How To Use Google Sheets Without Gmail

Gregory Read more April 30, 2020

While Google products tend to work best when used together, you can still take advantage of these services without committing to joining the ecosystem.

Even if you don’t have a Gmail account, you can still open Google Sheets or other Google Drive docs that are shared with you. However, while you won’t need a Gmail account, you will need a Google account.

The good thing about this is that you have a choice as to whether you would like to create a separate Google account or add an alternate email address to an existing one.

Sharing Google Sheets is often necessary for both personal and business use. However, when the recipient isn’t using a Gmail account, a couple of problems can arise:

The recipient will click the link inside his email, follow the said link to the Google Sheet, and attempt to login with a personal Gmail account. At this point, as it is so often the case, the recipient is then greeted with this –

Upon clicking the Request access button, the sender then receives an email of their own requesting access for the recipient’s personal Gmail account.
Unfortunately, the recipient doesn’t happen to have a Gmail account. This forces them to ask the sender to export the Google Sheet into different a format so that they will be able to read it.

Both are unacceptable outcomes as the first requires the sender to perform an additional step for each recipient and requires that the recipient share a personal Gmail address with the sender.

Luckily, having a Gmail Address and having a Google Account is not one and the same, which makes it easier to keep personal and business-related emails separate.

Let’s take a look at how you can open Google Sheets files without Gmail.

How To Use Google Sheets Without Gmail

In order to solve this problem, you’ll need to use one of two solutions: you can create a separate Google account and attach an alternate email address or create a brand new Google account.

We’ll go over both solutions below.

Creating a New Google Account

Setting up a Google Account with your non-Gmail Address is a rather simple process. Moving forward we’ll use username@yahoo.com as your non-Gmail Address.

To create a new Google Account, follow these steps:

Head to the following URL: https://accounts.google.com/SignUpWithoutGmail
Fill out the form using your preferred email address (username@yahoo.com) and click Next.
Log in to the email you provided and click on the verification link sent to you by Google.

It’s as simple as that. You now have a Google Account created without the need for a Gmail Address. So, whenever you get a request to collaborate on a Google Sheet at that address, you can view it from that account.

Adding an Alternate Email Address

If you don’t want to create a brand new Google account for just one purpose, you can instead add an alternate email address to your existing Google account.

Follow these steps to do so:

Log in to your existing Google Account at https://accounts.google.com
Visit the Email Settings at https://myaccount.google.com/email
Click the Advanced tab as shown in the image.
Click ADD ALTERNATE EMAIL.
If prompted, sign in again using the same account credentials.
You can then enter your non-Gmail address into the box provided. Once complete, click ADD.
Afterward, you should see a pending verification page like the one shown below:
Log in to the email address you provided and click on the verification link sent to you by Google.

Now that your email address is verified, you’re ready to begin using it in conjunction with your existing Google account.

Final Thoughts

Now you have the option to use either your Gmail Address or non-Gmail address to log in to your Google Account. This allows you to open Google Sheets that are sent to either email address within the same account.

For more useful Google Sheets tips and tricks, make sure to check out some of our other articles, such as How to make a dropdown list in Google Sheets.