How to create a Gmail account

Do this step in order

1. 1a

   Visit accounts.google.com and choose Create account

   Type accounts.google.com into the address bar and confirm the connection uses HTTPS with google.com as the domain. Click Create account, then choose the personal, child or business path that matches your use. A work or school administrator may require a managed account instead.

2. 1b

   Check whether you already have an account

   If you have signed into YouTube, Maps or another Google product, try that login before creating a duplicate. Use Google's username recovery flow when you remember a recovery phone or email but not the address. Do not use any paid service that claims it can recover a Google password.

   

3. 1c

   Enter your name as you want it on messages

   Enter the name you want recipients to recognize on outgoing mail. Use a professional version if the inbox will handle job applications, bills or school messages. You can change the display name later, but it does not change the Gmail address.

   

4. 1d

   Common mistake: typing credentials into a look-alike site

   Common mistake: following an email or ad to a page that only resembles Google signup. Stay on accounts.google.com or the official app. If anything asks for payment to create a free Gmail inbox, leave immediately.

   

Do this step in order

1. 2a

   Enter birthday and gender where requested

   Enter accurate information because age affects account eligibility, parental controls and available services. Follow the Family Link flow if Google identifies the user as below the local minimum age. Do not raise a child's birth year simply to bypass supervision.

2. 2b

   Choose the personal path unless you need admin control

   Use the personal account path for ordinary inbox use. Business or school accounts belong under an administrator when your organization requires one. Mixing both later is possible, but the first choice should match who will control recovery.

   

3. 2c

   Pause if a child needs Family Link

   Stop the adult-only flow when the user is a child who needs a parent-managed account. Complete Family Link supervision rather than inventing an adult birth date. School-managed accounts may also need the school's process instead of consumer signup.

   

4. 2d

   Common mistake: faking an adult birthday for a child

   Common mistake: entering an adult birth year so a child can skip supervision. That removes protections and can violate Google's rules. Use Family Link or a school account instead.

   

Do this step in order

1. 3a

   Choose or create a username

   Select one of Google's available suggestions or type a clear username you can say aloud without confusion. Avoid sensitive details such as a full birth date. Treat the address as permanent because changing the part before @gmail.com normally requires a new account.

2. 3b

   Create a long unique password

   Generate a long random password in a reputable password manager or use a lengthy passphrase that exists nowhere else. Avoid names, birthdays and predictable substitutions. The strength meter is only a prompt, so uniqueness still matters most.

   

3. 3c

   Save the password before you leave the screen

   Save the new entry in your password manager with the exact Gmail address and accounts.google.com URL. Lock the manager and reopen the entry to confirm it saved. Do not place the password in an unencrypted note, email draft or screenshot.

   

4. 3d

   Common mistake: relying on dots to claim a taken name

   Common mistake: adding dots to a taken username and expecting a separate inbox. On personal Gmail, dots in the username do not create a different mailbox. Read the full address twice and avoid confusing characters such as 1, l, 0 and o before continuing.

   

Do this step in order

1. 4a

   Add a phone number when prompted

   Enter a mobile number you control when Google requires or offers verification. Read the SMS code directly and type it into the Google page without sharing it with anyone. If no code arrives, confirm the country code and wait before requesting another or using the offered voice call.

2. 4b

   Review privacy and terms screens

   Open the available privacy options instead of tapping through automatically. Decide whether to save web, app and YouTube history and review ad personalization choices. You can revisit these settings later under Data and privacy in your Google Account.

   

3. 4c

   Reject unexpected payment or software prompts

   Standard consumer Gmail signup does not require buying antivirus or inbox upgrades from a third party. Close extra tabs that appear after search ads. Stay inside the official flow until Gmail opens.

   

4. 4d

   Common mistake: sharing the SMS code with a caller

   Common mistake: reading the verification code to someone who phones claiming to be Google support. Google will not call you for that code during signup. Hang up and continue only on the official page.

   

Do this step in order

1. 5a

   Open mail.google.com or the official Gmail app

   Confirm the new address appears in the profile menu. Install the app only from the official store on your phone. Bookmark the correct URL on shared computers rather than saving the password in the browser alone.

2. 5b

   Send a test message to another inbox you own

   Send a short test to another inbox you control, then reply from that inbox. Check both Sent and Inbox so you know the address was entered correctly. Fix display-name typos now while the account is still fresh.

   

3. 5c

   Recognize the first security alerts

   Google may send welcome and security messages after the first sign-in. Open security notices through your account page rather than clicking an unexpected email link. Review and reject any device or location you do not recognize.

   

4. 5d

   Common mistake: linking banks before 2FA is on

   Common mistake: immediately using the new address for banking and shopping while recovery options and two-step verification are still empty. Harden security in the next steps first, then update important accounts.

   

Do this step in order

1. 6a

   Add a recovery email and phone in Security settings

   Open myaccount.google.com, choose Security and sign-in, then add a recovery phone and a separate recovery email you can access. Verify both when Google sends a code. Do not use a Google Voice number tied to the same account because a lockout could block the recovery code too.

2. 6b

   Confirm codes arrive where you expect

   Trigger the verification messages and open them on the recovery devices. Update the entries if a number recently changed hands. Keep the recovery email on a different provider when possible.

   

3. 6c

   Review connected devices and third-party access

   Open Your devices and review the device type, location and last activity for every session. Sign out anything old, shared or unfamiliar and change the password if activity looks suspicious. Also remove unneeded third-party account access.

   

4. 6d

   Common mistake: recovery that depends on the same locked account

   Common mistake: setting recovery to a Google Voice number or secondary address that only works while this account is open. Choose independent phone and email paths so a lockout still leaves you a door back in.

   

Do this step in order

1. 7a

   Enable two-step verification

   Under How you sign in to Google, select Turn on 2-Step Verification and follow the prompts. Prefer a passkey, security key or Google prompt where practical because Google rates prompts and keys as stronger than text codes. Add an authenticator for times when the main device is unavailable.

2. 7b

   Generate and store backup codes

   Generate backup codes after two-step verification is active and save them in an encrypted password manager or another secure offline place. Mark a code as used after an emergency sign-in because each works once. Confirm the recovery email still receives Google's verification message.

   

3. 7c

   Test a second-factor prompt on a trusted device

   Sign out and back in once on a device you control to confirm prompts or authenticator codes work. Keep a spare method enrolled before you travel. Do not disable 2FA because a single prompt felt inconvenient.

   

4. 7d

   Common mistake: keeping only SMS as the second factor

   Common mistake: stopping at text-message codes and never adding a prompt, key or authenticator. SMS is better than nothing and weaker than those options. Add a stronger second method before this inbox becomes the recovery address for your finances.