Remove/Delete Gmail Aliases (How-to)

 

How to View Your Gmail Aliases

Before deleting aliases, you’ll first want to view which ones are set up for your account. Here’s how to check:

On Desktop

1. Go to mail.google.com and log into your Gmail account if not already signed in.
2. Click on the Settings gear icon in the top right.
3. Select See all settings.
4. Go to the Accounts and Import tab.
5. Under Send mail as, you will see a list of your aliases.

On Mobile

1. Open the Gmail app on your iPhone, Android, or tablet.
2. Tap on the hamburger menu in the top left corner.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Tap on your account name at the top.
5. Tap Manage accounts on this device.
6. Under Send mail as, you will see your aliases.

This will show you all the active aliases set up for your Gmail account so you can determine which ones you want to keep or delete.

Removing Gmail Aliases on Desktop

If you use Gmail on desktop regularly, here are the steps to remove an alias:

1. Go to mail.google.com and open Gmail settings.
2. Click See all settings.
3. Go to Accounts and Import.
4. Locate the alias you want to remove under Send mail as.
5. Click the Delete button next to the alias.
6. Confirm deletion in the pop-up.

This will immediately remove the alias from your account so it can no longer receive emails.

Removing Aliases Owned as Separate Accounts

If you created an alias by adding a completely separate Gmail account, the process is slightly different.

1. Go to mail.google.com and open Gmail settings.
2. Click the account profile picture in the top right corner.
3. Choose Manage accounts.
4. Locate the account/alias you want to remove.
5. Click the trash can icon to delete it.
6. Confirm removal in the pop-up.

This will delete the entire account associated with that alias.

Removing Gmail Aliases on Mobile

If you mainly use the Gmail app on your iPhone, Android, or tablet, here is how to delete aliases:

1. Open the Gmail app and go to Settings.
2. Tap your account name.
3. Tap Manage accounts on this device.
4. Tap the alias you want to remove.
5. Tap Remove account.
6. Confirm removal in the pop-up.

The alias will instantly be deleted from your account.

Removing Aliases Set Up as Separate Accounts

Similar to desktop, if you created an alias by adding a whole separate account, do this:

1. Open Gmail Settings.
2. Tap Manage all accounts.
3. Tap the account/alias you want to remove.
4. Tap Delete account at the bottom.
5. Confirm deletion in the pop-up.

This completely deletes the account associated with that alias.

What Happens When You Remove a Gmail Alias

Here are some key things to know when deleting a Gmail alias:

• Emails sent to that alias will no longer be received by your account.
• The alias address is permanently deleted and cannot be added again.
• Your inbox storage quota will not be affected.
• Account security will remain the same.
• If you change your mind, you’ll have to create a brand new alias.

In most cases, nothing negative happens by removing an alias. But double check first that you don’t need emails sent to that address anymore.

Recovering a Deleted Alias

There is no built-in way to recover a deleted alias. Once you confirm removal, the address is permanently erased.

You can create a new identical alias, but cannot regain the original. However, any existing emails sent to the deleted alias will not be retrievable.

To essentially undo alias deletion:

1. Create a new alias using the deleted address.
2. Inform contacts to update your address if needed.

This is the only method to fix a deleted alias, although prior emails will still be lost.

Maintaining Your Remaining Aliases

After deleting unwanted aliases, you may want to manage your remaining ones.

Here are some tips:

• Check that you need each alias – delete any unnecessary ones.
• Consider uses for new aliases – separate personal/work emails.
• Verify aliases by clicking confirmation links when creating them.
• Check alias activity in settings occasionally.
• Update account recovery options for all aliases.

Properly maintaining your aliases ensures you have full control over the emails you receive.

Forwarding Aliases to a New Email Account

Instead of deleting a Gmail alias entirely, you may want to forward it to a new email account.

For example, if you have a professional alias tied to your name, you can forward it to a new work email rather than lose the address.

Here is how to forward a Gmail alias:

1. Go to mail.google.com and open Gmail Settings.
2. Click on the alias you want to forward under Send mail as.
3. Check the box for Forward messages.
4. Enter the email address you want to forward the alias to.
5. Select whether to keep Gmail’s copy of forwarded mail.
6. Click Next and then Confirm.

Once enabled, all future emails to your alias will be forwarded automatically. You can repeat these steps to forward multiple aliases.

Forwarding to External Domains

Gmail allows forwarding aliases to any valid email address, including external domains outside of Gmail.

Simply enter the full email address you want the alias forwarded to in Step 4 above. This could be an Outlook, Yahoo, or work email for example.

External forwarding will continue indefinitely unless you disable it in Gmail settings.

