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I want to set up a Gmail account to run using my own domain, i.e., [email protected] rather than [email protected] (I know I can get other hosted email to do this but I like Gmail).
With Google Apps for Business you can do this by changing the MX records. But I don’t need all the functions of Google Apps for Business. Plus, it’s no longer free.
Is there a place inside Gmail were I can change the MX records?
First, changing MX records wouldn't be done in Gmail, it would have to be done through your DNS provider (the service hosting your domain's zone file). That's most likely the place you registered your domain name but not necessarily, that depends on how you decided to set things up.
Second, even if you change the MX records of your domain and point them to Google's servers, Google wouldn't know what to do with those emails when it gets them. That's because they would be addressed to an email address they don't know about. The only way to have Google handle emails addressed using your own domain is to set up a Google Apps account with that domain.
If you don't want to pay for the Google Apps service [edit: now known as G Suite], the only workaround is to do what the other answer explains: 1) use an intermediate service to accepts incoming emails addressed to your domain and set it up to forward everything to your Gmail address, 2) set up your Gmail account to be able to send emails on behalf of another address
No, of course not. Why would Google (or any free, advertising-supported, email service) do that?
What works for me is to use the "Send mail as" options under the "Accounts and import" settings. In conjunction, I use one of the many free auto-forward mailbox options my hosting provider offers to have the email sent to my regular Gmail inbox.
Some people don't like this because the headers have [email protected] on behalf of [email protected], but I figure most people don't pay attention to that.
Another option (which I've also done) is to have Gmail act as the POP3 client for my mailbox at my host. That way I'm still using Gmail to manage my email but deliver et.al depends on my host (and no "on behalf of" headers).
