Is it smart to have multiple Gmail accounts?

I've been using Gmail for years now, but I never knew that my email address could be split into two parts until recently when I received an invitation from someone asking me to send her some money via PayPal.

This is the first time this has happened to me, so naturally I was curious about what was going on. After all, I only had one Gmail account with one @gmail.com address (and no other aliases). So why did they want me to use another name? And more importantly, should I do this or not?

If you're wondering similar things, then read on to find out everything you need to know about having multiple Gmail accounts — whether you'll actually like it, who will get confused by it, etc.

Is it good to have two Gmail accounts?

First of all, let's consider the advantages and disadvantages of having multiple Gmail accounts. If you think about it logically, there are really three options here: You can keep just one Gmail account and use both names as aliases; you can create separate accounts for each "persona"; or you can combine them into one big mail client. Here we take a look at those three solutions, starting with option #1.

Option 1: Keep One Account & Use Both Names As Aliases

One way to handle having two different personas is to simply keep one Gmail account and assign each alias specifically to one persona. This means you'd end up with something like:

johnsmith@gmail.com -- My main identity

jane_doe@yahoo.com -- Jane Doe

Inbox Management

When setting up filters, searches, labels and tags, it becomes easy to filter emails based on which persona they belong to. For example, if you set up a label called "Personal" and added the following rule:

From: johnsmith OR From: janedoe

Then any message sent to either John Smith or Jane Doe will automatically go under Personal. When deciding where to categorize messages, you can also try adding information like sender reputation or importance level.

You probably don't need to worry too much about keeping track of these aliases because most modern webmail clients allow users to switch between identities easily enough. But if you decide to stick with only one account (which isn't recommended), make sure you add plenty of reminders to help yourself remember which profile belongs to which moniker.

The Pros: Easy setup, simple filtering rules

Cons: It takes longer to search through emails since there are fewer messages overall

Option 2: Separate Accounts With Different Email Addresses

Another solution is to maintain two completely independent Gmail accounts instead of combining them together. To further distinguish the profiles, you may even choose unique usernames for each one. The downside of doing this is that people might start sending you mails intended for the wrong profile, which could lead to confusion later down the road.

But suppose you already have a second email address assigned to your secondary persona. Then creating a new Gmail account shouldn't pose a problem. In fact, many companies require employees to have their own personal email addresses nowadays. Having a dedicated mailbox makes it easier to stay organized while maintaining privacy. Plus, you won't have to deal with spammy newsletters or unwanted promotions coming straight to your primary email anymore.

To create a second Gmail account, log into your existing one and click on Settings -& General. Under Manage your sign-in preferences, select Create Another Sign-In Method. A pop-up window will appear. Choose a username, enter a password, validate your choice, and hit Continue. Now head back over to Settings -& Forwarding and POP/IMAP. Select Get Mail Using Your New Address. Enter your desired username and password again, confirm your choices, and follow the rest of the instructions. Once done, check out the new Gmail page and see if it works properly.

Note: Make sure you delete the old Gmail account once you finish setting up the new one. Otherwise, you risk getting mixed signals from your contacts' emails. They'll receive replies meant for your secondary account, but viewable in your primary inbox. That can cause problems when trying to reach out to people whose contact info you shared.

The Pros: No cross-platform conflicts

Cons: It requires extra effort to sort incoming messages and respond accordingly

Option 3: Combining Them Into One Client

A third alternative is to consolidate your email accounts onto one unified platform, rather than running two separate applications. While this certainly cuts off part of the pros listed above, it does give you access to features such as desktop notifications, quick actions, snoozing, VIP folders, and customizable themes — plus the ability to sync your data across devices. The downside to this approach is that you lose control over certain things, including multi-account support. Some popular apps, such as Spark (formerly known as K-9 Mail) and Roundcube, refuse to work with multiple domains. Others limit you to one domain per user. Also, due to security reasons, mobile email providers usually only offer limited functionality when dealing with mailboxes outside of their ecosystem.

