Good manageability for multiple Gmail and Google Apps email accounts?

Question

I'm a contracting programmer, I have my own personal email, 2 x Google App accounts that different consulting companies give me when I work for them. The problem is I find it such a hassle to check all three of them etc.

Does anyone know of a good way to manage this?

I'm thinking about having a desktop client like Outlook or something and then simply forwarding all my email to that account but then I can't respond from the right address to the ppl..

Answer 1

Several options:

1. Sign in to multiple accounts simultaneously

   You can click on the account icon on the top right corner of the gmail window (it looks like an outline of a head, or your picture if you set one), then click "Switch Account".

2. Download the email from each account into an email client like Outlook or Thunderbird.

   Gmail supports downloading your mail via POP3 or IMAP. If you do this, you can read and respond to messages from each account with the same program. POP3 will probably download a little faster, but IMAP will also synchronize your email client with the web version. IMAP is usually preferable. To set either option up, click the options icon (looks like a gear), then mail settings, then "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" and follow the instructions on that page.

3. If you have an Android phone, add the accounts on that.

   Android phones have a Gmail app that supports multiple accounts. You can even have it throw up a notification on your phone when there is a new message on any of the accounts. Google also just released an iPhone app for gmail.

Answer 2

You should configure your preferred account to fetch mails from other accounts and then configure Send Email as.. in Gmail settings.

Answer 3

Gmail and Google App email accounts are accessible via IMAP. Pretty much any desktop client will let you create multiple IMAP accounts, and some will show a unified inbox if you like.

They generally also will automatically select the correct "From:" email address when replying, though composing a new email may require selecting the right account from a dropdown.

I use Thunderbird with the Virtual Identity extension, which will track the "From" email that you use to email anyone, and automatically populate the from field with the correct email address each time you compose an email.

No need to forward any emails to a common account, email clients will check multiple accounts simultaneously.

Answer 4

I've suffered from the same problem when I was switching over from my regular Gmail address to my Google Apps account. I've solved it by setting my regular Gmail account to forward all it's email to my main account (Google Apps). I've also set it up so that it can send mail as my other account.

It's pretty easy to do, as it's all just in Gmail's settings. To setup the forwarding log in to your account that you want to forward from and go to Settings->Forwarding and POP/IMAP->Add a forwarding address. After entering your email it will send a confirmation email to address (to verify it's yours). Then to setup sending email as your other account login to your main account and again go to Settings->Accounts->Add another email address you own. From Again it will send an email to confirm. Once that's done you can send and receive email from all your accounts from just the one. You may also want to create a label in Gmail so that you can quickly identify which account an email is sent to. There is also an option in settings to set the default reply email to a specific email address or set it to the account the email was sent to.