Short answer: Go to the Google Account sign-in page (accounts.google.com), click Create account and choose personal use, a child or business. Enter your name, birthday and gender, pick one of Google's suggested Gmail addresses or type your own username, set a password of at least 8 characters, and follow the prompts. Adding a phone number is optional. It's free, takes a few minutes, and gives you a new Gmail address plus 15 GB of storage.
Google's sign-up screens change from time to time, so this guide follows Google's current help pages. It covers creating the account on a computer or phone, adding a second Gmail account, what to do when your username is taken, and the Indonesian labels if your phone is set to Bahasa Indonesia. Once you're set up, our complete guide to Gmail covers the rest.
What you need to create a Gmail account
- Your first and last name (shown when you send email or share files).
- Your date of birth. You must be at least 13 in most countries, and older in some, such as 16 in Germany or the Netherlands. Younger children can get an account set up by a parent with Family Link.
- A username: letters, numbers and periods only. Capital letters don't matter.
- A password of at least 8 characters, ideally a mix of letters, numbers and symbols you don't use anywhere else.
- Optional, but worth it: a phone number and a recovery email, so you can get back in if you forget the password.
How to create a new Google account step by step
These steps work in any browser on a computer, Android phone or iPhone. If you're already signed in to another Google account, Google asks you to sign out first.
- Go to the Google Account sign-in page at accounts.google.com, or open gmail.com.
- Click Create account.
- Choose who it's for: For my personal use, For my child or For work or business.
- Enter your first and last name, then your birthday and gender, and click Next.
- Choose your address. Google suggests a few Gmail addresses based on your name; pick one or create your own username.
- Enter and confirm a password, then click Next.
- Add and verify a phone number if you want to (you can skip it), and add a recovery email.
- Follow the remaining on-screen steps to finish. Your new Gmail inbox is then ready to use.
Want a Google account without a Gmail address? On the address step, choose Use your existing email, enter an email you already have and type the code Google sends to it. You get access to YouTube, Drive and the rest, but no new Gmail inbox.
Setting it up for a business? Google suggests Google Workspace, a paid plan with an address on your own domain and more storage, may suit you better than a personal account.
Add a second Gmail account on the same phone
You can have several Gmail accounts on one phone and switch between them. In the Gmail app on Android or iPhone, tap your profile picture at the top right, tap Add another account, then Google, and follow the steps. On the sign-in screen, choose Create account to make a brand new one. Accounts stay separate, with their own inboxes and passwords. Our guide to managing multiple Gmail accounts covers switching, the default account and signing out of one.
Only need a spare address for sign-ups, not a whole new account? A plus address such as yourname+shop@gmail.com reaches your existing inbox. Our Gmail generator guide explains how.
If the username you want is taken
Google won't give you a Gmail username that is already in use, very close to an existing one (if example@gmail.com exists, you can't have examp1e@gmail.com), was used before and deleted, or is reserved to prevent abuse. Dots don't help either, because Gmail ignores them. Try adding a middle initial, your profession or a short number, and keep it something you'd be happy to put on a CV.
Buat akun Gmail baru (Indonesian labels)
The steps are the same when your phone or browser is in Bahasa Indonesia; only the labels change. Google's Indonesian help page uses these:
| English | Bahasa Indonesia |
|---|---|
| Create account | Buat akun |
| For my personal use | Untuk penggunaan pribadi saya |
| For my child | Untuk anak saya |
| For work or business | Untuk kerja atau bisnis |
So: open accounts.google.com, tap Buat akun, choose Untuk penggunaan pribadi saya, then follow the steps above. The minimum age in Indonesia is 13, the default Google applies to countries without their own rule.
After you sign up
A few things worth doing in the first ten minutes: add a recovery phone and email if you skipped them, add a signature in Gmail, and set up a couple of rules in Gmail before newsletters start arriving. For a wider plan, see how to organize your email inbox.
Using your new Gmail alongside other accounts
Disclosure: we make Canary Mail. If the new Gmail address joins an existing work, school or personal account, it helps to see them in one place. Canary Mail is an email app for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Windows and Android that works with Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Yahoo, Exchange and other IMAP accounts. The free plan covers unlimited accounts on 2 devices with AI inbox sorting, and tracker blocking is on by default. The Growth plan ($36 a year) adds AI writing and summaries, read receipts and send later. More than 2 million people use it, and Apple has featured it on the App Store and the Mac App Store.
Prefer to look beyond Gmail's own apps? See our list of Gmail alternatives with AI and privacy.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to create a Gmail account?
Yes. A personal Google account and Gmail address are free and include 15 GB of storage shared across Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos. Google Workspace for businesses is a paid plan.
Do I need a phone number to create a Google account?
Google's current steps list adding and verifying a phone number as optional. It's still a good idea, because it helps you get back into the account if you forget your password.
Can I have two Gmail accounts on one phone?
Yes. In the Gmail app, tap your profile picture, then Add another account and Google, and sign in or create a new account.
What is the minimum age to create a Gmail account?
13 in most countries, including Indonesia and the US. Some countries set a higher age, such as 14 in South Korea or 16 in Germany. Younger children can use an account a parent manages with Family Link.
Why can't I create a new Gmail account?
The most common reasons are a username that's taken or too close to an existing one, a birthday below the minimum age, or an email address that is already linked to a Google account. If that email is yours, recover the existing account instead.
Sources
- Google Account Help: Create a Google Account
- Gmail Help: Create a Google Account for Gmail
- Bantuan Gmail: Membuat Akun Google untuk Gmail
- Google Account Help: Why Google asks for certain info to create an account
- Google Account Help: Age requirements on Google Accounts
- Gmail Help: Sign in to Gmail (add an account to the Gmail app)
- Google One Help: How your storage works