Nearly a billion people worldwide use Google’s free Gmail service for their email. If you are using another email provider, your tech savvy friends just might be shaking their heads or pushing you to create a Gmail account.

The rage behind Gmail lies in its simplicity and features.

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Back in 2004, when email providers cringed at the thought of offering free data storage, Gmail gave away thousands of megabytes of storage to its users. Of course, the free storage feature drew immediate attention, but other fairly remarkable features added since have boosted its popularity. Gmail introduced the conversation view in emails.

There’s a bandwagon of praises, but you get the point. So now, if you want to create a Gmail account, here is how you do it.

Create a Gmail Account

Step 1. Type the address in a web browser

type address

Open the web browser of your choice. In the address bar, type www.gmail.com and you will land on the sign in/sign up (create an account) page.

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Step 2. Create an account

create account icon

Near the bottom of the screen, below the sign-in fields, click on the "Create account “link.

Step 3. The Sign-up Form

sign up form

A form for creating your account will display. You need to fill in a few basic details and create your Gmail username and password.

Step 4. Enter your name

Enter name

The first category in the form is for your name. Enter your first and last name separately in the allotted spaces.

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Step 5. Enter a unique username

change username

Enter your desired username in the 'Choose your username' box. If the username already exists, Gmail will display an error message below the box, asking you to try a different one and offering a few suggestions.

informal username

If you have a common name or you think your username might already exist, then be creative.

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If you are a working professional, it is your responsibility to ensure that, in the spur of the moment, you do not create a username that you may regret later or feel embarrassed to share with others.

In Gmail, your username appears in your email address.

right username

Choose a simple username and move ahead to the password.

Step 6. Create a password

enter password

Create a password for your email, using a minimum of 8 characters. Do not use a widely known or trivial detail of your life as a password. Others may be able to guess the former and you may not remember the latter. Try to include numbers, uppercase letters and special characters in the password for added security.

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reenter password

Re-enter the password in the next box for confirmation.

Step 7. Enter personal details

date of birth

Enter your date of birth below the password. You have to select the month, date and year of your birthday. Choose your gender below the birth date section.

Step 8. Phone number (optional)

mobile number

Under the Mobile Phone category, select your country from the drop-down menu. It will display the country code.

Type your mobile phone number in the box. It is not mandatory to provide a phone number if you are able to provide an alternate email account. Gmail will use it to inform you of updates to terms, attempts to sign in to your account and other important notices.

Step 9. Alternate email address (optional)

alternate email

Enter a pre-existing alternate email address. However, if this is your first email account, don't bother. Gmail allows everyone to skip this step if you enter your mobile number.

Either one of the above two details is necessary, that is, both cannot be skipped.

Step 10. Enter the CAPTCHA code

captcha code

CAPTCHA stands for "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart," developed by Carnegie Mellon academics. Enter the code appearing in the blurred photograph to prove you are not a spamming robot.

Step 11. Current location

country name

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Choose your current location or permanent place of residence from the menu of choices.

Step 12. Review and accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

terms of service

Click on the checkbox if you agree with Google’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You can click on the links for each to read the fine print.

Step 13. Next Step

next step

Now, click on the “Next Step” button to continue the set-up process.

continue to inbox

A page will display with your Gmail address, which is your username with “@gmail.com” added to the end. Click on “Continue to Gmail” button.

Step 14. Verify your account

verify account

If you did not provide any contact details, that is an alternate email or a phone number, a window will open asking for your mobile number to which to send a verification code. It just takes a minute to send to you.

verification code

If you provided a phone number you’ll find your verification code already sent to you. Enter the verification code in the space provided and your Gmail welcome screen will open.

Step 15. Watch the Tutorial

A tutorial window will appear with different slides highlighting different features of Gmail like:

slide 1

  • Tabbed organization for different types of emails.

slide 2

  • Personalizing your inbox with a variety of themes.

slide 3

  • Get simultaneous Gmail support in multiple devices.

slide 4

  • Make phone and video calls from Gmail.

go to gmail

At the end of the slideshow, click on "Go to Gmail."

gmail inbox

You can see your inbox now.

Profile Customization

After you create a Gmail account, customize your email profile so it reflects you better on the online platform and make any desired adjustments to how your email is displayed.

Step 1. Personalize the view

personalize gmail

In the top-right corner of the screen, click on the "gear" icon and select the desired display type from the drop-down menu. You can play around with the choices to see what you like best. You can also change this at any time.

Step 2. Personalize Your Profile Picture

To personalize your profile icon, upload a profile picture. It will help your contacts easily identify you.

1. Click on the circle with a silhouette

new profile picture

Above the "gear" icon, you will see a silhouette inside a circle. Click on the circle and a box with your account info will open. Click on the word "Change" that appears in the circle below the silhouette.

2. Select a profile photo

select profile picture

A “Select profile photo” window will appear where you can drag and drop a profile picture. Alternatively, click on the "Select a photo from your computer" button in the center to upload a photo.

3. Select the image

step-29

Select an appropriate photo from your files and click on "Open."

4. Crop image

crop profile picture

Crop the image to show the portion you want to appear in your profile, then click on the "Set as profile photo" button in the bottom left corner of the window.

Import Contacts

If you want to use your contacts from another email account in Gmail, you can use the Import contacts tool.

Step 1. Go to contacts

click on contacts

Click on the word "Gmail" written above the Compose button in the top-left portion of the screen, and select "Contacts" from the drop-down menu.

Step 2. Skip the slides

skip slides

A Google Contacts preview page will open with slides in the forefront, depicting the features of Google Contacts. You can skip viewing these slides by clicking on the "forward arrow" or the "right arrow" button.

Step 3. Click on More

click on more

In the upper left portion of the page, click on "More" in the menu.

Step 4. Click on Import

click on import

From the drop-down menu, click on "Import."

Step 5. Click on Go to Old Contacts

old contacts

A small prompt window will appear, advising you to look for an import option in the older version of Google Contacts. Click on "GO TO OLD CONTACTS."

Step 6. Click on Import Contacts

import contacts

The older version of Google Contacts will appear in a new tab. In the left section, click on the "Import Contacts..." option.

Step 7. Upload your contacts

upload contacts

An 'Import contacts' window will appear where you can upload contacts using a CSV file from popular email providers or a vCard from Apple Address Book. Click on the "Browse" button to locate and select your file, then click on the “Import" button.

Now you are ready to use your Gmail account.

Sign Out of Gmail

If you have no further use of Gmail for the time being, log off from your Gmail account. It will protect your personal data from becoming public.

Step 1. Click on profile picture

step-38-click-profile-pic

Click on the round profile picture on the top-right corner of your email.

Step 2. Sign out of your account

click sign out

A small menu will drop down from your profile picture. Click on the “Sign out” button.

Step 3. Signed out from Gmail

Signed out

Your account will be signed out and the page will redirect to the Gmail login.

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