I’ve been there, you’ve been there, we’ve all been there. Most of us created our first Gmail account more than a decade ago and have left it behind ever since. You walk up to a hotel desk, make a purchase at a retail store, or check in anywhere, and when you’re forced to say your email address out loud, you struggle to spell something childish you did years ago.
Even worse, you’ve had trouble using that Gmail address because it’s been your primary address for years, and now it’s too late to switch to something new. We’ve been in the same boat for years and we’re sure you have been too!
Thankfully, Google has finally added the option Change your Gmail username — the part before “@gmail.com” — without resetting or losing your account information. The feature simply updates your username and you can continue to use both old and new addresses as they are.
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How to Change Your Gmail Username Without Losing Your Data
1. If you are using an Android phone, open any Google app and on your phone like Gmail, Drive or Maps tap the profile icon in the upper right and select Manage your Google Account. If you’re on your iPhone or desktop, go for it myaccount.google.com.
2. On the account settings page, click Personal information.
3. choose E-mailthen tap Google Account email.
4. Here you will see a new option called Change your Google Account email. Touch it.
5. You will now be taken to a page where you can choose a new username. Enter your preferred username and check availability. If not available, Google will suggest alternatives that you can use.
6. Once you’re happy with your new username, tap Change email bottom right.
7. Google will display a confirmation dialog asking if you want to change your primary email address. hit Yes, change email to confirm.
that’s it. You have now changed your primary Gmail username. You’ll see the new email address in all Google apps and services, while all your existing data remains intact. That said, there are a few things to keep in mind before making the switch.
What you need to know before changing your Gmail address
Google has made it pretty easy to change your Gmail username, but there are a few things to keep in mind before making the switch. Firstly, this feature is currently only available in India and the US. It’s not rolling out to all accounts yet.
Some of my family members in India still don’t see it in their settings, while most of my colleagues in the US already have access. So there’s a chance you might not see it yet, but once it’s available you’ll be able to follow the same steps mentioned above.
Google too notes After changing your Gmail username, there may be several problems. For example, if you a Chromebookyou must remove your Google account from the device before making changes — otherwise, it may cause problems.
Similarly, changing your Gmail address may affect some apps and services you use with Sign in with Google. There’s a chance you’ll be logged out of certain apps on your phone and need to log in again using your new email.
Speaking of signing in, you’ll be able to use both your old and new email addresses to sign in to your Google account. Your old email won’t disappear; it will continue to work as an alias, so if someone sends an email to your old address, you’ll still receive it in your new email. All your information including email, Google Photosand Drive will also remain intact after the switch.
That is, you can go back to your old email if you want. It’s also worth noting that you can only change your Gmail address three times after the original, which means a total of four usernames per account. Moreover, you can only make this change once every twelve months.
This feels long overdue, but I’m glad it’s finally available now
Despite all these caveats, I’m still very happy that Google has finally added the option to change your Gmail username. I remember having to change my primary account a few years ago because of an embarrassing username I chose back in school. I tried creating a new Google account from scratch, but I never fully migrated because my primary email was already tied to multiple services.
Now, thankfully, you can switch to a new Gmail username without resetting everything, which is a huge convenience. I hope Google will make this available to everyone soon and not restrict it to selected regions.
