Why Google asks for your information at sign-up

A Google Account gives you access to services such as Gmail, YouTube, and Google+. We ask for some personal information during sign-up in order to keep your account secure and make sure you have a great experience, no matter which Google service you use.

Name. Your name will be used across Google services. For example, when you create content that you want to share with others, your name will appear with this content.

Username. You will use your username, which will also be your new Gmail address, to sign in to your Google Account. Your username isn’t case sensitive, and you can use letters, numbers, or periods. We’ll help you out with some suggestions if you’re having trouble finding a username you like.

Password. Keep your account secure by choosing a good password. When creating a password, be sure to do the following:

• Choose a smart password.
• Do not reuse this password on another site.
• Use our strength meter to help ensure your password is difficult to guess.
• Use at least eight characters.

Date of birth. Your date of birth helps us provide you with things like age-appropriate settings. We won’t display it without your permission.

Gender. We will use your gender for things like improving our messages. For example, we will use the term “he” or “she” if you share a photo with someone. Anyone who views your profile or receives a message like this will know your gender -- it is public by default. But you can change who can see your gender once you’ve created your Google Account. If you specify “other” instead of “male” or “female,” or choose to keep your gender private, we’ll use gender-neutral terms (e.g., “Pat shared their photo with you.”).

Mobile phone. Having a mobile phone number on your account is one of the easiest and most reliable ways to help keep your account safe. Since you have physical possession of your phone, we can provide easier ways for you to get back into your account if you ever forget your password. And we can use it to challenge unusual accesses to your account. This field is optional, but strongly recommended if you have a mobile phone.

Current email address. Current Email Address should be an additional email address, such as an address you used before signing up for your Google Account. For new Google Account users, providing this address allows for useful features including helping people find you, aiding in account security and recovery, and providing an alternate address for notifications from Google services. You can update this email address through your Account Settings.

Location. Enter your country or territory of residence in this field.

After you’ve created your account, you can review or edit this information through your Account Settings page. (Note that you cannot modify your date of birth on this page once you’ve created your account.)