If you’re a Gmail user, you may have heard of the “dot trick” or “period trick.” It’s a simple but powerful tool that can help you better organize your inbox and manage your email subscriptions. In this article, we’ll explain what the dot trick is, how it works, and how you can use it to make the most of your Gmail account.

What is the Gmail dot trick?

The Gmail dot trick is a method for creating multiple email addresses that all redirect to your primary Gmail account. Here’s how it works: Gmail ignores periods in email addresses, so “johndoe@gmail.com” is the same as “john.doe@gmail.com” and “j.o.h.n.d.o.e@gmail.com.” This means you can add as many periods as you want to your email address, and Gmail will still deliver your messages to your primary inbox.

Unfortunately, this trick only works with gmail.com addresses. If you have your own domain, this won’t work for you.

How can the Gmail dot trick be used?

One of the most popular uses of the Gmail dot trick is for managing email subscriptions. Let’s say you want to sign up for a newsletter, but you’re worried about getting too many emails. You can use the Gmail dot trick to create a unique email address for that newsletter. For example, if your primary email address is “johndoe@gmail.com,” you could use “j.o.h.n.d.o.e@gmail.com” to sign up for the newsletter. This way, all the newsletters you sign up for will be sent to this unique email address, and you can easily filter them into a separate folder or label in your Gmail account.

Another way to use the Gmail dot trick is for creating multiple accounts on the same website. Many websites require you to use a unique email address for each account you create. With the Gmail dot trick, you can use the same email address with different variations, such as “johndoe@gmail.com,” “john.doe@gmail.com,” and “j.o.h.n.d.o.e@gmail.com.” This way, you can easily keep track of all your accounts without having to create new email addresses for each one.

The Gmail dot trick can also be used for security purposes. If you’re signing up for a service or website that requires an email address, but you’re not sure if you can trust them with your primary email address, you can use the Gmail dot trick to create a unique email address for that service. This way, if the service starts spamming your inbox or selling your email address to third parties, you can simply filter all the messages to that unique email address into the trash.

Conclusion

The Gmail dot trick is a simple but powerful tool that can help you better manage your inbox and protect your privacy. By creating multiple email addresses that all redirect to your primary Gmail account, you can easily organize your messages, filter out unwanted emails, and keep track of multiple accounts without having to create new email addresses for each one. Whether you’re a heavy email user or just looking for a way to better manage your inbox, the Gmail dot trick is definitely worth a try.