It isn't uncommon to have multiple Google accounts, but you don't have to sign in and out of each one to check your information. Data like your emails, calendars, and photos can be shared between accounts, and you can sign in to multiple accounts simultaneously on Google Chrome to save time switching between them. This is especially useful if you use multiple Google accounts on different devices, like one on your Android tablet for schoolwork and another on your phone for personal use.
We show you how you can link multiple Google accounts together. We recommend setting up your default Google account in advance on your Android phone and other devices.
Can you merge two Google accounts together?
No, you cannot merge two Google accounts together. If you want to transfer all your data from a secondary account to a primary account, you'll copy data manually on a per-app or product basis.
We recommend linking your Gmail accounts and exporting your data to merge two Google accounts. We cover linking your Gmail accounts later in this article. Still, if you want to export your data to import it later, we recommend following our step-by-step guide on downloading your Google account data using Google Takeout. This method exports and imports emails, photos, documents, and more.
The best way to link your Google accounts together
Google doesn't offer a single tool for linking different accounts. Instead, you'll manually connect different apps and services to access data from both accounts in one place. As most Google apps are collaborative, this is fairly easy.
In this section, we show you how to:
- Sign in to multiple accounts at the same time.
- Automatically forward emails from one email account to another.
- Link other Google apps and services (such as Google Drive and Google Calendar).
Beyond these steps, you'll link accounts per app. For example, you can add a collaborator to a Google Keep note to work on it from both accounts.
While most of these steps are possible on an Android or iOS device, use a desktop browser on Windows, Mac, or a Chromebook to make the process easier.
How to sign in to multiple Google accounts at the same time
This method lets you switch between accounts in a few clicks. While you're technically not linking the accounts, it helps you access your data with minimal hassle. It's perfect when you have separate Google accounts for personal, work, or school.
- Open a new tab in Google Chrome.
See AlsoUser Account Linking - Click your profile picture in the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Click Add account from the drop-down menu.
- Enter your Google account details.
You can now access your accounts by clicking your profile picture and then your new account.
How to link Gmail accounts
Linking Gmail accounts automatically forwards emails from one Gmail address to another. This is the most straightforward way to connect multiple Gmail accounts, as all your emails appear to be sent to one address. It's also a great way to keep a backup of your emails, as the forwarding account keeps a copy of incoming mail.
We recommend designating one Google account as your primary email account. This account collects all emails from forwarding accounts. There isn't a limit to the amount of forwarding accounts you can create.
- Open Gmail on your forwarding account.
- Click the Settings button (gear icon) in the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Click See all settings from the drop-down menu.
- Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
- Click Add a forwarding address.
- Enter your destination address.
- Gmail sends a confirmation email to this account.
- Open the Gmail inbox on your main account in a new window.
- Click the link in the confirmation email you just received.
- Ignore the box asking for a confirmation code in the Settings menu. This isn't required.
- Click the radio button next to Forward a copy of incoming mail to and select your main account from the drop-down menu.
- Scroll down and click Save changes at the bottom of the page.
Gmail starts forwarding emails from the forwarding account to your main account. By default, it saves a copy of each email in the forwarding account, but you can adjust this setting in the drop-down box in the Forwarding section of Gmail.
How to link other Google services
Linking two Google accounts isn't a quick procedure. Every app and service must be linked manually, and each method differs depending on the product. For example, while linking a Google Calendar with another account is easy, you can only share folders and files in Google Drive, not entire Google Drive accounts.
Keep your Google accounts connected
The good news is that there isn't a limit to the number of Google accounts you can link using the steps described above. Feel free to create new Gmail accounts for anything. Linking it to your main account is quick and simple.
