How to Set Up an Email Account
Many things can seem complicated and confusing when we first start to use them, and email can be like that. With a bit of perseverance, it is not going to take long before you are chatting with the grandchildren and keeping in touch with friends. Here we will talk about how to set up an email account. You may also have found that many businesses and organizations have asked you for your email address. This is another reason to know how to set up an email account. The speed of the internet means that important information can be with you in seconds compared to several days if it was sent via mail
How to Set Up an Email Account With a Provider
Just as there is a whole heap of delivery companies, there are also hundreds of email providers. Whenever selecting an email company to use, we should consider if they are reputable and whether they provide reliable service. We should be critical and careful when deciding as we would be when calling in a painter or electrician.
Generally, the larger and most well-known companies are going to be the best option. They have large support teams, will have a system to cope with millions of emails every day and have back-up technology should there be a problem.
Providers to consider include:
- Microsoft Outlook
- Gmail
- Yahoo
- AOL
- GMX
There is usually no need to pay anything for your email service. Now, these companies do need to make a profit but\ they generally do this by hoping that you might purchase other services or by showing some adverts on their web pages. Some companies do offer the option of paying a small monthly subscription so that the adverts are hidden, but usually, they are really not that intrusive.
Another reason to upgrade could be if you need more storage space for your emails. Each email will take up a small amount of storage and when a photo or video is attached, it takes up more space. For most people, however, the storage provided is more than enough to save thousands of emails before needing to consider an upgrade.
Setting Up an Email Address
We are going to use Microsoft Outlook as an example, but you will find that the process is very similar for all the providers.
Choosing A User Name
The first decision is to think about what you would like the first part of your email address to be. The second part is the name of the provider. You might have little flexibility at this point because if you have a more common name, then someone else might have got there before you. If that is the case, try a combination of middle initials, abbreviations, or perhaps a word or number which has meaning to you.
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Choosing a Password
Each time you access your email, you will need to enter your password, so make sure that it is something you can easily remember. The most secure passwords are ones that use a combination of upper and lower-case letters, numbers and special characters.
If you tick the box next to “Show password” you will see the password as you enter it. This will help you to make sure that you did not mistype anything.
Enter Your Personal Details
You will now be asked to enter your name, the country you live in and your date of birth. You may be asked for this information if you ever forget your password, so do make sure you enter it accurately
Enter the Security Code
You will see several different characters on the screen. This is to check that it is a real person who is signing up rather than a computer program. Sometimes it can be challenging to see these clearly, so just press the new button for different ones, or press the audio button to hear the letters instead, before typing them in.
Now you are all done. You will now see a screen telling you that your email address is being set-up and then it will change to show you your email account.
The Inbox
All emails will sit in the inbox, waiting for you to read them. New ones will be in bold and to read these, you simply need to click on it once and the full message will appear for you.
How to Send an Email
- Click on the “New Email” button at the top of the screen.
- In the “To” box, enter the email address of the person you want to get in touch with. It is important to get the address exactly right for it to be delivered, so a quick double-check is called for.
- In the subject box, type in what the email is about. This helps the person who receives it to have an idea of what the message is all about.
- In the next box, you can then type your message.
- When you are all done, press the send button and it is gone.
Email Safety
Just as in other aspects of life, some individuals use the internet to con and take advantage of others. Emails can be produced which can look very official and as if they come from a bank of government department, so do keep the following in mind:
- Neither your bank nor credit card company will ever ask you to provide your details to them by email. Give them a call or drop in to check if it really was them.
- If you are asked to make any kind of payment before receiving a prize, gift, lottery winning, or similar, its likely to be a scam. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
- An email begging for money from someone you do not know is also, sadly, likely to be a con. If you would like to donate to help those in need, get in touch with a registered non-profit organization that will be delighted to offer advice.