So which method is best for you depends largely on how often you plan to switch between the two accounts and whether you're okay losing out on certain powerful tools. Personally speaking, I'm leaning towards Option 3 right now.

What happens if you have 2 Gmails?

Now that you understand the benefits of having multiple Gmail accounts, you must still wonder what will happen if you suddenly stop updating one of them. Will your remaining profile continue functioning normally? Or will it crash eventually? Luckily, there's nothing to fear. Even though Gmail doesn't officially support two active profiles simultaneously, it hasn't caused major issues yet. However, if you run into trouble, our guide should come in handy.

Here's what I found after testing the waters myself. First, open a few emails in one Gmail account and then close all browser tabs. Open up a new tab in Chrome and navigate to gmail.com. Everything seems fine, but try opening up Gmail again in the same browser session anyway. Surprise! All your tabs disappeared! Not cool, Gmail. Please fix this ASAP.

Second, open up a couple of emails in the other Gmail account and quit Firefox altogether. Restart the browser without closing anything. Upon relaunching Firefox, you'll notice that half of your tabs were gone. Again, this sucks. Apparently, Firefox deletes inactive sessions upon restart. Fortunately, you can prevent this from happening by disabling automatic deletion. Go to Menu -& Options -& Security and uncheck Delete browsing history and cookies when Firefox closes. Try refreshing Gmail next. Hopefully, this issue goes away.

Lastly, repeat the process described above, except this time perform a hard refresh within Firefox itself. By pressing Ctrl + Shift + R, you force Firefox to reload its entire cache before shutting down. Now reopen Gmail in a brand-new tab. Nothing bad should happen this time around.

Overall, Gmail is pretty reliable, especially considering it's free. But in case you ever encounter weird bugs, here are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot common problems like disappearing tabs and windows, missing bookmarks, incorrect spellings, strange formatting errors, and endless loading screens.

Why would you need 2 Google accounts?

We hope the previous section helped clear up some questions you may have regarding managing multiple Gmail accounts. Whether you chose to merge them into one client or leave them separate, we highly recommend giving each persona separate attention. Don't forget that proper maintenance will improve productivity and reduce stress levels.

On top of that, separating your day-to-day tasks helps minimize distractions. Imagine being able to focus solely on finishing one project without worrying about checking your social media feed every five minutes.

For example, maybe you want to become better acquainted with a specific field. Maybe you're a freelance writer looking to expand your portfolio. Maybe you're a student hoping to land internships. Whatever reason you have for wanting to learn more about a particular topic, it's important to establish a solid workflow and dedicate adequate amounts of time to it. Unfortunately, multitasking can negatively affect your performance in several ways, leaving you less productive than you could otherwise be.

By dedicating one persona to researching topics related to your career goals and focusing exclusively on that subject, you'll maximize output and avoid wasting precious time switching between unrelated subjects throughout the day.

It's crucial to keep your day job and internet usage separated, lest you wind up spending hours online procrastinating when supposed bill payments arrive. Remember that taking breaks can boost creativity and productivity exponentially, as long as you return to your workstation feeling refreshed and recharged. Take advantage of these tips whenever possible.

Have you tried splitting your Gmail address into two? What kind of results did you experience? Share your thoughts below...

You've probably heard that having more than one email account is necessary for the modern workplace, but why?  When you think about it, most of us use our email address as part of our identity -- if someone knew what your "real" email was they could find out information like where you live or who you work for. Having an additional email address means you can be different from your professional persona without losing access to important services such as Google Calendar (and even just keeping track of personal messages). If you're wondering whether this is something you want to try then read on...

First off, let's get some terminology straight. Some people refer to any kind of secondary email address as another "account". This isn't technically correct since there are two parts involved when you sign up for an online service - 1) creating an email alias and 2) sending mail using said alias. In reality these aliases act as new identities which don't actually exist until you send mail with them. So, instead of saying "I created another account", we'll say "created an alternate identity".

This article will discuss both cases, so feel free to call either one a second account or an alternate identity depending on what works better for you. However, please note that after reading this guide, you may still see references to the old term "second account." That's because while I'm sure you know what I mean by "another account," other people might not. Don't worry though, once everyone gets used to calling things "alternate identities" everything will make sense.

