This wikiHow teaches you how to send email (email), manage your inbox, and perform other basic tasks in Gmail. Keep in mind that you must first create a Gmail account (if you don't already have one) before you can use Gmail.
Step
Part 1 of 5: Sending an Email
Step 1. Visit Gmail
Run a web browser on your computer and visit https://www.gmail.com/. If you are logged in, your Gmail inbox will be opened.
If you're not logged in, type in your email address and password when prompted
Step 2. Use the most recent Gmail inbox
Do the following things:
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Click the gear-shaped "Settings" icon
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Click Try the new Gmail at the top of the drop-down menu.
If there is an option Go back to classic Gmail in the drop-down menu, you're using the latest version of Gmail.
Step 3. Click Compose in the upper left corner
A " New Message " window will appear at the bottom right of the page.
Step 4. Type in the recipient's email address
In the " To " text box, type the email address of the person you want to contact.
- If you want to add someone else in the " To " text box, press Tab after you've typed in the first person's email address.
- If you want to include a CC (carbon copy) (or BCC/ blind carbon copy) to someone, click the link cc (or Bcc) to the right of the " To " text box, then type the person's email address into the "Cc" (or "Bcc") text field that appears.
Step 5. Enter a subject
Click the " Subject " text box, and write whatever you want to use as the subject of the email.
In general, you should use a subject that is not too long
Step 6. Write the body of the message in the email
In the large text box below the " Subject " field, type the message you want to convey to the recipient.
Step 7. Add formatting or attachments to the email
Although optional, you can easily change the appearance of text in messages, attach files, or add photos:
- Formatting - Select the text you want to format by clicking and highlighting it, then clicking the formatting options located at the bottom of the email.
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Files - Click the " Attachments " icon
in the form of a paperclip at the bottom of the email, then select the file you want to upload.
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Photos - Click the " Photos " icon
located at the bottom of the email, then select a save location and select the photo you want to upload.
Step 8. Click Send
It's at the bottom of the "New Message" window. The email will be sent to the recipient you specified.
Part 2 of 5: Managing Email
Step 1. Open an email
Open the email by clicking the subject in the inbox.
To exit an open email, click the left-facing arrow in the upper-left corner of the email
Step 2. Find the desired email
Scroll through your inbox to see what emails are there, or click the search field at the top of the page, and type in the email you want (for example by entering the sender or subject of the email)
Step 3. Select the email as needed
If you want to select a group of emails, click the check box to the left of each email you want to select.
- This is especially useful when you want to delete or move multiple emails at once.
- To select all the emails on a page, click the checkbox in the top left of the top email.
Step 4. Mark the email as read
Select the email you want to mark as read, then click the open envelope icon at the top of your inbox.
Emails that have been opened will also be marked as read
Step 5. Archive the email
By archiving emails, you can save them without having to put them in your inbox folder. To archive emails, select the email you want, then click the down arrow icon at the top of the page.
You can search for archived emails by clicking on the folder All Mail located on the left side of the page. You may have to scroll down (and/or click More) in the left menu to find this option.
Step 6. Delete the email
To delete an email in your inbox, select the desired email, then click the " Trash " icon
which is at the top of the window.
Emails that are deleted from your inbox will not disappear permanently. The email will be moved to the folder Trash for 30 days before being automatically deleted.
Step 7. Mark the email as spam
Sometimes unwanted emails drop into your inbox. You can mark it as "spam" by selecting the email and clicking the icon !
at the top of the inbox. The email will be moved to the folder Spam, and Gmail will immediately put similar emails into the folder Spam in the future.
You may have to mark emails from the same sender as "spam" several times to prevent them from appearing in your inbox again
Step 8. Add a draft
If you're working on an email but haven't had time to finish it, save the email as a draft by waiting for the word "Saved" to appear in the lower right of the "New Message" window, then closing the email. Later you can open the email from the folder Draft located on the left side of the page.
As well as All Mail, you may have to scroll down and/or click More in order to find the folder Draft.
Part 3 of 5: Creating and Using Labels
Step 1. Know what labels do
"Labels" is the Gmail version of the folder. When you apply a label to an email, it will be added to the labels folder in the left menu.
Step 2. Open Settings in Gmail
Click "Settings"
gear in the top right of the page, then click Settings in the drop-down menu that appears.
Step 3. Click Labels
It's a tab at the top of the window.
Step 4. Scroll down to the “Labels” section
This section is at the bottom of the page. Doing so will display a list of labels that you have created.
This segment will be empty if you have never created a label
Step 5. Click Create new label
It's at the top of the "Labels" section. A pop-up window will be displayed.
Step 6. Name the label
Type whatever name you want for the label in the text box at the top of the pop-up window.
If you want to add a label to an existing label (such as when you create a new folder within an existing folder), check the " Nest label under " box, then select the label in the drop-down menu
Step 7. Click Create located at the bottom of the window
Step 8. Remove existing labels if necessary
If you want to delete an existing label, do the following:
- Scroll down to the label you want to remove in the " Labels " section.
