Google Workspace - Resolve Conflicting Google Accounts

In December, 2016 Western entered an agreement with Google that allows faculty, staff, and students to access Google services using their @wwu.edu email address and universal password. If you already have a personal Google account that you sign into with your @wwu.edu email address, you will be prompted to associate that personal Google account with a non-WWU email address as shown in the example below:

Sign in with your Google Account

After you sign in usng your @wwu.edu address, you will see the following message if you have a personal Google account associated with that address:

There are two existing Google Accounts. Which account do you want to use?

Choose Organizational Google Apps Account

What kind of account would you like?

Select the second option only if you would prefer to sign-in to your personal Google account using an existing personal email address. If you choose the first option you will be prompted to create a new Gmail address.

Edit email address

The password for this screen will be your personal Google account password and not your WWU password.

Verify New Email Address

It is very important that you complete the verification step. Once completed you will have two Google accounts:

  • A new Google Workspace for education account that you sign into using your @wwu.edu email address
  • Your personal Google account that you will now sign into using your personal non-wwu.edu email address

Keep in mind that all of your previous Google activity is still associated with your personal Google account. If you used Google Drive, those files are in your personal Google Drive. If you joined a Google Group using your @wwu.edu email address, you will now be subscribed to that group with the non-wwu.edu email address that is now associated with your personal Google account.

If I have this account conflict, can I move my files to my new @wwu.edu Google Workspace account?

You can move files, but if you have shared files with others you will need to share the files with them again from the new location. You may also wish to ask those who have shared file with you to share them again to your new @wwu.edu account.

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