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I have a Google account, with Gmail enabled, that I set up for work purposes. For the sake of example, let's say it's [email protected]. I tried to create a separate Google account for personal stuff and called it [email protected]. Google told me that name was already taken.

Oh. I must have set that up in the past. Let me go do password recovery on it.

Great, now I have the password and I can log into catfoodpersonal. It works and I'm in my work account. Huh. So I must have done something in the past to create what amounts to an alias to that work account. That wasn't what I wanted, because I was trying to get two completely separate mailboxes, but whatever.

Let me send a test email (from outside Google) to [email protected]. It bounces; there's no such address. So the extra linked alias catfoodpersonal wasn't set up to receive email.

All right, now I'm totally confused. I can't find anything in the numerous Google account setup pages that shows me what aliases the account has. I can't see where one adds or removes aliases. I definitely can't figure out why the main account name receives email but the alias doesn't.

Long story short, the actual question: How does one add, change, and remove aliases or alternate login names for Google accounts? Secondarily, how does one make an alias eligible to receive email?

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    You requested I provide the reason for the vote, I provided it, I almost always vote in this manner since I know the reputation will be returned IF its migrated.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Sep 20, 2015 at 23:38
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    So catfoodpersonal is not listed in security.google.com/settings/email ?
    – Matti Nescio
    Commented Sep 26, 2015 at 23:46
  • ^Yes it is! That's the thing I was looking for! Now when I click on the Edit link, I do not get the opportunity to remove catfoodpersonal as an "Other email." I think that's what I'm trying to do--make it so the name "catfoodpersonal" isn't associated with this Google account at all.
    – catfood
    Commented Sep 27, 2015 at 22:50

2 Answers 2

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Did you use two different browsers to log into your two different accounts? I would suggest logging out, clearing your cookies and cache, and then trying to log in to the "personal" account again. I suspect that you will find that it is different to the "work" account. (Google allows you to access two different accounts at the same time in some products, including gmail - personally if find that it can be confusing.)

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To send mail via alias

  1. Login to gmail.

  2. Go to settings.

  3. Go to the tab 'Accounts and Import'

  4. Under Send mail as, click Add another email address.

To receive mail via alias

  1. Login to gmail.

  2. Go to settings.

  3. Go to the tab 'Forwarding and POP/IMAP'

  4. Under Forwarding, click Add a forwarding address.

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