Creative Tech Support

Nearly everyone is familiar with Google. But how often do we pay attention to the Google account we use to sign in? If you’re just doing a quick search it may not matter… but with Gmail, Calendar or Docs it’s important. And if you use several Google accounts, you need to be signed into the right one or you won’t see the correct information.

Signing into Google

1. Open a browser and go to www.google.com.
2. Click Sign in at the upper-right corner.
3. Choose an account you’ve previously used on this computer. Then sign in with your password.
4. Or Add account. Sign in with your email address and password. The email may or not end in gmail.com.
5. Or Remove an account from the list. Check the x to the right of the account you no longer use frequently. You’ll be able to add it again later.
6. Once you’re signed in, click the apps icon to use different Google services.
7. Choose an app, such as Search, Gmail, Calendar or Google+. You’ll find Google Docs in the Drive icon.
8. Click More to jump to Google Maps, YouTube and others.

Switching accounts

Sometimes you need several Google accounts – perhaps one for work and one for personal. You can sign into several at once and switch between them.

1. Open a browser and sign into the first Google account.
2. Click the active account in the upper-right corner. It might show your email address or picture if you’ve added it to your account settings.
3. On a company-managed Google account? If so, it’s indicated here. A company logo in the upper-left corner is another sign. The administrator has access to all data on a managed Google account.
4. Adjust account settings for the active account.
5. Switch accounts by selecting a recent one from the list. It opens in a new window.
6. Or Add account. Sign in with your email address and password.
7. Sign out of the Google account when you’re finished using it on public computers. Otherwise the next person may have full access to all your Google data.

Changing your password

1. Sign into Google and click your email address or picture in the upper-right corner.
2. Click Account.
3. Click Security, then Change password.
4. Type your old password, enter a new one and confirm.
5. Click Save.

Changing your password will affect other software and devices you use, such as Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and Outlook. You’ll need to enter the new password on these devices as well.

Learn more about Google web apps.