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I have an (old) Android phone (HTC Incredible ADR6300) which I have configured with 1 Gmail account. I have downloaded a bunch of apps from Google Play. Most of the apps are Free, but I have a few dollars worth of purchased apps.

Over time, that Gmail account now has many emails (over 2 Gigs). This seems to be a problem for the phone as it won't finish syncing emails with Gmail anymore (appears to hang), and it probably uses lots of phone memory and time trying.

I know I can associate another Gmail email address with my phone, but I'm not sure if that will work in my situation.

I'd like to use the new Gmail address for emails (as the "Primary" email address for the phone), but still access the apps I have, which are associated with my old Gmail address.

I guess there are a few ways I can do this, but I'm not sure which (if any) will work:

  1. I can add another email address to the phone under:
    Menu -> Settings -> Accounts and sync -> Add account
    but I don't know if it will allow for me to choose this new account as the "Primary" email address for the phone, for syncing emails, etc.

    If it does allow that, will Google Play be able to figure out (or will I be able to tell GP) which Gmail account to use to authenticate the apps I already have?

  2. Similar to #1, on the phone under:
    Menu -> Settings -> Accounts and sync -> Manage accounts -> [old-Gmail]
    I see an option: "Remove account"

    I could (perhaps in some specific order) add a new Gmail account, then remove the old account, then add back the old Gmail account. (Will this make the new Gmail account "Primary" ?)

    Again, I don't know if this will work, but if it does, it should solve the email sync issue, but I might still have the issue with Google Play and my existing downloaded apps.

  3. I could back up the phone (as much as possible), and do a factory reset (I will probably do this at some point anyway), and configure the new Gmail account as the "Primary" email address for the phone. I should then be able to sync Gmail, etc. And, I could add the old Gmail account under: Menu -> Settings -> Accounts and sync -> Add account

    This would probably be the best option, but I might still have the issue with Google Play and my existing downloaded apps.

  4. I could just start over. Reset the phone, configure the new Gmail address, re-download (and some re-purchase) my apps, and forget about using the old email address on the phone. This will work for sure, and it might be the only  way, but not the best way if other options will work.

So, will the easier options #1 or #2 work, or perhaps the more involved option #3? Or am I stuck with the least desirable option #4? (Perhaps some other option I'm not considering?)

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2 Answers 2

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If you add an additional Google account, Android will ask you which account to use when there is ambiguity. From the main screen of most Google apps (including Play Store), you can tap the upper left corner of the app, and from the slideout menu touch your email address (which will be at the top of the slideout menu), and then choose another address associated with the fun to use the app as that account.

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The first answer is one way to do it, just make sure in settings under sync, that you remove the check box for gmail and any other services you aren't going to use from that account. Another way which I haven't tested myself as far as retaining apps but should work is to log into your gmail account from a browser and go to settings and there is an option to set up alias gmail accounts under your main account.

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