Google is finally letting users change their Gmail address

Google is lastly rolling out a characteristic that lets customers change their main @gmail.com username with out having to create a wholly new Google account. That is nice for many who use a foolish or embarrassing handle they now remorse, or for individuals whose names or circumstances have modified.

Till now, in the event you wished a brand new Gmail handle, you have been basically restricted to making a separate Google Account. Google all the time allows you to change between totally different aliases, particularly if in case you have customized domains or secondary addresses, however altering that core, foundational username was not possible. Now, Google says it needs to vary this, so customers can have extra management.

The characteristic is at the moment rolling out steadily, and it seems to be present process testing in particular areas first. We all know this as a result of the initial support document detailing the change appeared in Hindi, which suggests it had an early rollout in India earlier than it grew to become globally obtainable. If you wish to examine if in case you have entry but, you must be capable of discover the choice in your Google Account settings by navigating to Private Information after which E-mail.

This alteration is simply relevant in case your present Google Account electronic mail handle ends in @gmail.com, and the brand new handle you select should additionally finish the identical approach. You may’t use this characteristic to change your main username to an Outlook or customized area electronic mail.

Fortunately, this may hold all of your saved information utterly intact. All of the years of photographs, Drive information, messages, and emails won’t be misplaced simply since you up to date your username. That is a large reduction as a result of migrating from years of digital life is all the time a nightmare.

When you make the change, the previous electronic mail handle would not simply disappear. Google units the unique username as a secondary or restoration handle, that means you will nonetheless obtain emails despatched to the previous handle, even whilst you’re utilizing the brand new one. That is unbelievable as a result of it means you do not have to emphasize about instantly updating each single service that makes use of your previous electronic mail for login.

You may proceed to register to all Google providers, like Maps, YouTube, and Drive, utilizing both your previous or your new electronic mail handle. You even have the choice to revert to your previous electronic mail handle in the event you determine it’s good to.

Altering your core username is not one thing you must take frivolously. Google has capped this characteristic strictly and given warnings. The corporate will solely allow you to generate a brand new electronic mail handle thrice per account.

As soon as you alter your handle, you will not be capable of create one other new @gmail.com handle for the next 12 months. That is a fairly strict cooldown interval.

Chromebook customers must be cautious right here. Google warns that you may lose entry to native information in the event you do not again them up first. You may additionally must utterly take away your Google account from the gadget and add it again once more with the brand new electronic mail, otherwise you threat wiping your private home folder.

You must also count on some minor friction throughout the ecosystem. You may also discover that sure apps revert to their default settings after the change, which Google says is much like signing in on a brand-new gadget. You may additionally discover that the previous electronic mail handle will nonetheless be displayed on content material you created earlier than the change, like calendar occasions and older shared paperwork.

It is a characteristic that ought to have been obtainable years in the past, particularly as a result of opponents like Outlook and Proton have all the time supplied this type of flexibility relating to aliases and handle adjustments. Nonetheless, it’s good to have, and I like to recommend you retain a watch out for it in the event you’ve been ready for it.

Supply: Google Pixel Hub/Telegram by way of BleepingComputer