How to create an email address
This guide shows you how to set up a free email account using Gmail. Creating an email account enables you to register for My Account and other websites.
You can create e-mail accounts with other providers, such as Outlook and Yahoo, and these providers use processes similar to the steps in this guide.
First steps
- Type www.google.co.uk into the address bar at the top of the web page.
- Click on the Gmail link near the top right of the web page.
- Click on ‘Create Account’.
Choosing your email address
To set up your new account, Google needs some information about you. Type in your first and last names.
To create an email address you need to choose a username. Your email address will be your username followed by ‘@gmail.com’. Ideally, it should be a combination of your first and last name. However, if your name is very common such as John Smith, it's likely that your preferred email address is already in use. You may want to also include numbers in your email address such as your year of birth.
Choosing your password
Choose a password that is eight characters or more. Make sure your password is secure and one that you can remember. Secure passwords include combinations of upper and lowercase letters and numbers like News@10.
Verifying your Gmail account
Enter your birthday and gender. Then, type in your mobile telephone number, or an alternative email address if you have one. This is so that you can confirm it is your email account if you ever have difficulty accessing your account in future.
Prove you’re not a robot
This is simply a security measure. Type in the letters or digits as they appear on the screen.
Next, agree to the terms of service by checking the box. You may wish to untick the box next to Google being able to use information such as My Account data for privacy and security.
After that, click ‘Next step’. You can add a profile picture at a later stage. Congratulations! You have created an email account. To start using email, click on ‘Continue to Gmail’.