Gmail: Delegate Email Access (Add Account)

University of Minnesota email accounts require a specific type of authentication (Shibboleth). Because of this, you will not be able to add multiple UMN Gmail accounts when attempting to sign into multiple Gmail accounts at once (you will still be able to add additional personal Gmail accounts).

If you have multiple UMN Gmail accounts (such as those tied to departmental or sponsored accounts), you may instead obtain access to those inboxes simultaneously by setting up Delegate access. Setting up delegated access will allow you to easily switch between UMN email inboxes.

Note: Delegation does not carry over to Google's Inbox application. 

Enable Delegate Access from Secondary Accounts

1. Using a web browser, navigate to Gmail and sign into the account you want to add (ie. the secondary account). 
2. Click on the Gear icon in the upper right corner of the page, then select See all settings.
   
3. Select Accounts.
   
4. In the Grant access to your account section, select Add another account.
   
5. A pop-up window will appear. Enter your UMN email address (or the address of the primary account you wish to delegate access to). 
6. Select Send email to grant access.
   
   NOTE: Delegate Gmail access cannot be granted across domains. Each UMN campus has a separate Google Domain (including the Twin Cities, Crookston, Duluth, Morris, and Rochester). For example, you will not be able to share access to [email protected] with [email protected] and vice versa. 

Accept access to the secondary account

1. In your UMN Gmail (or primary email address), open the email from the University of Minnesota Team. 
2. Select the link to accept this request in the email.
   
3. You will be redirected to a confirmation page. Select Confirm to finish setting up delegated access.
   
   Note that it may take up to 30 minutes for verification to complete and for the account to appear.

How to use this feature

1. In Gmail, select your profile icon in the upper right corner. Another window will appear with a list of all accounts you are simultaneously signed into or have delegated email access to.
   
2. Select the Delegated email address to open its inbox.
3. A new Gmail tab will open in your browser. This window will contain all the emails from the Gmail account you have delegated access to. 

Note: To add or remove delegate access, you must log in as the secondary account you delegated access from. You cannot access these settings from your primary UMN account or the delegated view of the secondary inbox.