- Click remove located to the right of the label.
- Click Delete when requested.
Step 9. Add the email to the label
Select the email you want to add to the label, then click the " Labels " icon
and click the label you want to use in the drop-down menu that appears.
You can also create a new label in the drop-down menu by clicking Create new and name the label.
Step 10. Look at the content inside the label
If you've created a label and added an email to it, you can view the email by clicking the label's name on the left side of your inbox.
- If you want to see all the labels, you may have to click More, then scrolls down the screen on the left side of the inbox.
- If you want to remove labeled emails from your inbox without deleting them, archive the emails.
Part 4 of 5: Managing Contacts
Step 1. Click the "Apps" icon
It's in the upper-right corner of your inbox. A drop-down menu containing multiple icons will be displayed.
Step 2. Click More at the bottom of the drop-down menu
A second icon page will open.
Step 3. Click Contacts
The icon is a blue and white person. The Gmail Contacts page will open.
Step 4. Check your contacts
There are several contacts shown here (depending on whether or not you've used Gmail before).
Contacts displayed can range from name only to a full profile that includes name, address, cell phone number, and email address
Step 5. Click the "Add" icon
which is in the lower right corner.
This will bring up a pop-up window.
Step 6. Enter the contact's first and last name
In the "First name" and "Last name" text boxes at the top of the pop-up window, type your contact's first and last name.
Step 7. Enter the contact's email address
Type the contact's email address into the " Email " text box.
You can provide additional information, such as a phone number or photo, but this is optional
Step 8. Click SAVE located in the lower right corner
The contact will be saved and added to your account's contact list.
Step 9. Delete the contact
If you want to delete a contact, do the following:
- Hover the mouse cursor over the contact's name, then click the check box that appears to the left of the name.
- Click at the top right of the page.
- Click Delete in the drop-down menu.
- Click DELETE when requested.
Part 5 of 5: Using Gmail on Mobile
Step 1. Install the Gmail app if necessary
If you don't have Gmail on your tablet or smartphone, go to Google Play Store
(for Android) or App Store
(on iPhone), and search for Gmail, then download the app.
- You can download and use Gmail for free. So, never buy any app claiming to be Gmail.
- Almost all Android tablets and smartphones have Gmail installed as a default.
Step 2. Launch Gmail
Tap the Gmail icon, which looks like a red "M" on a white background. Your Gmail inbox will be opened when you're signed in.
If you're not logged in, type in your email address and password when prompted. Maybe you just need to select a Gmail account
Step 3. Send the email
While some account management options on mobile devices are limited, you can still use Gmail for its primary purpose, which is sending email. To send an email, tap the " Compose " icon
then fill in the fields that appear, and tap "Send"
Step 4. Open an email
Do this by tapping the desired email.
Step 5. Select multiple emails as needed
If you want to archive multiple emails at once, tap and hold on one of the emails until a checkmark appears to the left of it. Next, tap on another email that you want to select.
- Once the first email is checked, you don't have to tap and hold on the next email.
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If you want to deselect, tap the "Back" icon
in the top left of the screen.
Step 6. Find the desired email
If you want to search for an email with a specific keyword, subject, or sender, tap the " Search " icon
in the upper right corner, then type in what you want to search for.
Step 7. Add the email to the label
As with the desktop version, you can add emails to labels in the mobile version of Gmail.
Unlike the desktop version, you can't create labels when using an Android tablet or phone
Step 8. Manage email
There are several ways you can manage your Gmail inbox on a mobile device:
- Archive - Select the email you want to archive, then tap the downwards arrow at the top of the screen.
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Delete - Select the email you want to delete, then tap the " Trash " icon
that's at the top of the screen.
- Mark as read - Select an unopened email, then tap the open envelope icon at the top of the screen.
- Mark as spam - Select a spam email, tap (Android) or (iPhone), tap Report spam in the drop-down menu, tap Report spam & unsubscribe if available (if not, tap Report spam when requested).
Step 9. Enable Gmail notifications on the smartphone
If you want to get a notification from Gmail every time you receive an email, do the following:
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iPhone - Go to Settings
on iPhone, tap Notifications, scroll down the screen and tap Gmail, then tap the white "Allow Notifications" button (if the button is green, it means notifications are enabled).
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Android - Go to Settings
Android7settingsapp on Android, tap Apps, scroll down the screen and tap Gmail, tap the " Notifications " heading, then tap the white " ON " button (if the button is blue, it means notifications have been activated).
Tips
- The website version of Gmail has an integrated instant messaging mechanism that you can use to chat with Gmail contacts if you wish.
- You can use your Gmail account to sign in to Google services all over the internet. Some subscription services also allow you to register using a Gmail account by selecting the option Log in with Google (or something similar) when you create an account.
- If you're using the desktop or iPhone version of Gmail, you can unsend an email within 5 seconds of sending it.
