How to Use a Gmail Alias With iOS Mail

Aliases are governed both by Gmail and by iOS Mail

By
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Heinz Tschabitscher
Writer
  • University of Vienna
A former freelance contributor who has reviewed hundreds of email programs and services since 1997.
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Updated on December 8, 2021
Reviewed by
Michael Barton Heine Jr
Michael Heine headshot
Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr
Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries.
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What to Know

  • Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts. In IMAP Account Information, tap arrow next to email and tap Add Another Email. Add addresses/aliases.
  • To compose an email with the new address/alias, tap From twice to display enrolled email addresses. Choose the preferred alias/address.
  • To use a Gmail alias with iOS Mail, you first need to set up your Gmail account in iOS Mail as an IMAP account.

If you have a Gmail account, you can use the iOS Gmail app or the iOS Mail app to host your account, as well as any other email account you made have. The Mail app also supports the use of an alias when sending messages. Learn how to use a Gmail alias in iOS Mail using any iPad or iPhone running iOS 12 or later.

How to Configure a Gmail Alias in iOS Mail

Here's how to add an alias to your Gmail:

To use a Gmail alias with iOS Mail, you first need to set up your Gmail account in iOS Mail as an IMAP account.

  1. Go to Settings > Mail > Accounts. (In iOS 12 or earlier, go to Settings > Passwords & Accounts, then tap your IMAP-enabled Gmail account.)

    IMAP-enabled email account in iOS Settings

  2. In the IMAP Account Information section, tap the arrow next to the email address.

    Arrow next to Email account in iOS Settings

  3. Tap Add Another Email.

    Add Another Email in iOS Settings

    Use an enrolled Gmail account alias here. Although iOS allows any email address in this field, most spam checkers discard as spam any messages with an address that isn't authenticated to the sending domain.

  4. Add as many addresses as you need.

  5. When you're finished, tap Account to return to the previous screen, then select Done.

    Account back button in iOS Email Settings

  6. Your new address is now ready to use.

How to Use a Gmail Account Alias

When you compose a new email after you've added the alias, tap the From address in the message window to create separate lines for the Cc, Bcc, and From addresses. Tap the default From address again to display all enrolled email addresses. Choose your preferred address so that Mail sends the message with that address, using the account credentials associated with it.

Multiple addresses in New Message on iOS

Prerequisites for Using a Gmail Alias With iOS Mail

To use a Gmail alias with iOS Mail, set up your Gmail account in iOS Mail as an IMAP account, not as a real Google account. With the Gmail IMAP server settings, you lose some of the functionality of a Google account, including calendars and contact lists. However, you gain access to send-as aliases, which Gmail prohibits on the iOS Mail app.

Also, when you add Gmail for the first time, or delete it and add your account as IMAP, set an application-specific password if you configured two-factor authentication for your account.

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