What Google account do you use in your phone?

spman · Oct 18, 2014

Do you use your Google account (gmail account) to store all your contacts? If not, do you create a new google account just to store phone contacts?

My previous phone was a non smartphone, I was wondering if it is a good idea that I create a new Google account and store all my phone numbers to a new Google account contacts (use the Google account for phone contacts only), instead of storing phone numbers to my existing Google account (personal gmail account that I use for email)?

I heard that changing the primary Google account would need to perform factory reset on our devices, is it a very hard process to change/switch primary google account?

Thanks

Clementine_3 · Oct 18, 2014

I have 2 Gmail accounts, only 1 is used to store contacts (primary), the other is mostly used like my Yahoo account, for spammy type stuff. Both are signed into on my phone. I sync everything that I use (email, contacts, calendar etc.) on the primary and just email on the other since it has no contacts. I use my primary account for Play, I have no apps associated with my secondary account.

Changing accounts doesn't need or do a factory reset, it just changes what the phone has access to. My sister has kids and they have tablets, she uses 1 account for her and 1 for them in Play. On her phone she is signed in to both and syncs both, on their tablets she signs into 'their' account and only syncs Play.

bjacks12 · Oct 18, 2014

I only use one account. All my contacts are stored on it.

Crashdamage · Oct 18, 2014

My wife and I have 4 Gmail accounts - 2 personal accounts, one for a business, one just for house bills, etc. I use my personal account for my contacts, business contacts go in the business account, etc. Then adding an account to a device makes those contacts available. So regarding contacts, makes little difference which account is the primary on a device.

All that said, if I had no need for multiple Gmail addresses, I would keep it simple and have all contacts in one primary account. The exception would be if I wanted to create a contact list and/or email account that could be shared without allowing access to any other of my accounts.

AnonGuy · Oct 18, 2014

I only use Google account for Play Store Access.

I have everything store in Outlook.com, OneDrive, Office, and OneNote.

Outlook.com also allows True Aliases, like Yahoo! and iCloud; so you don't need multiple accounts to separate Business Email from Personal Email. You just use an Alias and everything goes to its own Folder or Category. All these services allow Contact Grouping and Multiple Calendars. This allows you to use one account for Business and Personal use (if needed) without having to juggle multiple accounts.

Having everything basically integrated directly into the Operating System on my Laptop is a huge productivity boost. Google has comparatively poor user experience from desktop apps compared to Outlook.com or even Yahoo! and iCloud (on Windows).

One thing I like about Android is that you can basically remove Google and insert Microsoft or Yahoo! in its place for a lot of core services (Outlook, OneDrive, Office, OneNote, Skype, Bing, Here Maps, Flickr, etc.).

spman · Oct 18, 2014

Clementine_3 said:
I have 2 Gmail accounts, only 1 is used to store contacts (primary), the other is mostly used like my Yahoo account, for spammy type stuff. Both are signed into on my phone. I sync everything that I use (email, contacts, calendar etc.) on the primary and just email on the other since it has no contacts. I use my primary account for Play, I have no apps associated with my secondary account.

Changing accounts doesn't need or do a factory reset, it just changes what the phone has access to. My sister has kids and they have tablets, she uses 1 account for her and 1 for them in Play. On her phone she is signed in to both and syncs both, on their tablets she signs into 'their' account and only syncs Play.

How to sign in both accounts at the same time?

How to sync?

Crashdamage · Oct 18, 2014

spman said:
How to sign in both accounts at the same time?

How to sync?

You don't need to sign in separately. Just setup the accounts on the phone.

Settings > Accounts > Google (or others, if used) > tap on the account to set > choose sync options as desired.

John Bean · Oct 19, 2014

AnonGuy said:
I only use Google account for Play Store Access.

I have everything store in Outlook.com, OneDrive, Office, and OneNote.

I'm the opoosite; I do everything with a single Google account, it's perfectly capable of merging other accounts into a common inbox and maintain separation of reply-to addresses and the like. There's lots of information available on how to use non-Google email accounts in Gmail (Google it!) and the ability to connect from any device anywhere with a single login is a huge bonus.

I haven't used Microsoft mail systems for years and unless forced to will never do so again.

spman · Oct 19, 2014

John Bean said:
I'm the opoosite; I do everything with a single Google account, it's perfectly capable of merging other accounts into a common inbox and maintain separation of reply-to addresses and the like. There's lots of information available on how to use non-Google email accounts in Gmail (Google it!) and the ability to connect from any device anywhere with a single login is a huge bonus.

I haven't used Microsoft mail systems for years and unless forced to will never do so again.

Could you teach how to "I do everything with a single Google account, it's perfectly capable of merging other accounts into a common inbox and maintain separation of reply-to addresses and the like."?

I searched but there is not much info, only have info on checking other emails inside Gmail. https://support.google.com/mail/answer/21289?hl=en

Do you send outgoing email using Gmail? Does the receipt see as if the email is sent from Gmail or sent from the original email address (e.g. john@hotmail.com)

John Bean · Oct 19, 2014

You can choose. I have it set to reply using the same email account it was sent to.

