How to Create a Gmail Account: A Step-by-Step Guide

Chesnot/Getty Images

Gmail, Google’s free e-mail service, is almost 20 years old since it was launched as an invite-only beta on April 1, 2004. In its early days, it lacked invitations and seemed like Google was making a better way. made Gmail accounts more valuable in ways that other free email accounts were not. Rightly or wrongly, there has been a perception that AOL, Yahoo, and Hotmail email addresses are somehow becoming more limited in a way that Gmail is not.

Gmail officially came out of beta after more than five years in public use, and since then, it’s been ubiquitous. With 15GB of storage included, a clean interface, and all kinds of features that allow you to filter your Gmail inbox, it’s the perfect option for anyone who wants to be immersed in the Google environment. That’s not the end, however: For example, in terms of privacy, Gmail allows you to send password-protected emails sent to the recipient’s phone number. So if, for some reason, you haven’t logged in yet, let’s talk about how to set up your Gmail account and join over a billion users.

How to set up Gmail

Bloomberg/Getty Images

To set up a new Gmail account from your browser:

1. Go to Gmail.com.
2. Click Create account.
3. Click the type of account you want from the drop-down menu — personal, child, or work/business — but for the purposes of this guide, we’re going with Personal Use.
4. Enter your name and click Next.
5. Select/enter your date of birth and gender (there are options for Instead of Custom), then click Next.
6. Click the radio button next to the option you prefer between two email addresses or Create your own Gmail address – and enter your chosen email address if you chose that option – then click Next.
7. Enter the password of your choice in the Password and Confirm boxes, then click Next. Make sure you are using something that is secure and not what you use for any other account.
8. Enter your phone number and click Next to let Google start verifying that you are a human and not a spam bot.
9. Enter the code that was sent to you and click Next.

Final steps to set up Gmail browser

S3studio/Getty Images

There are several ways to bypass your Gmail account:

1. If you have a different working email address that you want to use for account recovery, enter it in the Recovery email field and click Next. Otherwise, click Skip.
2. Gmail will ask if you want to add a phone number to the account for security purposes, and the number you’ve already entered is automatically filled in with the phone number. You can change the number if you want, but regardless, you can click Next to continue with any number you choose or Skip to continue without entering the account’s phone number.
3. Make sure your account information is correct, then click Next.
4. Read Google’s “Privacy and Terms” agreement, scroll down, and click I agree at the bottom of the page.
5. Click Confirm to confirm your preferences or More to see what you can change. There, you can stop saving your web and app content in your Google Account, receive personalized ads, and/or save your YouTube profile in your Google Account. Then click I agree under More Options on the page when you’re done.

That’s right! You have created a new Gmail account! But what if you want to register on your phone instead of using a desktop/laptop browser?

Phone tips

Stockcam/Getty Images

To sign up for Gmail, you must do so through the mobile app. If you want to use Gmail on an Android phone, it’s almost always installed, and if you want to use Gmail on an iPhone, you’ll need to download it from the App Store. From there:

1. Open the Gmail app.
2. If you do not have an account, you will be asked immediately to set up an account, so follow the instructions on the screen. If you already have an account and want to add a second, new one, click the menu button in the upper right corner and add another account.
3. Click Google.
4. Verify (fingerprint/certificate, etc.) to verify that you are the owner of the phone when prompted.
5. Click Create an account below the login screen, then select Personal use or My work or business. Again, we’re using the first one for this book.
6. Enter your name and click Next.
7. Enter your date of birth and gender and click Next.
8. Click the email of your choice or Create your own email. If you chose the latter, enter the address of your choice and click Next.
9. Enter the password of your choice and click Next.

Ultimate mobile tips

Chesnot/Getty Images

To continue setting up an account in the Gmail app:

1. When asked if you want to add a phone number, click Skip or Yes, I’m signed in. If the latter, it will use the number assigned to your phone. You can also click More options and choose not to add a phone number, sign in and add your number to all Google services, or add the number for account security purposes only. Click your selection and then click Done.
2. Click Next to confirm your number.
3. Double check that your account information is correct and click Next.
4. Review the Terms of Service, scroll down, and click I Agree.
5. You are prompted to Confirm settings, you can Confirm or view more details. When you click on the latter, you can decide whether you want to save the internet and your app to your Google Account, provide you with your ads, and/or save your YouTube profile to your Google Account by clicking on the appropriate options. Then click and accept.

That’s it, you’re all set!