To send email from an alias address through your Gmail account, generate a Google App Password, then add the alias under Settings → Accounts and Import → Send mail as with smtp.gmail.com:587 as the SMTP server and the App Password (not your normal Gmail password) as the credential. The alias has to already forward to your Gmail, and your account needs 2-Step Verification enabled.
Prerequisites: The alias address is a forwarder pointing to your Gmail. You need 2-Step Verification enabled on your Google account.
- Go to myaccount.google.com/apppasswords, create an App Password, and copy the 16-character code without spaces. You must have two-factor auth turned on.
- In Gmail: Settings → See all settings → Accounts and Import → "Send mail as" → Add another email address
- Enter the alias name (e.g. Ryan Carter, however you want it to show in the person's inbox) and alias email address (e.g. ryan@someplace.com), click Next Step
- Fill in the SMTP dialog:
- Server: smtp.gmail.com
- Port: 587
- Username: your real Gmail address (e.g. ryan1234@gmail.com)
- Password: the App Password (no spaces, NOT your regular password)
- Security: TLS (don't need to select it usually, it is by default)
- Click Add Account — Gmail sends a verification email to your alias, which forwards it to your Gmail inbox
- Click the confirmation link in that email
Done — the alias will now appear in the From dropdown when composing.
Turning on 2-Step Verification:
Go to myaccount.google.com/security → scroll down to "How you sign in to Google" → click "2-Step Verification" → follow the prompts.
If you use Google Workspace:
Yes, it works the same way with one caveat — your Workspace admin has to allow App Passwords. If the App Passwords option doesn't appear at myaccount.google.com/apppasswords, it means the admin has it disabled. They'd need to go to the Admin Console → Security → Authentication → and enable "Allow users to manage their own app passwords." Also in Workspace there's an extra step: the admin needs to enable "Allow users to send mail through an external SMTP server" under Apps → Google Workspace → Gmail → Advanced settings. Otherwise the SMTP relay gets blocked.
FAQ
Why do I have to use an App Password instead of my regular Gmail password?
Google blocks third-party access (including SMTP) using your normal account password by default — that's what 2-Step Verification is for. App Passwords are 16-character credentials scoped to a single app and revocable from your Google account, so they're safer than handing your real password to an SMTP client.
Can I do this without enabling 2-Step Verification?
No. App Passwords only exist on accounts with 2-Step Verification turned on. The "less secure app access" toggle that used to allow this was deprecated by Google in 2022.
Will recipients see my real Gmail address anywhere?
No — once the alias is verified, mail sent from it shows only the alias address in the From field. Recipients can still inspect the raw message headers and see Gmail's servers in the trace, but your real Gmail address is not exposed in the From, Reply-To, or visible headers.
What if I want replies to come back to my real Gmail and not the alias?
That's the default if your alias is a forwarder pointing to your Gmail — replies go to the alias and get forwarded back. If you want replies to bypass the alias and hit your Gmail directly, set "Reply-To" to your real Gmail address when composing, or configure it on the Send-mail-as entry.
Can I send from multiple aliases?
Yes — repeat the same setup for each alias. Each one becomes a separate option in the From dropdown when composing. You can also pick a default From address per recipient under "When replying to a message."