Automatic Replies for Forwarded Aliases

You can optionally set an automatic reply to notify senders that your alias email has changed.

1. Go to Settings > See All Settings.
2. Go to Accounts and Import.
3. Click on your forwarded alias.
4. Check Send automatic reply.
5. Customize the message.
6. Click Save Changes.

This automatic reply will be sent just once to inform people about the forwarded address.

Using Aliases for Signups and Security

Gmail aliases provide an easy way to protect your identity and reduce spam.

Here are some alias best practices related to security:

• Create unique aliases when signing up for online accounts like forums, newsletters, or services. That way if an alias gets spammed, you can simply delete it.
• Use aliases on public profiles or anywhere your email will be visible online to prevent abuse.
• Set up aliases with your common usernames, real name, or business name in case others try to sign you up for unwanted services.
• Make 1-time use aliases for risky signups that might expose your email address.
• Forward any aliases you create for security to your primary Gmail to avoid missing messages.

Using different aliases for different purposes isolates your important emails from potential spam or abuse of your public addresses.

Alias Limitations for Signups

While aliases provide good protection, be aware of a few limitations:

• Some sites limit signups to Gmail’s base @gmail.com domain, not aliases on @googlemail.com or custom domains.
• Gmail only allows up to 30 aliases at once, so you may need to delete old ones.
• Aliases count against recipient limits when receiving emails in bulk.
• Very frequently created and deleted aliases could be flagged as abuse.

Despite these limits, aliases still offer reasonable protection for most purposes if used properly.

Sending Emails from a Gmail Alias

By default, your Gmail aliases only work for receiving emails. But you can configure them to send emails as well using these steps:

1. Open Gmail Settings and go to Accounts.
2. Under “Send Mail As”, add the alias you want.
3. Follow the verification steps to confirm the alias.
4. The alias can now send emails too.

When composing a new Gmail message, you can switch the send address to your alias in the “From” dropdown.

Some key points about sending from aliases:

• Only works for aliases hosted on the @gmail.com or @googlemail.com domains.
• Each sending alias counts against your 30 alias total limit.
• You cannot send from alias addresses on a custom domain.
• Aliases you send from may be marked as spam since they are unverified addresses.

Overall, receiving is the main purpose of Gmail aliases. Sending from them is possible but less optimized.

Tracking Sent and Read Emails from Aliases

When you send emails from a Gmail alias, delivery and read receipts will work the same as from your primary address:

• Open and click tracking will show in message headers.
• Read receipts can be requested which recipients must approve.
• Email open metrics are available for your aliases in Settings.

The only difference is that data will be collected specifically for each alias rather than your overall account. Metrics are split by sending address.

Troubleshooting Gmail Alias Issues

In some cases, your Gmail aliases may stop working correctly. Here are solutions for common problems:

Not Receiving Email to Alias

• Check alias is still active under Settings > Accounts.
• Confirm the alias address does not have any typos.
• Make sure alias forwarding is not enabled.
• Try having the sender resend their email.

Can’t Send Email from Alias

• Verify send mail as configured properly for the alias.
• Check that you’re picking the alias in the sender dropdown when composing.
• Try sending to yourself to test the alias.
• The alias may be blocked from sending by a spam filter.

Account Recovery Doesn’t Work for Alias

• Ensure a recovery email and phone are added in the alias’s settings.
• Add backup verification like app passwords or 2SV codes.
• Recovery will use your main account methods by default.

If your aliases stop functioning correctly, these steps should help identify the cause and solution in most cases.

Email Best Practices with Aliases

Here are some top tips for using your Gmail aliases effectively:

• Have separate aliases clearly labeled for personal, work, signups, etc.
• Forward important aliases to your primary even if not used often.
• Delete outdated aliases you no longer need.
• Mind the 30 alias limit and clear space when needed.
• Use aliases to identify sources of spam or unwanted email.
• Test new aliases before sharing publicly.
• Set recovery options for every alias.
• Avoid creating and deleting aliases too rapidly.

Keeping your aliases organized and maintained ensures you can use them reliably for their intended purposes over time.

Removing Gmail Aliases – In Conclusion

Gmail aliases serve a variety of purposes, but you may need to delete ones you no longer use. Removing aliases completely erases the addresses, so check carefully first.

Alternatives like forwarding allow you to keep using aliases with new accounts. Proper management of your aliases saves space and optimizes the emails you receive.

With this guide, you should now understand how to:

• View, add, and remove aliases in Gmail Settings
• Delete aliases permanently or forward them
• Use aliases for security and reduce spam
• Configure custom domains and troubleshoot issues
• Effectively organize your aliases

Applying these best practices will help you master aliases for your Gmail needs.