How to Add a Second Gmail Account and Switch Between Them

You can add a second Gmail account to your phone or computer and keep both open at the same time. Here are the steps for Android, iPhone and a computer, and how to switch, pick a default and remove an account.

In short

• Yes, you can have 2 or more Gmail accounts, for free
• To switch, tap or click your profile picture at the top right, then the other account. No need to sign out
• Adding an account does not change your first one. Each account keeps its own inbox, contacts and storage
• On a computer, the first account you sign in to is the default
• Removing an account from a phone or a browser does not delete it

How do I add another Gmail account I already have?

Everything starts from your profile picture (or your initial) at the top right of Gmail. You need the address and password of the second account, and your phone if that account uses 2-step verification.

On Android

1. Open the Gmail app and tap your profile picture
2. Tap “Add another account”, then “Google”
3. Unlock with your screen lock if the phone asks
4. Enter the second address and its password

On Android, the account is added to the whole phone. It also shows up in the Play Store, Drive and the other Google apps.

On iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Gmail app and tap your profile picture
2. Tap “Add another account”, then “Google”
3. Tap “Continue” when iOS asks to use google.com to sign in
4. Enter the second address and its password

On a computer

1. Go to gmail.com and click your profile picture at the top right
2. Click “Add another account”
3. Sign in with the second address. Its inbox opens in a new tab

If you prefer fully separate windows, create one Chrome profile per account. Each profile keeps its own bookmarks, passwords and Gmail session.

If signing in fails, see how to sign in to Gmail on each device.

How do I create a second Gmail address if I already have one?

You create it from the account you are already signed in to, without signing out.

1. In the Gmail app or on gmail.com, tap or click your profile picture
2. Choose “Add another account” (then “Google” in the app)
3. On the Google sign-in screen, choose “Create account”, then “For my personal use”
4. Fill in the sign-up form and choose your new address

The new account is fully separate, with its own inbox, contacts and 15 GB of free storage. You can use the same phone number for recovery on both accounts. The sign-up form itself is detailed in how to create a Gmail account.

How do I switch between Gmail accounts, and which one is the default?

On a phone, tap your profile picture and choose the other account. On a computer, click your profile picture and pick the account: it opens in a new tab, and the web address ends in /mail/u/0/ for the first account, /mail/u/1/ for the second, and so on.

On a computer, the default account is the first one you signed in to. Gmail has no setting to change it. To pick another default:

1. Click your profile picture, then “Sign out of all accounts”
2. Sign in first with the account you want as default
3. Add the other accounts after it

More options are in how to sign out of Gmail. The Gmail app on a phone has no default account: it opens the last account you used.

Your emails never mix. Each account has its own inbox, and the address at the top of the screen tells you which one is open. On Android, “All inboxes” in the menu shows the mail of every account in one list. To check your exact address, see how to find your Gmail address.

Can’t find an email? Check the account

With 2 accounts, a “missing” email often arrived in the other inbox. Switch accounts and search again. If it is still missing, go through the fixes for when you can’t see your emails in Gmail.

How do I add an Outlook, Yahoo or work email to the Gmail app?

The Gmail app on Android and iPhone can also read addresses from other providers.

1. In the Gmail app, tap your profile picture, then “Add another account”
2. Choose your provider in the list: Outlook, Yahoo, Exchange (used by many work accounts), or the “Other” option for any other address
3. Sign in with that provider’s address and password

The address gets its own inbox in the app, and its mail stays on the other provider’s servers. For a work account, your company may need to approve your phone or ask you to install an app first.

Sending emails from another address inside a single Gmail account is a different setting, called “Send mail as”: see how to use multiple email addresses on the same Gmail account.

How do I remove an account without deleting it?

Removing an account from a device only disconnects it. The account, its emails and its files stay intact, and you can sign in again at any time.

On Android

1. In the Gmail app, tap your profile picture, then “Manage accounts on this device”
2. Choose the account, then “Remove account”

The account is removed from the whole phone, Play Store and Drive included.

On iPhone or iPad

1. In the Gmail app, tap your profile picture, then “Manage accounts on this device”
2. Tap “Remove from this device” next to the account [VERIFY]

On a computer

1. Click your profile picture, then “Sign out of all accounts”
2. On the account list, click “Remove an account”
3. Click the account to remove, then confirm

To close an account for good, with all its emails, see how to delete a Gmail account.

FAQ