If you’ve ever created a Gmail address you came to regret later on, there is some good news heading your way. Google has announced that is finally allowing users to change their Google Account username. That is the part that comes before the “@gmail.com”, by the way. For now, the company is only rolling out the capability to those in the US, so the rest of the world will have to wait for further updates.
In any case, this move marks a change in Google’s longstanding policy. Since the email service’s inception in 2004, Gmail addresses were effectively permanent. This meant that if you picked a silly username, you would be stuck with it forever. Of course, one could simply make a new account, but that presents its own set of problems.
With this update, the user can create a new address without having to start over. The change keeps the account and its data intact. Basically, the user will still have access to past emails, Google Drive files, photos, and other linked services. Meanwhile, the old address will still be attached to the account. This means that mail delivered to both addresses will still reach the user’s inbox.
It is worth noting that while you can go back to the previous address, you cannot delete the new email address. Furthermore, Google has imposed a limit on how often one can change their username. A person may only make this change once every 12 months. Other than that, the company warns that there may be some minor disruptions with some services, so it’s best to back up any data as a precaution.
To make the change, the user must head into the Google Account settings, then navigate to Personal Info > Email > Google Account email > Change Google Account email. Here, they can enter their desired username. From there, they must confirm the change. Naturally, the user cannot pick an address that someone else is using.
According to Google, it began rolling out the feature last year. At the moment there is no word on global availability yet, but hopefully it will reach us soon. For what it’s worth, Google CEO Sundar Pichai has announced the change on X, so it may not be a long wait.
(Source: Google [1], [2], Sundar Pichai via X)
