FAQ: Google settings

Enable mobile and desktop access

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Follow these steps to set up your smartphone or desktop email program to receive Stanford Alumni Email:

1) Go to the Stanford Alumni Association website and Create a POP/IMAP password in your profile. If you do not set up a POP/IMAP password in your profile, you will receive an error when you set up in the device or program.
2) Log in to Alumni Email
3) Enable POP/IMAP in your Google settings
4) Configure your mobile or desktop email program.

To complete the configuration, you will need:

• Email address:   You must use username@alumni.stanford.edu for your email address.  Your username@stanfordalaumni.org email address will not work.
• Password:  You must use the POP/IMAP password you set up in your profile on step 1 or you will receive an error during your set up.
• Incoming server:  imap.gmail.com
• Outgoing server:  smtp.gmail.com
  

Common problems with POP/IMAP set-up:

• Your email address:  you must enter username@alumni.stanford.edu.  username@stanfordalumni.org and username@gmail.com will not work
• Password:  you must have created a POP/IMAP password (see step #1 above).  Your Stanford Alumni site password will not work. 
• If you want to use IMAP, make sure to enable it in your Google settings (step #3 above)

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Turn off (or on) conversation view

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Gmail organizes email into conversations, meaning that emails with the same subject line will be stacked under the most recent message. When you are first getting used to your new mailbox, we recommend turning conversation view off; it's easy to turn back on again. To turn off conversation view, click on the "gear" in the upper right hand corner of your Alumni Email, select Email Settings and select the "General" tab. Select the radio button next to 'Conversation view off'. Learn more

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Enable forwarding

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Gmail lets you automatically forward incoming mail to another address. In addition to forwarding the message to another account, Gmail will keep a copy in your mailbox. You can decide if the copy should be kept in your Inbox, All Mail (archive) or Trash. Learn how to set up forward settings.

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Delete a forward setting

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Now that you have adequate storage and mobile and desktop access, you may want to discontinue forwarding your mail. To delete a forward setting, select the "gear" in the upper right-hand corner of your mail screen. Select "Mail Settings" from the drop-down. Select the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab. Select the radio button that says "Disable forwarding".

If you had multiple forward settings, you will find the remainder under the Settings tab called "Filters". A filter that was set for forwarding will say:
Matches: from:(*)
Do this: Forward to emailaddress@domain
To remove the filter, click "delete" to the left of the filter.

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Add contacts

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Google has a robust Contact Manager. You can access it from within Google Mail (left side of the screen) or by selecting the "Contacts" tab at the top of the screen. You can easily create new contacts. In addition, email addresses are automatically added to your Contacts list each time you use the Reply, Reply to all, or Forward functions to send messages to addresses not previously stored in your Contacts list. You can also set up Contact Groups so that you can message a larger group of people at one time.

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Create labels

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Folders are called "Labels" in Google Mail. Labels are Google's way of categorizing information. They display to the left of the subject line of a message; they are also in the left side of a Gmail page. You can assign multiple labels to a single message. Labels can be color-coded for easy identification. Learn how to create a label

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Create filters

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Google Mail filters allow you to manage the flow of incoming messages. Using filters, you can automatically label, archive, delete, star, or forward your mail, even keep it out of Spam -- all based on a combination of keywords, sender, recipients, and more. Learn how to create filters

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Create an alias

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An email alias is one or more additional email names that direct mail to your primary email address. Email aliases are useful when you have to provide an email address and you don't want to give out your primary address. Aliases allow you the ability to provide an alternate email address that will deliver mail to your primary email box but can be deleted later to quit receiving the email directed to it. Google aliases may contain letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), dashes (-), underscores (_), and periods (.). Other special characters are not allowed. If you would like to create a new alias, go to the Alumni Email tab in your Profile on the Stanford Alumni website. To view existing aliases, click on the "gear" in the upper right hand corner of your Alumni Email, select Email Settings and select the "Accounts" tab.

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Create a signature

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A signature is a standard message automatically inserted at the bottom of every message you send. Google allows for a single signature. Learn how to create a signature

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Change the time zone

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The time zone for Stanford Google Apps is set to Pacific Time Zone. If you want to change the time zone, you will have to go to your Google Calendar. Click the gear icon at the top of any Google Calendar page. Click Calendar settings and select the General tab. In the Country section, select your country. In the Your current time zone section, select your time zone. Click Save.

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Add a vacation response

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You can set up a vacation response in your Gmail settings that will automatically reply to anyone who emails you. Learn how to set a vacation response

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Enable an Outlook style preview pane

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A preview pane allows you to read mail right next to your list of conversations. Although preview panes are not a standard feature in Google, you'll be happy to know that there is a way to get them! Click on the "gear" in the upper right hand corner of your Alumni Email, select Email Settings and select the "Labs" tab. Scroll down the page to Preview Pane (labs are arranged alphabetically) and select "Enable". Save changes at the bottom of the page. Note that Google Labs is a testing ground for experimental features that aren't quite ready for primetime. They may change, break or disappear at any time.

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