Now that the terminology is settled, here are some guidelines for deciding whether you need to add another email account to your existing Gmail setup. Keep in mind that each situation is slightly unique, so take the following points into consideration before making changes:

How many Gmail accounts one should have?

If you only ever check your main email account very occasionally, you won't notice much difference between checking it now vs later. The biggest change you'll notice is that whenever you receive a message containing sensitive info, it appears under the "other" heading rather than your primary address. It doesn't really matter too much when this happens, but eventually you will likely miss stuff or forget details if you aren't paying attention.

For example, if you forgot to cancel a credit card last month, anyone else who uses your computer can open up your webmail client and look at their own bank statements. They could also steal money from your PayPal balance by opening one of those pesky confirmation emails you never got around to deleting. Other examples include forgetting birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. You could easily avoid all of these problems by setting up a secondary email address specifically for non-urgent notifications. Of course, you'll always have trouble remembering to check your other account every day, so it's best to set reminders for yourself.

On the other hand, if you run several business sites through Gmail and you process orders via Mailchimp, it would definitely benefit you to maintain an extra account. Not only does this give you a place to log in quickly if you forget, but it allows you to filter out spam messages from vendors and clients. For example, if you sell custom t-shirts and you're dealing directly with overseas garment manufacturers, adding a second account helps protect you against false advertising claims. Plus, it makes life easier for your customers because they don't have to wait for you to respond to their questions.

Keep in mind that if you plan on doing heavy processing within your secondary account, you may want to consider switching over to a dedicated app altogether. Otherwise you'll end up spending time digging through endless pages of unimportant messages trying to figure out what to delete.

Overall, if you think you'd benefit from having a second email address, go ahead and start one. Just remember that managing multiple email accounts requires discipline and self control, so don't expect miracles right away.

How do I keep my 2 Gmail accounts separated?

Once you decide to set up another Gmail account, you must choose a good password and enable two-factor authentication. Here are the steps required to complete that task:

1.) Go to Settings & Accounts & Security. Click on Signing into third-party applications and scroll down to Set Up Two-Step Verification. Make sure you select SMS as your preferred method and enter your phone number. Then follow the rest of the instructions. Note that you should verify your mobile device first by clicking Verify Now. Once you confirm your code has arrived successfully, you'll be able to continue.

2.) After enabling two-step verification, your next login attempt will require a text message sent to your cellphone. This prevents hackers from getting access to your account using stolen passwords. Remember - you MUST CHECK YOUR PHONE FOR THIS MESSAGE AND RESPOND TO IT IMMEDIATELY! Your browser window will close automatically after 10 seconds.

3.) When prompted to reset your password, click I DON'T WANT A NEW ONE. Leave the Passwords box empty and hit Continue.

4.) Enter a strong password and click Create Account. Congratulations, you're done!

Is it OK to have 2 Gmail accounts?

It's perfectly fine to have multiple Gmail accounts provided you handle them properly. As long as you stick to basic security principles and practice safe browsing habits, there shouldn't be any reason for concern. But if you're worried about privacy issues, fear not - Google recently introduced anti-tracking features designed to prevent advertisers from tracking your activities across websites. These features also block certain types of cookies and scripts unless users allow them manually.

As mentioned earlier, if you spend a lot of time working inside your secondary account, it may be worth considering migrating its contents elsewhere. Most popular apps these days offer support for G Suite accounts, meaning you can seamlessly switch your entire profile over without missing a beat. We recommend tools like Trello, Basecamp, Zendesk, etc., but you can pick whatever suits your needs best.

In addition to moving data to alternative platforms, you should also pay careful attention to which tabs you visit inside your main Gmail page. Do NOT download images, videos, or large documents that come attached to incoming e-mails. Instead, bookmark links to interesting articles and save attachments locally on disk. Also, disable automatic syncing. While convenient, auto-syncing can expose private content to public view. Avoid unnecessary sharing by disabling image previews, file downloads, social media buttons, etc. Finally, turn off location tracking. With Location History turned off, no website knows where you went yesterday. Learn more about avoiding unwanted leaks here.

