How to make an AOL email account

In continuation to the instructions on how to get an AOL email address, this article takes you through the concluding steps of the process. These are as important as choosing a username or making a strong password so please pay close attention to each point.

Important note when filling up the registration form to make an AOL email account
The sign up form can be different depending on your geographic location. For instance, the one at AOL.in (India) has many more fields that the registration form (described in these articles) on the global site. Please use your best judgement and a whole lot of common sense.

Securing your free AOL email accounts

As you have learnt, the password grants access to your email account. But what if you lose it? AOL understands that some users, especially the newly initiated, might find themselves in this quagmire. But with millions of subscribers, it is impossible to provide personal care to each individual. So the password recovery process has been automated. However, to retrieve / reset this sensitive information you need to prove your identity to the "system". Most of the remaining fields in the AOL email account sign up form are meant for this purpose.

Step by step instructions to make an AOL email account

Just six more form fields remain before you finally make a free AOL email account! Last warning: Do not rush through these - the information you provide now is as critical as the password.

• If you have read the tips on how to make a strong password, you know the inherent problem too! One is likely to forget complex passwords especially when these are not used often. AOL, like other web services, provides a couple of ways to come out of this crisis situation... if you ever face it. The password can be reset by having instruction send to an alternate email address OR answering a security question and confirming personal details [Slide 1].
• Set a Security Question: Simply select a question from the drop down [Slide 2] and provide an answer [Slide 3]. Make sure it's not something most people know about you. Also, do not offer incorrect information... and this goes for all the remaining fields. Note: The answer to this security question should be guarded with the same fervour as the password.
• Alternate email: The AOL email account password can also be reset through instructions sent to an alternate email address. So if you have another email ID, one from an ISP perhaps, you can enter it in the form - click on the link to get a blank form field [Slide 4].
  By the way, if AOL is going to be your very first email account, skip this step completely. The alternate email field is optional and does not apply to people who don't have an email address yet.
• Provide the zip / postal code - needs to be 5 digits [Slide 5].
• Birthday: Do not lie about your birthday because you would need to confirm it when resetting the AOL password [Slide 6].
• Let AOL know your gender [Slide 7].
• The last step of signing up for a free AOL email account is to decipher the characters and typing them one by one in the field provided [Slide 8]. Sometimes, it would be impossible to make out this code and in such cases you can get a new set through the "Refresh Image" button.
• Click the large "Submit" button to finally make your AOL email account [Slide 9].
• If everything went off well; Congratulations! The AOL email account has been created and you are all set [Slide 10].
  However, there are chances that you entered an incorrect zip or got the security code wrong. Don't worry; simply re-enter the correct information.
• On successful form submission, the email account will be shown. Close the pop-up and enjoy! FYI, the link to the AOL email inbox is on the left [Slide 11].

What to do once you make the AOL email account?

Assuming the sign up form was submitted without errors, the AOL email account you've made is ready for use. I suggest going through the different features of the AOL email account first. This short introduction will help you in grasping the basics of the email service. Next, get to know the AOL webmail interface which is the best and easiest way to check the email account, at least while you are still wet behind the ears.

Finally, when you've got the hang of how everything works, try sending an email message from the AOL account. The water is warm and inviting take the plunge and enjoy.