Gmail vs Google Mail – Is There Actually A Difference?

It’s the age-old question: what’s the difference between Gmail.com and GoogleMail.com Gmail accounts?

Have you ever wondered why some Gmail accounts are name@gmail.com and others are name@googlemail.com? It’s not something most think about, but there is a difference.

And it is actually kind of an interesting story…

Back in the day, when Gmail first launched – April, 1 2004 – Google set about obtaining trademarks for Gmail.

However, as it quickly found out, this wasn’t going to be as simple as it first thought.

Gmail vs Google Mail – There is a Difference

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You see, the trademark “Gmail” was already registered in a couple of countries – specifically Russia, Germany, and Poland.

This meant that Google could not use Gmail branding in these locations. Google also initially launched Gmail as Google Mail in the UK too.

It was only in 2010 that Google Mail became Gmail in the UK.

In 2004, however, Google needed a workaround for Russia, Germany, and Poland, so it came up with @googlemail.com.

This meant it didn’t have to pay to license Gmail from the IP owners.

Thrifty as ever, Google opted to create with Google Mail, so Gmail accounts in Germany, Poland, and Russia got @googlemail.com, while the rest of the world got @gmail.com.

As of 2012, Google managed to resolve the issue in Germany, so German Google Mail users could switch to Gmail if they wanted to.

You don’t need to, of course, as Google set up Gmail so that gmail.com and googlemail.com emails both point to the same address, so it doesn’t matter which you have.

Emails sent to name@gmail.com will go to the same address as name@googlemail.com.

You can even add a dot (.) inside your Gmail or Google Mail email address – x.yz@gmail.com, for instance – and it will still send it to XYZ@gmail.com.

How To Switch From Google Mail to Gmail

You can switch from googlemail to Gmail, however, if you wish. Just follow these steps:

Gmail Settings > Google “Accounts” tab > Click “switch to @gmail.com” – please note: this link ONLY shows if you’re eligible to switch.

What About @google.com Email Addresses?

In order to get a name@google.com email address, you need to be a Google employee – and that isn’t exactly easy.

@google.com is Google’s corporate email address. It runs on the same technology and platform as Gmail and Google Mail, which also powers G-Suite – now called Google Workspace.

If you get an email from an account with an @google.com ending, it means you’re most likely being emailed from somebody that actually works for Google, and not a scammer.

Googlemail.com Redirects To Gmail.com – Here’s Why

For most people, Google’s email service is called Gmail. This is what most people refer to it as. But some people still call it Googlemail, despite Google’s obvious branding of the email platform as Gmail.

When Gmail first appeared on the market, calling it Googlemail was more common. This was back before Google really fine-tuned its branding for Gmail. But for the last, I don’t know, 10 years, Gmail has been called and branded as Gmail, not Googlemail.

You can even test this out yourself: open your web browser and type in googlemail.com. You’ll see that, despite typing in a specific URL, Google always redirects you to Gmail.com. And that, if there is still any debate about what to call Google’s email platform, should settle things once and for all.

Is The Gmail Logo Masonic?

Here’s another interesting story about Gmail’s history. And it is quite the rabbit hole, let me tell you! Back when Gmail first launched, it used a logo that showed an envelope decked out in red and white. It used this, of course, to signify mail. Innocent enough, right?

But then the internet discovered that Gmail’s logo looked EXACTLY like one of the accouterments worn by freemasons around their waists when attending ceremonies at their lodges.

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These aprons, according to one mason, are not traditional aprons worn by all freemasons; rather, they are a specific group within the wider Freemasonic community known as The Royal Arch.

The aprons shown are associated with the Royal Arch, a group within a larger group known as the York Rite of Freemasonry. The Royal Arch aprons and various other symbols tend to be red where the “Blue Lodge” aprons and symbols tend to be blue. Blue Lodge is the core of Freemasonry, and when you see Freemasons doing their thing in public, it’s very often a Blue Lodge organization

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And because freemasonry is associated with the New World Order, according to conspiracy theorists, a shadowy elite that is hellbent on enslaving all of humanity, people immediately jumped on the idea that Google is somehow affiliated with the Masons and its dastardly plan to take over the world.

Although, you do have to admit that the masonic apron and the Gmail logo do look pretty darn similar.

You Can Also Run Your Business on Gmail

As of 2021, almost 50% of the world’s biggest companies use Gmail as their platform of choice. The next biggest would be Microsoft’s Outlook.

The reason Gmail is so popular with business is that you get access to Google Drive which brings with it a bunch of useful and completely free office applications.

All Gmail users have access to Google Drive through their Gmail, but businesses tend to use Google’s enterprise version – Google Workspace.

Workspace used to be called G-Suite but was rebranded in 2020. Google added a bunch of new, useful features designed to make working remotely a lot easier.

When you sign up to Workspace, you can use your business name as your email. I run KYM on Workspace, so we have @knowyourmobile.com email addresses, not @gmail.com.

Branded email looks more professional which is why it used by businesses. No one wants to get a work related email from a @gmail.com account – it just looks completely unprofessional.

Read more about Workspace’s new features and abilities to find out how it can help your business, large or small, work better.

And check out Why Does iPhone Use Google?

Richard Goodwin

Richard Goodwin has been working as a tech journalist for over 10 years. He is the editor and owner of KnowYourMobile.

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