How to Create a New Gmail Account (Quick Start Guide)

Gmail is one of the most popular
email software platforms available today. 

It includes many powerful tools such as the ability to
combine multiple email accounts into one account and an easy to use tasks utility. It's also fully compatible with other helpful Google software tools such as Calendar and Docs. 

Gmail is a great email tool for
small business owners and freelance professionals. It's easy to set up and use. Best of all, Gmail is included free of charge when you sign up for a new Google account. 

In this tutorial, I list some of
the advantages of Gmail. I also provide the basics of how to create your own Gmail
account so you can get started quickly. This guide will help you get your new Gmail account up and running with a minimum
of effort.

Advantages
of Gmail

This
section briefly lists some of the advantages of Gmail for a small business or entrepreneur to use, including:

1. 
   Email Threading - An email thread lets you group related emails together in a
   conversational style. This feature is especially helpful for keeping
   project-related emails together. Gmail's default setting uses email threading. To learn more about how to work with email threads, review 9
   Group Email Thread Best Practices: To Lead Better Conversations.
   


2. 
   Virus and Spam Checking - Virus
   and spam checking are included with your Gmail account at no extra charge. Gmail
   automatically sorts suspected spam messages and messages containing viruses to
   the default Spam label. If you try to open one of these messages, you'll see a
   warning before it opens.
   


3. 
   Free Email Storage - Store
   up to 15 GB of email messages in your Gmail account free of charge. If needed,
   you can purchase additional storage for an affordable monthly fee.
   


4. 
   Gmail is Reliable - It rarely goes down. If you've ever missed a message because your email provider was
   down, you know how important reliability is. If email reliability is a
   must-have for your business, Gmail is a good choice.
   


5. 
   Integration - Google has
   additional office suite tools such as Calendar and Drive that work well with
   Gmail. Plus, you can import contacts from your Google+ social media account.
   Having the business tools you need in one account is convenient.
   


6. 
   Simplify Multiple Emails - Like
   many small business owners, you probably have more than one email account.
   Checking them all takes time. Through forwarding and other techniques, you can use
   Gmail as a master email system to combine multiple emails into one.  
   


7. 
   Customizable - You can
   customize the Gmail interface with pre-existing themes or themes that you create
   yourself. Your inbox doesn't have to look bland.
   


8. 
   Enhanced Productivity - Gmail includes a tasks to do list that open from within Gmail and Calendar.
   Having the task list tool integrated into your email account makes updating it
   a snap.
   


9. 
   Filters and Search - Gmail
   includes powerful filters tools that sort messages as you receive them. You can
   also use the Search function to find misplaced emails.
   


10. 
    Timesaving Shortcuts - While Gmail is user-friendly with a complete system, advanced users can save
    time by enabling and using keyboard shortcuts.

Now that
you understand the benefits of using Gmail for your small business, now you're
ready to create a new Gmail account. Here's how:

Your
Quick Start Guide to Creating a Gmail Account

Watch this quick screencast to learn the basics of how to create a new Gmail
account quickly: 

Or walk-through the detailed written steps below for more information on how
to set up your Gmail account.

1. How
to Create a New Google Account

You can
only have one Gmail account for each Google account you set up. However, you can
have more than one Google account.

To
create a new Gmail account, you need to create a new Google account. First,
make sure you are logged out of any existing Google accounts that you have.

Start
from the Google search screen, which you can access at google.com. Now sign in to the Google Search screen.

Click the Sign in button in the upper right corner. If you have current Google accounts, Google
asks if you'd like to open one of those accounts now.

Click the Add account link. The following screen displays.

If you have a Google account tied
to an existing email, you can find it by clicking the Find my account link. To create a new Google account, which you can use for a new Gmail account, click the Create account link. The Create Your Google Account window appears.

The
following steps explain how to complete the Create Your Google Account window.

Step 1. Enter Your Name and User Name

Start
with the Create Your Google Account window open.

Type your name and username.

Type your first and last name in
the Name field. Type the username for your new Gmail
account.

You can use letters, numerals or
periods in your username. The system ignores capitalization. You may need to
try several variations of your desired username. The system will not let you
choose a username that is already being used.

You are now ready to enter a
password.

