Gmail is one of the most popular email services, thanks to its numerous features and ease of use. One such feature is email delegation, which lets another person access your inbox without a password. It can be useful for school or university admins, businesses that reply to customers, and other organizations.

In this guide, we show you how to delegate a Gmail account from the desktop or one of thebest Chromebooks.

Screenshot of Gmail Settings

What can a Gmail delegate access?

Gmail lets you delegate access to others so that you may easily manage your inbox. Users assigned as delegates have full access to your inbox without knowing your password.

A delegate can perform basic tasks in Gmail, such as opening emails and replying to messages on behalf of the account holder. They can also delete, sort, label, and archive emails. However, it’s worth noting that delegates can’t change the account settings or use Google Chat.

Screenshot of the Gmail Accounts and Import page

You can only assign a Gmail delegate from the desktop. When set up, delegates can reply to emails from the desktop only (not the Gmail app).

How to assign a delegate to your Gmail account

Here’s how to set up a delegate for your Gmail account:

Gmail might temporarily lock down your account if a delegate can’t answer a security question or a login challenge.Google recommends granting access to a maximum of 40 concurrent usersto ensure the account isn’t compromised.

Screenshot showing how to add a delegate to Gmail account

How to access an account as a Gmail delegate

Here’s how to access a Gmail account after someone adds you as a delegate:

How to revoke access of a Gmail delegate

you’re able to remove a delegate from your Gmail account by following these steps:

Use Gmail delegation to manage your inbox

Assigning someone as a delegate on your Gmail account is a convenient way to manage your inbox without giving out your password. Gmail provides various features to help you organize your emails, includingadvanced search filters, inbox categories, and search options. Still, you might encounter issues or bugs with the email service. Fix them by referring to our guide onhow to resolve the most common problems with Gmail.

Screenshot highlighting ‘Send email to grant access’ in Gmail

Screenshot highlighting ‘Delegated’ beside the primary account name in Gmail