Should I uncheck “Treat as an alias” in Gmail?
When you add another address to your Gmail account for sending messages, Gmail typically treats it the same as your original Gmail address (as an alias for that address). But if you’re sending on behalf of another user, you might want to uncheck the Treat as an alias box.
You can check or uncheck the box when you add the other address. Or change the setting later by going to Gmail settings.
I want to…
Send and receive messages in my Gmail inbox
Check the Treat as an alias box.
Example: You own 2 email addresses. You want mail sent to either address to arrive in the same Gmail inbox. When you send mail, you choose which address to send from. Recipients see that the mail came from whichever address you choose.
Send on behalf of another user or account
Uncheck Treat as an alias.
Example: You manage 2 email addresses in separate accounts or mail systems. You sign in to each account separately to read its messages. But you want the convenience of sending mail as either address, from your Gmail account.
If you uncheck the box:
- Messages sent to the address you’re adding don’t appear in your current Gmail Inbox. Instead, you need to sign in to another account or mail system to receive the messages. The other account must be able to get mail at this address.
- Replying to messages from the other address adds that address to the To: field.
Send from a group mailing list
Check Treat as an alias.
Example: You use Gmail at work or school and belong to a group mailing list. In addition to receiving group posts in your Gmail inbox, you want to send messages using the group address. You can add the group address as a sending address and leave the box checked.
Compare
| Treated as alias (box checked) | Not an alias (unchecked) | |
|---|---|---|
| Messages sent to the other address appear in this Gmail inbox | ✔ | ✘ |
| Messages you send from the other address appear in Sent mail | ✔ | ✔ |
| Replying to messages you send from your other address fills the To: field with… | Your primary address | The sender’s address |
Verify or change your setting
- Sign in to Gmail.
- In the top right, click Settings
Settings.
- Click the Accounts and Import or Accounts tab.
- In the “Send mail as” section, find the address and click edit info.
- Check or uncheck Treat as an alias.
- Click Save.
Note: When two users have the same ‘Send mail as’ address and there is a message sent between them, the recipient will see the email automatically located under the ‘Sent mail’ label in addition to the ‘Inbox’ label.