Can we create 2 Gmail accounts with same name?

Technically speaking, yes. However, it comes with great risk and potential consequences. There are three major reasons why you should refrain from merging accounts with similar names:

1.) Email Spoofing Attacks. Using a common username for both accounts makes it easy for attackers to spoof their correspondence pretending to be you. Even worse, some malware programs rely on simple typos to trick victims into downloading malicious software onto their computers. Therefore, it's vital to carefully inspect every link you click prior to entering any identifying credentials.

2.) Confusion Over Messages. Let's suppose Alice receives an urgent email from Bob asking her to meet him tomorrow at 3 PM at Starbucks. She opens the message, sees his name, remembers he asked her to stop by during lunch break, grabs a pen and paper, and writes back to tell him she'll be late due to a previously scheduled meeting. Unfortunately, the next person who checks Alice's mailbox thinks Bob wrote to apologize for being late, so she replies to his message without realizing it contains completely unrelated information. What happened? Well, if all goes well, nothing big. But if Alice had been logged into her main email account at the time, she wouldn't have received anything from Bob. And believe me, there are plenty of ways for this confusion to occur.

3.) Duplicate Content. Imagine you have a blog and you post regular updates on Facebook. One day you accidentally publish an update to your Instagram feed. Suddenly, half your followers start receiving duplicate posts from you. Since both feeds share the same user identifier, it looks like you posted twice. Did you? No, of course not. How did it happen? Oh boy, that story involves a few technical terms including CORS, AJAX, JSONP, cross site scripting, cookie hijacking, double opt-in, etc., but essentially it boils down to this---when you copy/paste URLs from outside sources, the copied elements can sometimes lose context. By changing the original URL's domain, it fixes the problem.

I've been using more than one email address for years now — and not just because of spam filters or privacy concerns. Multiple Gmail accounts can be useful when signing up for new services, organizing tasks, and even staying organized with important messages that need an immediate response.

But what are the rules surrounding having multiple Gmail accounts? Is there any risk associated with juggling so much information on a daily basis? We checked in with some experts for answers. Here's everything we learned about managing multiple Gmail accounts.

What happens if you have 2 Google accounts?

If you're wondering whether you should consolidate your various online profiles into one master profile, here's our take: It depends. The reason why is pretty simple: You may want different things from each individual service. For example, maybe you'd like to keep all your personal emails separate from work ones, which would require creating different accounts. Maybe you share most of your passwords across sites but don't want them accessible through one password manager. Or maybe you want to create different profiles based on gender (e.g., female @gmail.com vs male @gmail.com).

This doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't combine your personal and professional emails under one umbrella. As long as you follow these basic guidelines, you'll be fine:

Keep your primary email private. Don't make this public anywhere, including social media platforms. This will prevent people from trying to hack into your other accounts by guessing it. If someone knows the name of your main email, they could also guess your secondary emails.

Don't use the same logins everywhere. Make sure you use unique login credentials for every site. Use strong passwords too.

Use secure methods to access your old/secondary emails. Many providers allow you to download archived mail via POP3. Also consider setting up forwarding so that your old emails show up at whatever address you choose. That way, you can still get those messages without needing to actually open them.

You can set up two-factor authentication (2FA) features on your secondary accounts to further protect them. Check out ways to add security to your online accounts.

It might sound obvious, but avoid sharing your "real" email address with anyone except trusted contacts. While no one wants their credit card info floating around on the internet, it can happen. Using a fake email address ensures that whoever has your real one won't accidentally end up on the hook for unauthorized charges.

When you see ads asking for your first and last names to sign up for something, chances are they aren't legit. In fact, scammers often pose as legitimate companies and ask users' full names before sending links to phishing websites designed to steal your data. Never click on such URLs unless you realize you mistyped the URL itself.

In short: Yes, you definitely should merge your Google / Gmail accounts. But do so carefully.

