How to Change Your Default Google Account in 2024
Your Google account is linked to several services you use every day, including Google Drive, Gmail and Google Photos, so it’s important to learn how to manage it effectively. Our guide shows you how to change your default Google account.
Written by Samuel Okoruwa (Writer)
Reviewed by Jackie Leavitt (Chief Editor)
Facts checked by Igor Kurtz (Fact-checking editor)
Last Updated: 2024-01-25T12:33:17+00:00
All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.
Key Takeaways: Set a New Default Gmail Account
- Changing your default account on Google is way easier that it seems. That said, the process differs a little bit based on the device you’re using.
- On Windows, you have to visit google.com, click on your profile icon and sign out of all your Google accounts. Then, sign in with the account you want to set as your default Google account.
- On iPhone, open “settings,” locate the mail icon and select “default account.” Select the preferred account you want as your default.
- On Android, open your Google account, click your profile icon and select “manage accounts on this device.” Then, remove all your accounts except the one you want to set as the default.
If you’re tired of Google changing your default account and automatically logging you in with the wrong profile, this step-by-step guide is for you. We’ll show you how to change default Google account settings on different operating systems, including Windows, iOS and Android.
If you use multiple Google accounts, we’ll also share some tips and tricks on how to best manage them using Google Chrome profiles and email forwarding.
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10/25/2023 Facts checked
This article was rewritten to include updated instructions.
How to Change the Default Google Account on Windows
The first account you sign in to after signing out of all your accounts becomes your default Google account. Follow these steps to change your default Google account on your Windows device. The process is the same for macOS.
- Visit Google on Your Preferred Browser
Open your browser and type “google.com” in the address bar. Press the “enter” key on your keyboard.
- Sign Out of All Your Accounts
Click your profile picture or profile icon at the top-right corner of the screen, and select “sign out of all accounts.”
- Click “Sign in”
Click “sign in” at the top-right corner of the screen.
- Sign in to Your Preferred Account
Select the Google account you want to make your new default. Enter your password and click “next.” You’ll automatically be signed in to the account, and this account will be your new default account.
How to Set up Multiple Google Accounts in Your Browser
After you sign in to your new default Google account, you may want to sign in to other Google accounts, too. The first account you sign in to will be your default account, so you can then sign in to other accounts without any worries.
- Click “Add Another Account”
Click your profile icon at the top-right corner of the screen. Then, click “add another account.”
- Choose or Add Account
You’ll be taken to a page with all the accounts you’ve ever signed in to on your current browser. If the account you want is not on the list, click “use another account” and enter the email associated with that account.
- Enter Your Password
Once you’ve indicated the account you want to sign in to, you’ll be prompted to enter the account’s password. Do this and click “next.”
- Switch Google Accounts
If you want to switch back to your default account, click your profile icon and select your default account. You’ll then be automatically logged in.
How to Make a Gmail Account Default on iPhone
Changing default Google accounts on an iPhone is straightforward compared to Windows and Android devices. Instead of signing out of all your Google accounts, you can just select which account you want as your default. Here’s how.
- Go to Settings on Your iPhone
Tap “settings’’ on the home screen or in the app library.
- Locate the “Mail” Icon
Scroll down and tap “mail.”
- Click “Default Account”
In the “mail” folder, scroll down and select “default account.”
- Select Your Preferred Default Gmail Account
From the list of Gmail accounts available, select the one you wish to set as your default.
How to Set a Google Account as Default on Android
Follow these steps to change your default Google account on your Android phone.
- Open Your Google Account On Your Phone
Locate the Google app on your homescreen or in the app library.
- Click Your Profile Icon
Tap the profile icon at the top-right corner of the screen.
- Navigate to the Account Manager
A subpage will appear on the screen. Tap the dropdown menu beside your Gmail address. Then, select “manage accounts on this device.”
