The days of suffering from a sad email address created ten years ago are coming to an end. For years, the conventional wisdom was that once you chose a Gmail handle, you were either stuck with it for life or forced to start over with a brand new account. However, a major change in the way Google handles ownership now allows you to renew your primary username without losing years of archived messages and connected services.
This feature has been long awaited, and we knew it was long overdue in the works months now. Now, according to Google, anyone using a Google Account in the US should soon have the ability to change their username — and you can do it now.
If you are eager to change your email address, there are a few things you need to know. Most of your data and Google features will transfer, but there may be some hiccups along the way.
When you change your Gmail, it adds the old username as an alternate address. That should ensure that even if your account shows the new username, you will still receive all emails sent to the previous address.
Data saved in your Google account will also not be affected by the new Gmail username. You will have uninterrupted access to emails, photos and messages sent to you as well as anything saved in your Google Drive. You can also use the new email address to continue signing in to Google services such as Gmail, Maps, YouTube, Google Play or Google Drive.
Although most of the kinks were ironed out before launch, you may still hit a few snags when changing your Google username.
If you are a Chromebook user, you will need to take special measures. Since your Gmail is linked to your device’s login, third-party logins using their Google Account will still only be able to see the old account’s username, and the Chrome Remote Desktop connection may not work immediately with the new Gmail address.
A Google representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
How to change your Google Account username
The first thing you need to do is access the Personal information tab in your Google Account settings. From here, you’ll find an Email button — this button can be used to access your Google Account email settings.
After navigating through those menus, you should see the blue “Change Google account email” button. You can choose a new username directly after clicking that button — just make sure it’s a good one, since you can only change your username once a year.
If you follow Google’s instructions but see a message saying that the option to change your username is not available in your account, don’t panic. The tech giant has made it clear that this feature is being rolled out gradually, so you’ll have to wait a while.
As someone who carried my friendship username growing up, I’m more than happy to get out of this ball and chain without having to move my login information to a new email address.
Here’s to a new era of Gmail, where our email addresses grow and mature alongside us.
