How to Use a Personal Gmail Next to a Work Google Account

You want both inboxes open on the same computer and phone without mixing them up. Google supports two accounts in one browser, a separate Chrome profile for each, or both accounts in the Gmail app.

Add the second account in the browser

Open Gmail with either account, click your profile picture in the top right, and click Add another account. Sign in with the other address. Both accounts are now signed in to the same browser.

Switch by clicking the profile picture

Click the profile picture and pick the other account. It opens in a new tab, and each account keeps its own tab. Look at the address bar: the first account is mail.google.com/mail/u/0 and the second is mail.google.com/mail/u/1. Bookmark both addresses so each inbox opens directly.

Or give each account its own Chrome profile

Click the profile icon next to the address bar in Chrome, click Add (or Add new profile), and sign in with the second account. Each profile opens in its own window with its own bookmarks, extensions, history, and saved passwords, so nothing leaks between them. Switch by clicking the profile icon and choosing the other name.

Add both accounts to the Gmail app

On iPhone or Android, open Gmail, tap your profile picture in the top right, tap Add another account, choose Google, and sign in. To switch, tap the picture and pick the account, or swipe up or down on the picture. To see both inboxes in one list, tap the three-line menu and choose All inboxes.

Keep the two accounts apart

Do not set up forwarding from the work account to the personal one; most companies forbid it, and the admin can see the forwarding rule. Do not sign in to the personal account inside a managed work Chrome profile if your workplace's policy forbids it; use a separate profile or a different browser for personal mail instead.

If you are not sure which account a tab is on. Read the /u/0 or /u/1 in the address bar, or click the profile picture; the active account is listed first.

If you worry about your employer seeing personal mail. A work admin can see activity in the work account and in a managed work profile, but not in a personal account kept in its own profile.