On Tuesday, Alphabet Inc. CEO Sundar Pichai encouraged users to refresh their Gmail identities as Google rolled out a long-awaited feature.
Google Rolls Out Gmail Username Change Feature
The feature allows users to change their Gmail usernames — something that has historically required creating an entirely new account.
Announcing the update on X, Pichai said, “2004 was a good year, but your Gmail address doesn’t need to be stuck in it.”
He added that users can now pick a new email name while retaining access to their old one. “You’ll keep your old username and you can sign in with both,” he noted.
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The feature is still rolling out, meaning not all users may see the option yet.
2004 was a good year, but your Gmail address doesn’t need to be stuck in it.
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…
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) March 31, 2026
How To Change Your Gmail Address
Users who have access can navigate to their Google Account settings under Personal info > Email > Google Account email and select the option to change their address.
However, there are limitations. Users can only update their username once every 12 months and the newly selected email cannot be deleted during that period.
Google will retain the old address as an alternate login.
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Jack Dorsey Calls For Dark Mode Upgrade
The announcement also drew a response from Twitter co-founder and now Block Inc. CEO Jack Dorsey, who used the moment to highlight another long-standing user request.
“can we also get auto dark mode on web gmail/docs,” Dorsey wrote, pointing to a feature gap that many users have flagged.
can we also get auto dark mode on web gmail/docs
— jack (@jack) March 31, 2026
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A Look Back At Gmail’s Unusual Launch
Gmail was first introduced on April 1, 2004, by Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
Gmail’s debut was initially met with skepticism as Page and Brin were known for their playful antics.
When they unveiled the service on April Fool’s Day — offering a then-unheard-of 1 gigabyte of free storage — many assumed it was just another prank.
Photo Courtesy: Ascannio on Shutterstock.com
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This article Sundar Pichai Urges Users To Ditch Outdated Gmail IDs As Jack Dorsey Pushes For Auto Dark Mode: ‘Keep Your Old Username,’ Says Google CEO originally appeared on Benzinga.com