How to Grant Gmail Access Without Sharing Your Password: Use Delegates Securely

Sharing your email password tests trust but introduces serious security risks—especially if you reuse passwords across accounts. For tips on creating strong, unique passwords, check out our guide: How to Create a Strong Password You Won't Forget.

Gmail's Delegates feature lets you grant trusted individuals access to your inbox without revealing your password. With a personal Gmail account, you can add up to 10 delegates; Google Workspace accounts support up to 25.

Delegates can read, send, and delete emails on your behalf. Sent emails will show both your address and theirs. They can also manage contacts but cannot alter settings, change your password, or chat for you.

This is ideal for team inboxes, assistants, or customer service accounts shared by multiple users.

How to Add a Delegate in Gmail

1. Open Settings > Accounts and Import.
2. Under Grant access to your account, click Add another account.
3. Choose if delegate-read messages should be marked as read.
4. Enter the person's email address and confirm access sharing.

The delegate receives an email with a link to accept within 7 days. Check the Accounts & Import section to see if they've accepted. Access typically activates within 30 minutes.

To see it in action, watch the video below:

How to Remove a Delegate from Gmail

To revoke access:

1. Open Settings > Accounts and Import.
2. Next to the delegate's email, click Delete.

Do you use Gmail delegates? Share your tips for managing shared email access in the comments.