Can I use two Google account?

Yes, of course, though you must adhere to certain guidelines. Most importantly: Keep your personal and professional accounts separate.

For instance, if you use Gmail for both work and play, try splitting your email signature accordingly. Some employers will frown upon employees having multiple Gmail accounts. Others might prefer it since it makes searching easier for customers. And then there are situations where you might wish to send a message only to colleagues within your company who will receive it immediately. So, decide beforehand whether combining or separating your accounts is best for you.

Speaking of email signatures, while you probably know that adding your own signature to outgoing mail helps others identify you, did you know you can customize your email signature per account? To find out how, check out our guide detailing how to add custom signatures to Outlook Mail.

That said, sometimes it's hard to tell which account belongs to whom. Email clients generally display incoming email from either account automatically depending on context, but if you're confused, you can always view all messages together in one folder.

As far as syncing goes, you can sync your emails between accounts using IMAP. Be careful not to confuse the settings, however. Your default options likely already reflect whichever account you signed up for first. Simply look for Account Settings & Accounts, and select Other next to Sync Options. On that page, you'll see tabs labeled Primary [Account] and Secondary [Accoun]. Selecting the correct tab displays the corresponding account, allowing you to adjust its preferences.

So, yes, technically speaking, you can have multiple active Gmail accounts. However, doing so comes with risks. Before merging your accounts, make sure you understand how to handle them properly.

Is it okay to have many Gmail accounts?

The answer is yes...if you use them wisely. Remember, keeping your business and personal life separated means avoiding confusion over whose email you received a particular piece of correspondence from. Keeping your work and home lives separate allows you to better focus on achieving each goal.

To help minimize distractions, use different apps for personal and work purposes, e.g., WhatsApp for friends and family versus Slack for co-workers. Separate your digital clutter by deleting unused apps and files. Having clear boundaries between work and personal space will go a long way toward helping you stay focused throughout the day.

And if you ever need to refer back to something sent in error, you can simply delete it instead of fretting over whether to trash it forever.

Of course, we recognize that sometimes you really cannot escape working on a shared computer. When that's unavoidable, remember to treat your personal devices as you would a work laptop. Try to limit yourself to using your phone for non-work activities and never leave it unattended. Even if you only have one device, it's safest to lock your browser whenever possible.

Also, pay attention to your surroundings and watch out for cybercriminals lurking near coffee shops or otherwise crowded areas. Stay vigilant, and you should be good to go.

Finally, it's worth noting that the number of Gmail accounts you maintain isn't entirely up to you. According to a 2019 study conducted by Harris Polls, nearly half of American adults have used three or fewer email accounts during their lifetime. Meanwhile, the 2017 version found that 54 percent had five or fewer active email accounts. These stats come right after another poll showed that 50 percent of Americans admit to opening their junk folders regularly.

How many Gmail accounts do the average person have?

According to research published by Clutch Labs, 49% of US Internet users have less than 5 email accounts and 30% have six or fewer. Users aged 18-34 have slightly higher numbers compared to older generations. Only 10% of respondents in the latter group have seven or more email accounts.

These figures were calculated based off responses given to the survey questions: "On average, how many email accounts do you currently have?" and "Which was your favorite email provider growing up?" Respondents answered these questions separately for personal and professional accounts.

While the results above seem counterintuitive considering the rise of multi-platform messaging services, it makes sense once you think about it. People typically start with free trial periods until they move onto paid plans with unlimited storage space. Once they graduate from free trials, they usually stick with the same plan unless circumstances change. Hence, they tend to hold onto their existing email address(es) rather than switching to a brand new one.

However, the situation changes when people switch jobs. Then, they're forced to abandon their current email address in favor of a fresh one created specifically for their new employer. At least, that's what happened among professionals surveyed by Clutch.

One final note: Do not forget to clean up inactive accounts. They accumulate spam and useless newsletters over time. Plus, you don't want to waste precious space on disk. Delete unnecessary attachments and remove content. Unsubscribe from mailing lists. And finally, mark any old messages as read so they don't pile up again.