‘Google mail’ or
‘Gmail‘ is a web-based email account in which emails are stored on the
internet rather than on your
computer. Internet email can be a flexible
option as you can access emails from any computer that has internet
access – for example, at internet cafés – anywhere in the world.
In this guide, we’re going to show you how to get started with email by creating an account in Gmail.
NB. We are using Chrome as our browser, however other browsers such as Internet Explorer and Firefox will look similar.
You’ll need:
- a computer with internet access.
Follow these step-by-step instructions to create a Gmail account
Step 2: Click on Gmail at the top right corner of the page.
Step 3: You’ll now be in the ‘Sign in’ section. As you don’t have a Google account yet, you need to create one. Click
Create an account.
Step 4: To set up your new account,
Google needs
some information about you – first, your first and last names. The
‘choose your username’ is the unique email address that you wish to use,
which will be placed before ‘
@gmail.com’. Because it needs to be
unique, Google may have to check the availability of any name that you
decide on to make sure that no one already has it. Type an email name
into the ‘choose your username’ box and then fill out the rest of your
information. You will need to ensure that the ‘I agree to the Google
terms of service and Privacy Policy’ is ticked. Then click
next step.
Step 5: If the email name that you requested in is
not available, you’ll get a message saying that somebody already has
that username and offering you some alternatives. You can decide to
accept one of the alternatives or type in another name and check its
availability once more. You will have to complete some of the other
boxes again. You may have to do this a few times. Once you finalise your
email address, it’s a good idea to make a note of it so that you can
refer to it until you remember it.
Step 6: You’ll need to come up with a password so
that you can log in securely to your account. Google may explain that
you should try one with at least 8 characters long to be secure. Use
letters and numbers to make the password more secure and difficult to
guess. You’ll need to re-enter your password to ensure that it’s you
choosing it and not a hacker’s (ro)bot. This is why it also asks you to
insert two random words at the bottom of the page – this is a CAPTCHA
code. You can skip this step if you don’t want to type in the CAPTCHA
code but you will need to verify via a mobile phone if you don’t.
Step 7: Once you have completed this page fully, clicking
Next Step
will take you to the Create Profile Page. If you don’t wish to have a
picture on the web, click Next Step to complete setting up your email.
If you do, Click on
Add Profile Photo and find a photo to add. Then click
Next Step.
Step 8: You will now have set up your account. You
can go straight to your inbox and get started, or you can set up a
photo to show as your profile picture.
Click on
Add a photo to upload a photo and select a photo.
Or click on Next Step to go to your inbox and get started.
