app password instead of your regular password.

If you still cannot connect after trying an app password, your email provider may not support IMAP or POP3, the two methods Gmail uses to pull in messages. In that case, you will need to check that email account separately using its own website or app.

Managing multiple accounts in your inbox

When you add multiple accounts, all their messages arrive in your main Gmail inbox by default. If you want to keep them separate, you can create filters that automatically sort messages by which account they came from.

Go to Settings, click the Filters and Blocked Addresses tab, and click Create a new filter. In the To field, type the email address the message was sent to. Click Create filter, then choose an action like Skip the Inbox or Apply the label. This way, messages to each account can go to different labels and stay organized.

Removing an email account from Gmail

If you no longer want to read a particular email account through Gmail, you can remove it. Go to Settings, click Accounts and Import, and find the account under Check mail from other accounts. Click delete next to it.

Removing an account from Gmail does not delete the account itself or any messages stored there. It only stops Gmail from pulling in new messages from that address. You can always add it back later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a Gmail account to another Gmail account?

Yes. Go to Settings, Accounts and Import, and add your other Gmail address the same way you would add any other email. Gmail will connect to it and pull in messages from that account.

Will adding an account to Gmail delete messages from the original email?

No. Adding an account to Gmail only copies messages into your Gmail inbox. The original messages stay in your other email account. If you delete a message in Gmail, it does not delete it from the original account.

What happens if I change my password for one of my added accounts?

Gmail will stop being able to pull in messages from that account. Go back to Settings, Accounts and Import, click delete next to the account, and add it again using your new password.

Can I send messages from an added account on my phone?

Yes. Open the Gmail app, tap the menu icon, scroll down, and tap Manage accounts. Make sure the account is listed there. When you compose a message, tap the From field to choose which address to send from.