Add Email to GPG Key

G5 Cyber Security

2 weeks ago

TL;DR

Yes, you can add an email address to your existing GPG key using the gpg --edit-key command. This guide shows you how.

Open your key for editing: Use the following command, replacing your_email@example.com with the email address associated with your key (or one of them if you have multiple).
```
gpg --edit-key your_email@example.com
```
Enter edit mode: Once the key is loaded, you’ll be in the GPG editing prompt. Type list to see a list of commands.
Add user ID: To add your email address as a new User ID (which includes your name and email), type uid and press Enter. You will then be prompted for your full name, comment, and finally the email address.
```
gpg> uid
Please enter what to do (Change UID/Add UID/Delete UID): Add UID
Your name:
Real name: Your Full Name
Email: your_email@example.com
Comment: (optional)
```
Confirm the User ID: GPG will display the new User ID you’ve entered. Confirm it is correct.
Save the changes: Type save and press Enter to save your changes.
```
gpg> save
```
Exit GPG: Type quit and press Enter to exit the editing session.
```
gpg> quit
```
Verify the changes: Use the following command to list your keys and confirm that the new email address is associated with your key.
```
gpg --list-keys your_email@example.com
```

Key IDs: Adding a User ID doesn’t change the primary Key ID of your key. It simply adds another identity associated with it.
Trust: You may need to rebuild trust for the new User ID if you are using a web of trust.
Multiple Emails: You can add multiple email addresses to a single GPG key by repeating steps 3-6 for each address.