NEED TO KNOW
Gmail users can now officially change their email addresses
Company CEO Sundar Pichai announced the news in a recent X post
Google shared a step-by-step guide on how users can create their brand new address while still receiving emails sent to their old one
It’s official: Gmail users can now change their email addresses.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the news in a recent X post.
“2004 was a good year, but your Gmail address doesn’t need to be stuck in it,” Pichai said in the post.
“To say goodbye to v0t3f0rp3dr02004@gmail.com or mrbrightside416@gmail.com (or whatever you were into at the time), go to your Google Account settings and choose any name available. You’ll keep your old username and you can sign in with both,” he added.
The feature is rolling out to users in stages, so while it’s not currently available to all Gmail users, it should be available to all users soon, according to Google.
To see if the feature is currently available to you, simply click on the circle with your photo or initials in the top right-hand corner of your Gmail and click “Manage your Google Account.”
Person accessing Gmail on their phone (stock image)
Credit: Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty
From there, click on “Personal info” on the left side of the page, then click on “Email.”
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Click on your current Gmail address (you will be prompted to enter your password), and you will then see an option to change your Google account email if it is currently an option for you to do so.
Google says that emails sent to your old email address will still appear in the inbox of your new one. Additionally, you can sign in with your old or new email address on Google services, like Maps, YouTube and Drive.
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Your data, like photos and emails, will not be affected when you create a new Gmail address.
Google also says that while you can change back to your previous email address at any time, you cannot create a new Google Account email ending in gmail.com for the next 12 months.
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