Gmail has 2.5 billion active accounts, processing over 300 billion emails daily. That’s an enormous volume, requiring serious privacy protections. But what if we told you a complete stranger could read your emails with just a simple mix-up?

This isn’t just a privacy risk—it could even threaten your security. And this mistake happens all too often, as seen repeatedly in Gmail support forums. Here’s what you need to know to dodge this easily avoidable trap.

This All-Too-Common Gmail Mishap Keeps Happening

As someone who checks Gmail support forums daily, I see the same problem crop up time and time again. One recent post in a Gmail subreddit was titled, “Me and this guy share the same email for years now, crazy story,” where a user described how they’d been receiving emails meant for someone else for over a decade. Their Gmail address was nearly identical to the intended recipient’s, differing only by a dot. Sound familiar? This mix-up happens more often than you’d think, yet it’s easy to avoid if you know the rule: dots don’t matter in Gmail addresses.

Dots in Gmail Addresses Don’t Matter—Here’s Why That Matters to You

This issue can happen with any email provider, but Gmail is the most popular, so it’s where most cases surface. Google has made it clear that dots don’t change a Gmail address. So, if your email is johnsmith@gmail.com, then all versions with dots (like john.smith@gmail.com, j.o.h.n.smith@gmail.com, etc.) are yours, too. Some people assume, incorrectly, that a dotted version could belong to someone else—causing emails to land in unintended inboxes.

If you try creating a Gmail account with a dotted version of an existing address, Gmail won’t let you. But when someone mistakenly types a dotted email or attempts to use a variation, it could end up reaching someone else’s inbox instead of yours. It’s a small mistake with big consequences for privacy.

Getting Emails That Aren’t Yours? Here’s What You Need to Know

If you’re receiving someone else’s emails, it’s because the sender probably made a typo. Maybe they meant to email john.43.smith@gmail.com, but entered john.smith@gmail.com instead, so it lands in johnsmith@gmail.com’s inbox. Though these mistakes are rare compared to Gmail’s billions of daily messages, the impact is the same: privacy and security concerns for both parties.

Fixing this isn’t as easy as it sounds. You can’t reach out to the intended recipient since you don’t know their real address—sending a reply just brings the email right back to you.

So, what’s the takeaway? Remember: dots don’t matter in Gmail addresses, so if you’re creating a new account, don’t worry about variations with dots. Already have an account? Keep an eye out for emails that seem out of place and double-check addresses when sharing yours.

If you’re concerned about your Gmail security, you’re not alone. In addition to the risks highlighted in our above post about common mistakes that could expose your inbox, there’s another emerging threat: Gmail’s two-factor authentication (2FA) is currently under attack. To safeguard your account, it’s crucial to stay proactive. Read more here!

Got a similar Gmail story? Comment below and let us know! Don’t forget to share this article with your friends so they can avoid this Gmail mix-up too.