How to Change Your Default Google Account

Google has become an integral part of our digital life, and now, most people have more than one Google account.

However, you can only use some Google tools such as Google Drive on the account they are linked to. If you have a work account and a personal one, you might need to set one as default.

Unfortunately, there’s no single button to change your default account. You will have to go through a process. This guide will take you through.

Change Your Default Google Account

According to Google, the account you used to sign-in first is your default account. You’ll find it labeled as ‘default’ at the top of the Google menu.

To change your default account, follow these steps.

• Step 1: Open Google Chrome and go to gmail.com
• Step 2: It will open your default Gmail account if you’re signed in. On the top right side of the screen, click on your profile icon.
• Step 3: Sign out of all the accounts. Click on “Sign out of all accounts.”
• Step 4: Now sign in with the account you want to set as default. Like we said earlier, the first account you use to sign in becomes the default.
• Step 5: You can then add back the other accounts.

To confirm the change, click on your profile icon at the top right corner. You should see your new default account at the top (with the “manage your account” button) and all the other accounts listed below it.

It’s important to note that the change applies to the device you used only. If you need to change your default Google account in other devices, follow the same steps on every device. If you are selling your old phone then don’t forget to remove this default account as well.

How To Change Your Default Google Account on Android

You can do this on the web using Google chrome on your Android by following the above steps.

However, if you want to do it on your Android settings, here are the steps.

• Step 1: Go to “Settings” on your phone and click on “Google.”
• Step 2: Your default account will be displayed at the top of the page. Click on the drop-down arrow on your email address to see the other accounts.
• Step 3: Click on “Manage accounts on this device.”
• Step 4: Select your default account, then click “Remove Account.”

Your account will be removed from the device. It is important to note all the information on the account will be deleted. If you had backed up the account, you could restore the information when you add back the account.

• Step 5: You will see a pop-up message to confirm if you want to remove the account. If you are okay with it, click on the “Remove account.” The account will be removed.
• Step 6: Go back to Google settings, tap on the drop-down arrow, and click on “Add another account.”
• Step 7: Confirm your password, enter the details of the account you want to add (maybe the one you removed), then log in.

When Do You Need To Change Your Default Account?

A single Google account works perfectly for most people. But you might require to have separate accounts for different purposes.

Some scenarios that would require the change include:

• You might be using G Suite on a work account and Gmail for personal stuff.
• Each account might be having different privacy settings, such as two-step authentication.
• You might have different language settings on one account.

We all agree, operating several accounts is not the easiest of tasks, but sometimes it’s necessary. 

You can find the easiest way to manage the accounts to make your work easier. Have you tried to open a Google Docs file only for Google to tell you you don’t have permission on that account?

It isn’t very pleasant, right? I know. Here’s how you can manage multiple accounts easily.

Tips to Manage Multiple Google Accounts

1. Make sure the profile image on every account is distinct. It will help you differentiate the accounts easily.
2. For the two accounts you often use, set up file sharing privileges. You don’t have to keep opening two accounts at the same time while you can use sharing and editing settings.
3. Use the incognito mode on your browser to temporarily access another account that’s not the default.
4. Install Chrome extensions that can allow you to log in to sites using a different Google account.
5. For the three accounts logged into Google Backup & Sync, make sure every account has a different location where you will be backing up files from that account. This will help you avoid mixing up files when backing up.
6. For every Google account, use different profiles. From profile image to extensions and other settings.
7. Start by signing in to your default account, then sign in to the other accounts.
8. Use Google’s Advanced Protection Program on each of your Google accounts to ensure their safety.

Take-Home

Having several Google accounts is expected. You may not need to change your default account, but the process is easy if you do. Just follow the steps on this guide, and you’ll soon get used to it.