If you currently use an Xtra email address, now is a good time to move over to Gmail. This guide walks you through setting up a Google Account and moving your contacts, auto-reply and email forwarding across from Xtra.
What is a Google Account?
A Google Account gives you access to many Google products. With a Google Account, you can send and receive email using Gmail — this is what most people use it for. You can also:
- Find your new favourite video on YouTube
- Download apps from Google Play
- Stay organised and plan your day with Google Calendar
And more — you can see the full list of Google products here.
Do you already have a Google Account?
If you have an Android mobile phone, such as a Samsung, Huawei or Oppo, the chances are you already have a Gmail account. Likewise, if you’ve signed in to any Google product before — Gmail, Maps, or YouTube — you already have a Google Account. You can use the same username and password to sign in to any other Google product, including Gmail.
Find your Google Account on a mobile device
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Open the Play Store
It’s an app on your phone, shown below.
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Tap your profile picture
It’s in the upper-right corner. This will be a custom photo, or most likely the first letter of your first name.
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Check your account details
You’ll see all the details for your account here, including the email address at the very top.
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Find your Google Account on a computer
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Go to accounts.google.com
Open accounts.google.com in your web browser.
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Sign in if needed
If you’re not signed in, but you know you’ve signed in to a Google product before, enter that email address here.
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View your account
Once signed in, you’ll be shown your name and email address, along with access to your Google Account.
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Creating a new Google Account
If you’ve gone through the steps above and haven’t been able to sign in, no worries — let’s create you a new account.
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Go to the sign in page
On any device, go to accounts.google.com/signin
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Start creating your account
Click ‘Create account’, then ‘For my personal use’.
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Enter your name
Enter your first and last name as prompted, then click ‘Next’.
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Enter your birthday and gender
Fill these in and click ‘Next’.
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Choose your new email address
You don’t need to add ‘@gmail.com’ — it does this automatically. Click ‘Next’.
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Note
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Create your password
Create and confirm your password, then click ‘Next’.
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Tip
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Add a recovery phone number (optional)
This can help you find out if someone else is using your account, take back your account if someone else knows your password, or get back in if you forget your password or can’t sign in for another reason.
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You’re all set
Moving your contacts and email from Xtra
Now that you’ve created your Google Account, there are a few things to do to move over from Xtra to Gmail. We’ll go through these now.
Exporting contacts from Xtra
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Log in to Xtra Mail
Go to spark.co.nz/xtramail/signin and sign in.
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Open your address book
Click on the ‘Address Book / Contacts’ tab.
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Select your contacts
Select the contacts you’d like to download, or choose ‘Select All’ to grab your whole address book.
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Export your contacts
Look for the ‘Export’ or ‘Save as file’ button in the options menu.
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Save the file
Confirm the download to somewhere you know, like the desktop. This saves a .csv file to your computer with your contacts.
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Importing contacts to Gmail
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Go to Google Contacts
On your computer, go to contacts.google.com
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Open the import screen
On the left, click ‘More’, then ‘Import’.
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Choose your file
Click ‘Select File’ and choose the file you saved in the ‘Exporting contacts from Xtra’ step above.
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Import
Click ‘Import’.
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Create an auto-reply email
It’s a good idea to set up what Xtra call a ‘vacation responder’. This message is sent to anyone who emails you, and it’s a great way of letting people know your new email address.
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Open View
Select ‘View’ from the top right of your screen.
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Find the vacation notice setting
Scroll down and select ‘Vacation notice’.
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Turn it on
Click the Vacation notice toggle to enable the auto-reply.
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Write your message
In the subject section, write a subject for your auto-response, and in the message section, write your reply.
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Example message
Thanks for your email. Please note that I have changed my email to [INSERT NEW GMAIL HERE]. Please update your records.
Thanks,
[NAME HERE]”
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Apply your changes
Select ‘Apply Changes’.
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Creating an email forward
It’s also a good idea to set up an email forward that sends everything received in your Xtra inbox to your new Gmail address. This helps make sure you’ve updated your email everywhere it needs to be — more on that below.
Important
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Open Settings
Select the Settings icon from the top right of your screen.
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Open Email settings
Select ‘Email’ from the options on the left.
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Open Mail Forwarding
Select ‘Mail Forwarding’.
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Turn on forwarding
Select the ‘Forward and keep a copy’ button.
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Enter your new address
Enter your new Gmail address in the Forwarding address field.
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Save
Select ‘Save’.
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Closing your Xtra account
Now that everything is set up, there are a few things to consider before you close your Xtra account.
First, it’s important to update your email address with your other service providers. They often don’t see the auto-reply we set up earlier, so it’s a good idea to get ahead and let them know directly. These may include, but aren’t limited to:
- Utilities and insurance company accounts
- MyIR account and online banking details
- Doctor’s surgery or local clinic
- Library account
- Any subscriptions, like online newsletters
- Streaming platforms, like Netflix, Neon or Sky
- Social media accounts, like Facebook
- Charities, churches or other community groups
Note
Tip
Before you close your account
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