How to check a Google Auxiliary Email account


**NOTICE** As of May 10, 2023 there will be no more creation of GAE accounts!

Use this link for a list of alternatives:

https://vtx.vt.edu/notices/2023/05/it-gae-shared-drive-changes.html?utm_source=cmp[%E2%80%A6]ws&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=vtUnirelNewsDailyCMP_050823-fs

 

Introduction

This article describes

Instructions

GAE Account Owners

Recommended Approach for GAE Account Owners: Only an owner of the GAE can log directly in to the GAE account. When logging in to a GAE, it is recommended to use an incognito/private browser session to avoid cookie/session issues across user sessions and apps.

To access a GAE account as an owner, 

  1. Open a browser window (incognito/private is recommended) and go to the desired app by typing either https://mail.google.com/ or https://calendar.google.com/. 
  2. Click Sign-in, if it isn’t already presented, and enter your GAE address.
  3. Once you reach the next page, (the VT sign in page) enter your VT username and passphrase (not the GAE).
  4. After successful 2-factoring, you will find your GAE in a drop-down at mid lower left

    Dialog showing the dropdown for selecting your GAE account highlighted

  5. Select your GAE and click the Auxiliary button (this logs you into the GAE account).

    Dialog showing the Auxiliary button highlighted

Delegated Users

Recommended Approach for GAE Account Users (non-owners): To access a GAE account as a non-owner, you must first be assigned delegation rights to the GAE account by the owner. GAE account owners can configure and check delegation settings by following the steps outlined by Google at:

New delegates will be sent an email that they will need to approve (link provided in email), after which they will gain access. This can take several hours to propagate through the system. We recommend that we set your own account up as a delegate, so you don't need to log in to the GAE directly for Gmail access. You, as a delegate, will see your delegated access to the GAE’s Gmail in the top right by clicking on your icon/avatar. Delegated accounts display below your VT profile image. Once you are configured as a delegate, follow the steps below to access the GAE account:

  1. Go to https://www.gmail.com using a Web browser.
  2. If prompted to log in,
    1. Enter your VT email address (not the GAE).
    2. After being redirected to the VT Login service, log in with your VT Username, password, and two-factor authentication.
  3. Once your account opens, select your profile picture in the upper right corner to expose other account options.
  4. Pick the delegated GAE account from the list to switch to that account.

Troubleshooting

What if I have any problems accessing my GAE account using a mail client, such as the Outlook desktop app?

POP and IMAP connections do not support two-factor authentication. If you were using this method previously, your client will not function. We highly recommend that you use a Web browser to check your GAE account instead to gain the best security benefits. However, if you are the owner of the GAE account and you still want to use a specific mail client to access your GAE account, you can create a unique application password for the GAE account following the steps in KB0011619.

GAE delegates are not able to use a POP/IMAP connection with a mail client to check GAE accounts. GAE delegates should only use the Web browser approach listed above. 

Other Information

The flowchart below provides a visual reference to determine which approach for account access may be appropriate for you or your users.

 GAE Flowchart

Download Flowchart as PDF

Links from above image:

 If you need to create an unique application password based on the PDF guide, we recommend you take a look at KB0011619.