If a delegated Gmail mailbox does not appear, check that the invitation was accepted by the correct account and use Gmail’s account switcher. A direct bookmark to an old delegated-inbox URL is not a reliable access method.
Verify acceptance and timing
Ask the owner to confirm your full address in the delegate list. An invitation expires after one week, and sending it alone does not complete acceptance. Check the confirmation step in the invited account.
Google says it can take up to 24 hours before a newly added delegate can use the mailbox. Record when acceptance happened so you can distinguish normal propagation from a persistent failure.
Open the documented account-switcher route
On a computer, sign in to your own Gmail, open the profile menu, and look for the account marked Delegated. Select it and check the address at the top of the new tab.
Google advises against bookmarking the delegated inbox directly because its access link can change. If an old bookmark fails, return to your own Gmail and use the account switcher rather than editing account numbers in the URL.
Check owner and organization conditions
For Workspace, ask whether delegation is enabled and whether the owner still has a usable account. Google’s troubleshooting also identifies an owner account that requires a password change at next sign-in: the owner needs to complete that legitimate sign-in process.
Do not turn off security requirements broadly or ask for the owner’s password. If you are using mobile Gmail, compare the explicit computer workflow first and check the current mobile limitations; delegated features do not have full parity across platforms. If the entry remains absent, provide the administrator with the owner and delegate addresses, acceptance time, access method, and error. A working inbox with a missing integration is a feature-limit issue, not necessarily a failed delegation.
Browse Gmail & Google Account help
References
- Delegate & collaborate on email
- Delegate a user’s email address | User management | Google Workspace Help
Reviewed against the linked product guidance, standards, and identified vendor or public-authority guidance on October 29, 2026. Available options and screen labels can vary by account, device, region, and organization policy.