What a Gmail alias is and why you might want one
A Gmail alias is an alternative email address that sends messages to your main Gmail inbox. When someone sends mail to your alias, it arrives in the same inbox as your regular Gmail address, but the "To" line shows the alias instead. You can create up to 30 aliases per Gmail account without paying anything extra.
Aliases are useful when you want to give different email addresses to different people or services without actually managing multiple inboxes. For example, you might give one alias to your family, another to online shopping sites, and a third to work contacts — all messages land in one place, but you can see at a glance who you were corresponding with based on which address they used.
Gmail aliases are different from forwarding addresses. A forwarding address sends mail somewhere else; an alias just gives you another name for the same inbox. Aliases also let you send mail that appears to come from that address, which forwarding does not.
Key Takeaways
- You create a Gmail alias by adding a plus sign and any text after your username, like yourname+shopping@gmail.com, with no setup required.
- Messages sent to any of your aliases arrive in your main inbox, and you can see which alias was used by looking at the "To" line.
- You can send emails that appear to come from your alias by selecting it in the "From" field when composing a message.
- Gmail treats all your aliases as the same account, so you cannot set different passwords, recovery emails, or security settings for each one.
- You can create a custom alias through your Google Account settings if you want an address that does not use the plus-sign format.
Creating a plus-sign alias (the fastest method)
The simplest way to make an alias is to use the plus-sign format. If your Gmail address is yourname@gmail.com, you can immediately start using yourname+anything@gmail.com as an alias. Gmail automatically recognizes anything after the plus sign and routes it to your main inbox.
You do not need to set this up anywhere. Just give out the alias address to whoever you want. The next time someone sends mail to yourname+shopping@gmail.com or yourname+work@gmail.com, it lands in your inbox. You can create as many plus-sign aliases as you want on the fly.
The text after the plus sign can be anything: numbers, letters, hyphens, or periods. Gmail ignores dots in the username part anyway, so yourname.shopping@gmail.com and yourname+shopping@gmail.com both work the same way. Use whatever format makes sense to you.
Sending mail that appears to come from your alias
When you reply to a message sent to your alias, Gmail automatically sends the reply from that alias address. But if you want to start a new message that appears to come from an alias, you need to tell Gmail which address to use.
Open Gmail and click "Compose" to start a new message. Look for the "From" field at the top left of the compose window — it usually shows your main email address. Click on it, and a dropdown menu appears with all your aliases. Select the one you want to send from, then write and send your message as usual.
If you do not see a "From" dropdown, your account may not have this feature turned on yet. Wait a few hours or try again later — Google sometimes rolls out features gradually.
Creating a custom alias through Google Account settings
If you want an alias that does not use the plus-sign format — for example, a completely different name — you can create one through your Google Account. Go to myaccount.google.com and sign in with your Gmail password.
Click "Personal info" on the left side, then scroll down to find "Email" or "Email addresses". Look for an option that says "Add an email address" or "Create an alias". Enter the new address you want (it must end in @gmail.com), and Google will send a confirmation message to your main inbox. Click the link in that message to confirm.
Once confirmed, this custom alias works exactly like a plus-sign alias — messages arrive in your main inbox, and you can send from it using the "From" dropdown. You can create up to 30 aliases total across both methods combined.
What happens when someone sends mail to your alias
When a person sends a message to one of your aliases, it arrives in your main inbox just like any other message. The only difference is in the "To" line of the email — it shows the alias address they used, not your main Gmail address.
This makes it easy to see at a glance who you gave each alias to. If you see a message addressed to yourname+shopping@gmail.com, you know it came through your shopping alias. If it says yourname+work@gmail.com, it came through your work alias. You can use Gmail's filters and labels to organize messages by alias if you want to sort them automatically.
The sender sees the alias address in their "Sent" folder too, so they know which address you gave them. If you reply from that alias, your response appears to come from that address as well.
Limits and things aliases cannot do
All your aliases point to the same Gmail account, so they share the same password, recovery email, and security settings. You cannot set a different password for one alias or use two-factor authentication on just one of them. If someone gains access to your main Gmail account, they can access all your aliases.
You also cannot create separate contact lists, labels, or filters that apply to only one alias. Any label or filter you create applies to your whole account. If you truly need completely separate email accounts with different passwords and settings, you would need to create a second Gmail account instead of using aliases.
Aliases cannot be transferred to another person or account. If you want to stop using an alias, you simply stop giving it out — you cannot delete it or reassign it to someone else.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use an alias to hide my real email address?
Partially. When you send a message from an alias, the recipient sees the alias address, not your main Gmail address. But if they reply and look at the full email headers, they may be able to trace it back to your main account. Aliases are useful for organization and basic privacy, not for complete anonymity.
What if I give the same alias to two different people by mistake?
Both people can send mail to that alias, and both messages arrive in your inbox. You can see who sent each one by looking at the sender's name and address. If you want to separate them, create a new alias and ask one person to use the new address instead.
Do I need to verify a custom alias with a phone number?
No. Google sends a confirmation link to your main inbox, and clicking that link is all you need. You do not have to provide a phone number or any other information to create an alias.
Can I use an alias to sign up for a service that requires a unique email?
Yes. Many websites and apps treat each plus-sign variation as a separate email address, so yourname+service1@gmail.com and yourname+service2@gmail.com both work for separate accounts. Some services block plus-sign addresses, but most do not.
If I stop using an alias, can I delete it?
You cannot delete a plus-sign alias — it will always work as long as your Gmail account exists. For custom aliases created through Google Account settings, you can remove them by going back to myaccount.google.com and deleting the address. Once deleted, no one can send mail to that address anymore.