- Remove All Accounts Except the One You Want to Make Default
Select all your Google accounts one after the other and click “remove account.” Do this for all the accounts except the one you want to set as your default, and it will immediately become the default.
Tips for Managing Multiple Google Accounts
Most people have multiple Gmail accounts for different purposes. It can get complicated managing multiple Google accounts at the same time, but you can use these two strategies to better manage your Google accounts.
1. Google Chrome Profiles
Creating a Chrome profile for your Google account saves all your browsing history, passwords, bookmarks and other data to Chrome, and this information can be synced between devices. Each of these accounts has separate information and can operate in different browser windows.
If you regularly use multiple Google accounts, you can keep them straight by creating a different Chrome profile for each one. To create a Chrome profile, click the profile icon on the browser toolbar, which is above the larger picture icon at the top-right corner of the screen. Next, select “add” to create the profile.
Removing a profile will clear all your browsing data from the local device you’re browsing with, but this data will remain on other devices that are synced to that Google account. To remove a profile, click the profile icon on the browser toolbar and then the cogwheel icon. Click the three dots on the account you’d like to remove and select “delete,” then confirm.
2. Forward Gmail Messages to Another Email Address
Actually, combining two Gmail accounts is tricky, but you can effectively merge an old account with a new one by setting up email forwarding. Email forwarding sends the emails from one address to another mailbox, so you can see both accounts from just one inbox.
How to Activate Email Forwarding
Follow these steps to forward Gmail emails to another email address.
- Navigate to Settings in Gmail
Open the Gmail app on your device and click the gear icon at the top-right corner of the screen. Select “see all settings.”
- Open the “Forwarding and POP/IMAP” Tab
Click “forwarding and POP/IMAP” to open the forwarding tab. Then, click “add a forwarding address” to enter the address to which you want to forward emails, and click “next.”
- Confirm That You Want to Proceed With the Forwarding
A confirmation window will pop up on the screen. Click the “proceed” button.
- Open the Confirmation Email Sent to Your Old Email
Google will send a confirmation link to your forwarding address, asking you to confirm that you want to receive emails from the source mailbox. Open your forwarding email inbox and click the link.
- Click the “Confirm” Button
Once you click the link, the confirmation page will appear. Click “confirm.”
- Check That the New Email is Now Available For Forwarding
Return to “settings” in your new mailbox. Refresh the “forwarding and POP/IMAP” page. You will see the old email in the “forwarding” section. Select the “forward a copy of incoming mail to…” option. Click the dropdown menu to the right of that option and choose how you want to process the mail in your old mailbox after forwarding.
How to Deactivate Email Forwarding
Follow these steps to deactivate email forwarding.
- Navigate to the “Settings” Page
Open the Gmail app and click the gear icon. Select “see all settings.”
- Open the “Forwarding and POP/IMAP” Tab
Click “forwarding and POP/IMAP.” Tap the dropdown menu beside “forward a copy of incoming mail to…” and select the email address you want to remove. Click the “remove your email” button. Click the “ok” button in the confirmation window.
Final Thoughts: Setting a New Default Account for Google Services
As you can see, setting up new default accounts is not as tricky as it seems. It’s easier to change your Gmail default account or switch accounts when you know how to manage your Google accounts intentionally. We hope our guide has helped you keep your personal account, business account and others separate.
Did you try changing your default account? Were you successful? Let us know in the comment section below, and as always, thanks for reading.
FAQ: How to Set a New Default Gmail Account
Visit google.com and click your profile icon at the top-right corner of the screen. Sign out of all your accounts and sign in with the account you want to set as your default account.
Yes, open your Google account and click your profile icon at the top-right corner of the screen. Click the drop-down menu beside your email address and select “manage accounts on this device.” Then select all your accounts one after the other, except the one you want as your default, and click “remove account.”
To change your default Gmail account in Chrome, open Gmail in your Chrome browser and click your profile icon at the top-right corner of the screen. Sign out of all your accounts, and then sign in with the account you want as your default. This is your new default account.