(Photo Illustration by Timon Schneider/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
After a preview, Google is ready to roll out a feature that lets you swap an embarrassing Gmail address for a new one—all without losing access to your old inbox.
“The ability to change a username is available now for all Google Account users in the US,” the company announced on Tuesday. On X, Google CEO Sundar Pichai noted that the feature will let users dump awkward Gmail addresses from 20+ years ago, such as "mrbrightside416@gmail.com."
The option doesn’t exactly let you change your Gmail address. Instead, it allows your old and new inboxes to live side by side. Importantly, all your old emails and data are retained, and you will still be able to receive emails sent to the old address.
“You can sign in with your old or new email address on Google services, such as Gmail, Maps, YouTube, Google Play, or Drive,” Google adds.
The company created a dedicated support page with more details, including instructions for accessing the feature. Users basically need to visit myaccount.google.com/google-account-email, sign into their account, and then enroll in the option.
(Google)This assumes the email address you want is available. You can pick an address that was "used by someone in the past and then deleted," but on the downside, you'll probably face a bunch of unwanted messages meant for someone else.
If you don't like the new address, “You can switch your Google Account email back to an alternate Gmail address at any time, but you won't be able to create a new one for 12 months.”
Google designed the process to be convenient, consisting of only a few steps. However, changing your Gmail address also amounts to altering your Google account username. As a result, the company warns: “If you use Sign in with Google, some third-party apps and sites may not recognize your new email or may not recognize that you are using the same account.”
A separate support page has tips on how users can resolve these potential conflicts with third-party apps. If you own a Chromebook, Google recommends backing up your local data before changing your Gmail address. “After you change your Google Account email, you should remove your account and then add it to the Chromebook again with your new email address."