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question everything

(48,721 posts)
Mon Aug 24, 2020, 11:05 PM Aug 2020

A second gmail account?

Like many, I have my regular, Comcast email and a gmail where I can hide. It does not even have my real name.

Now family members suggest that having a "real" gmail account, I should be able to join their googlephoto to view photos. I don't have a "smartphone" so cannot participate in the whatsup and the rest of smartphone related applications.

Can I open a second gmail account? Should I delete my current one - how exactly - and open a new one?

Thanks

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2naSalit

(92,333 posts)
3. I have two.
Mon Aug 24, 2020, 11:10 PM
Aug 2020

One for personal things and one that I opened back when I was working to communicate with my team.

OAITW r.2.0

(28,228 posts)
8. I use an excel file (password locked) to remember all of my accounts,
Mon Aug 24, 2020, 11:21 PM
Aug 2020

I think I have about 200, So, the only password I need to remember is the one that opens the excel file.

question everything

(48,721 posts)
9. I have a two sided printed page and also saved on a flash drive, not on the hard one
Mon Aug 24, 2020, 11:24 PM
Aug 2020

and a hard copy in a drawer.

klook

(12,847 posts)
12. There are good password management apps
Mon Aug 24, 2020, 11:33 PM
Aug 2020

such as 1Password that make it easy to manage hundreds of unique passwords.

1Password will even tell you when a password you’re using is in a database of known compromised passwords, or when you should consider updating it because it’s old, etc. And it will generate high security PWs for you using a formula and length of your choosing.

It’s not free, but not too expensive — especially considering how much time and hassle it can save you.

2naSalit

(92,333 posts)
6. I have a little book of addresses...
Mon Aug 24, 2020, 11:15 PM
Aug 2020

And on one page I have all my account user names and passwords.

Also, when Gmail asks for a phone or alternate email account to use in case you can't access your account, blow them off. Never connect the two. I always keep the info in a safe place so I can find it if there are issues.

 

mr_lebowski

(33,643 posts)
7. Sounds like what you're actually missing is a Google account ...
Mon Aug 24, 2020, 11:20 PM
Aug 2020

Which does not have to be associated with a gmail account (it can be, but you can also create it w/your comcast email)

Here:

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/27441?hl=en

Having a google account is what lets you easily share stuff with google apps.

If you use chrome you can have chrome log into your google account when you start it up and then turn on Sync ... then anywhere you use chrome you'll have all your bookmarks and past URL's you've visited and login info for your bank accounts and such (its all quite secure don't worry).

It's esp. cool if your computer crashes and you have to re-install your operating system. Then you just re-install chrome, log in to your account, and chrome goes back to exactly like it was before, like nothing ever happened. Or if you DID get a smart phone ... just install chrome and it'll work just like the one on the PC did.

 

mr_lebowski

(33,643 posts)
11. No but Firefox has a very similar synching system.
Mon Aug 24, 2020, 11:32 PM
Aug 2020

You don't have to use Chrome Sync (or even chrome) to have a google account, it's just a nice bonus feature of having one is that Chrome can use your google account to sync across devices.

But you can also make a firefox account and get very similar functionality to chrome sync.

Click in the upper right, the icon w/the head and shoulders and make a firefox account if you think you'd like the sync feature.

 

mr_lebowski

(33,643 posts)
13. That was maybe not clear ... you CAN use/access your google ACCOUNT with Firefox
Mon Aug 24, 2020, 11:46 PM
Aug 2020

just fine.

You just go to google.com and log in to your account, which you can do using Firefox or any browser.

And there's no reason to not have both a firefox and a google account. I do

PoindexterOglethorpe

(26,607 posts)
15. I have several email accounts on different platforms.
Wed Aug 26, 2020, 11:26 PM
Aug 2020

Recently I was editing an anthology, and so set up a gmail account specifically for that purpose. I also have gmail accounts I use when I need to give an email to something that I otherwise don't want to hear back from. I recently set up a gmail account I call Personal Gmail, and I'm sort of transitioning some emails over to that one.

It's a small nuisance to remember to check several different emails every day. But not difficult.

So yeah, several accounts, gmail or otherwise, can be a very good idea.

No, you don't need to delete your new one. Just either google gmail accounts or something like that and you'll find out all you need. The system does not track you, has no idea how many accounts you might have. You might want to keep track of accounts and the passwords needed. Personally, I have an excel file for all of my passwords, and because sometimes I wind up changing a password when working from my laptop and I forget to save it in a way that I can then sign in from my desktop, sigh. That's why I have the excel file and even then it doesn't always keep me up to date.

Response to question everything (Original post)

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