Best way to learn is to just do it; set up an account to check and look through the options - there are lots of them. My choices robably wouldn't match yours so there's not a lot of point in listing them.

Inside Gmail I use its filters and "labels" to show what came from where but have them all visible in a combined inbox. It's pretty flexible, reliable, and has been trouble free in the five or six years I've used it.

AnonGuy · Oct 27, 2014

John Bean said:
I'm the opoosite; I do everything with a single Google account, it's perfectly capable of merging other accounts into a common inbox and maintain separation of reply-to addresses and the like. There's lots of information available on how to use non-Google email accounts in Gmail (Google it!) and the ability to connect from any device anywhere with a single login is a huge bonus.

I haven't used Microsoft mail systems for years and unless forced to will never do so again.

That's not a single Gmail inbox. That's using one Gmail inbox as a catch all for everything else. With outlook.com, all my email addresses are on ONE account because it has a proper alias system unlike Google.

I can delete all my other accounts, and I'll still have 4 email addresses on ONE account going to the same inbox (but to their own folders). Then I have calendars, contact groups, categories, etc. for specific things (Work, Competitions, etc.). This is the type of mass duplication the alias system avoids, never mind I have a lot less accounts account into floating out there than a lot of others.

The Outlook.com app let's you send from any alias the same way apples mail.app does for icloud aliases. The Windows Mail app allows this as well.

Outlook.com is baller. You're free to live in the past, though. I like portable services that don't work like ass in a desktop client not designed specifically for it. Google Mail isn't that.

Outlook.com has received nothing but glowing reviews since it's release, and has even had better reliability than Gmail in the past few years. Google service outages are starting to give iCloud vibes these days.

spman · Oct 27, 2014

AnonGuy said:
That's not a single Gmail inbox. That's using one Gmail inbox as a catch all for everything else. With outlook.com, all my email addresses are on ONE account because it has a proper alias system unlike Google.

1. Can you explain in detail what do you mean by proper alias?

If I have 3 gmail accounts A, B, C. A) accountnamea@gmail.com B) accountnameb@gmail.com , C) accountnamec@gmail.com

2. Does it mean I login to myoutlookaccountname@outlook.com , I can check all 3 gmail accounts?

3. If account C) accountnamec@gmail.com has an email that I need to reply, while logged in inside myoutlookaccountname@outlook.com, I can reply to the sender and the sender will see the email "From" field is display from accountnamec@gmail.com ?

zuben el genub · Oct 27, 2014

Original Gmail and NO contact sync. Phone only. Gmail not primary mail so don't use except for users who have it.

MarianB · Oct 27, 2014

I use 3 different Gmail accounts. 1 Business, 1 Personal, 1 for all the email newsletters and other stuff that I am subscribed to.

Steve_c · Jan 21, 2017

I have a Pixel and want to associated my contacts with my second email account I set up for business. any idea how to do that?
TIA

Stuntman · Jan 21, 2017

When I first got an Android phone, I created a Gmail account for it as I needed to. Ever since I switched internet/cable companies, I used this Gmail account as my primary email account. My old email account was with that cable company, so it was deactivated when I switched providers.

zuben el genub · Jan 24, 2017

Just be careful. Google left something wide open and I had almost $100 of charges on my credit card that were not mine. I don't use any pay services, they have been disabled or deleted. I also have disabled Bluetooth and NFC. These were from Google Wallet. I don't use Google Wallet except for Play Store. My phone has not left my hands. I do not do any banking on the phone. I keep totals of spending, but no bank. I am the Original NO person. I've disabled most of the services on the phone. I don't need them. I need my apps and a PDA like a Palm.

The amounts do not show in my account anywhere so Google didn't actively do it.
The only things I buy are apps.

I've protested and got a chargeback.

This is also why I will NOT give anyone else a chance if I can help it.

bcrichster · Jan 24, 2017

..how?! Really. Wallet was shut down a bit ago from my understanding, got me wondering

Clementine_3 · Jan 24, 2017

No, Wallet is still around. It's how you send and receive money.

bcrichster · Jan 27, 2017

Clementine_3 said:
No, Wallet is still around. It's how you send and receive money.

I believe you but it's strange because I got an email from Google last year describing the increased limitations and eventual shutdown of wallet. Are you here in the States or elsewhere?

Clementine_3 · Jan 27, 2017

I'm in the States.
It still works but I wouldn't be at all surprised if they plan to change it (again). When my sister sends me money she sends and I receive in Wallet, then I can move it to my bank or just leave it there. I can use it to buy apps/rent movies ect. in Google Play or send it someone else...it's just a little storage garage for e-money. lol
It was nicer when it was all one thing, pay and wallet, I do hope they go back to that but I'm not holding my breath.

zuben el genub · Jan 27, 2017

I think Play does still use it. Some with a Google account only use the book store and use it on an ereader, not a phone or tablet. They can't add Pay as those users use the ereader's version of Play.

I think I could download Google Play on my android ereader, but I don't want it there.
The built in media app has all the same readers, like Moon, Aldiko if I want them.
Reader is a clone of Boyue.

What Google account do you use in your phone?

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