Step 2. Choose a Password

Start
with the Create Your Google Account window open.

Type and confirm your password.

Type a
password for your new Gmail account in the Create a password field. Your new
password must be at least eight characters long. For more tips on how to create
secure passwords, review this Envato Tuts+ tutorial: 

• 
  Gmail
  
  
  How to Work With Gmail Passwords Safely & Not Get Hacked
  
  
  Laura Spencer

Once you've selected a password, type it again in the Confirm your password field. You must
type an exact match of your password.

Step 3. Enter Your Birthday

Start
with the Create Your Google Account window open. If you need to, use the scroll
bar on the right of the window to scroll down.

When you
place your cursor in the first Birthday field, a drop-down menu with the months
of the year displays. Select your birth month. Type the date of your birth in
the second Birthday field. Type the year of your birth in the third Birthday
field.

Step 4. Enter Your Gender

Start
with the Create Your Google Account window open.

Click in the Gender field. Select your choice from the drop-down menu.

Step 5. Enter Recovery Information and Location

Start
with the Create Your Google Account window open. The next few
fields can help you recover your account if you forget your username or
password.

Enter your cell phone number into
the Mobile
phone field. Type your current email
address into the next field.

While you may be able to create a
Gmail account without entering the optional recovery information, you will not
be able to recover your account if you forget your password. I highly recommend
that you fill out these fields.

On some operating systems, you
may also be given the option to make Google your default home page.

Finally, select your location
from the drop-down menu in the Location field.

Once you have entered all the required information and the recovery information, click the Next step button.

Step 6. Accept Google's Terms

The Privacy
popup displays with Google's privacy agreement and terms of service.

It's important to take the time
to read the key points summarized in this popup. Use the scroll bar to view all
the key points.

When you have finished reviewing
the information click the I Agree button to create your new Google account. Click Cancel if you do not wish to create the account.

After clicking I Agree in the Privacy popup, you will be asked to verify your mobile
phone number if you entered it earlier. Follow the instructions on the
verification screens to verify your mobile phone number. Click Continue when you are finished.

A Welcome screen displays.

Click
the Continue button when you have reviewed the information on the Welcome
screen. You now have a new Google account which you can use your newly created Gmail account with.

2. How
to Open Your Gmail Account

Now that you've
created a new Gmail account, you're ready to sign in. Return to the main Google
screen.

Click the Gmail link. Your new Gmail account that you created opens with an introductory screen.

Step 1. Open
Your New Gmail Sign In

Start at the
Gmail introductory screen.

When you have finished reviewing
the information on the screen, click the Next button. Another introductory screen appears. Review
the screen, and click Next again. Continue to click the Next button through each introductory screen.

After the last introductory
screen, a popup appears announcing that your new Gmail account is ready to use.

Click
the Go to Gmail button. You'll see your new Gmail inbox with a welcome message
from Google. You'll also see some icons prompting you to perform various tasks
such as adding a photo to your profile, choosing a theme, importing your
contacts, and more.

Type
your first message right away using the Compose button. Or, click the various
icons and follow instructions to perform the indicated tasks.

Step 2. Sign Out of Gmail

When you have
finished using your new Gmail account, click the profile icon in the upper
right corner. The Account popup
displays.

Click the Sign out button to log out of your new
Gmail account.

Now that you know how to create a Gmail account, you can sign into and out of Gmail freely. Start working with it now. Begin by organizing your inbox and send out your first message. 

Conclusion

Gmail is a powerful email tool that you'll want to take
advantage of if you own or work in a small business. There are many advantages to using a
Gmail account. And getting starting with creating a new Gmail account is easy.

If you like Gmail you may also want to learn about some of
Google's other tools including Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Slides, Google
Sheets, and Google Calendar. Here are some tutorials to help you get started:

• 
  Google Drive
  
  
  Getting Started with Google Slides
  
  
  Rebecca Tarnopol


• 
  Google Docs
  
  
  How to Import and Export Documents in Google Drive
  
  
  Melissa Murphy


• 
  Google Docs
  
  
  Enhance Google Docs and Sheets With Add-ons
  
  
  Andy Betts

Or, learn more about working with Gmail in our multiple-part Ultimate Guide to Using Gmail.