Google now allow Gmail users to change their usernames
New Delhi, April 3
Do you ever feel embarrassed sharing an email address you created years ago with a funny username that you no longer relate to? If yes, then here's great update for you.
Now Google allows users to change the username of their Gmail account.
Recently, Google CEO Sundar Pichai took to X and informed users about this change.
"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 username and you can sign in with both," he posted.
After changing your Gmail username, your old email address will remain connected to your account as an alternate address so any messages sent to it will continue reaching your inbox. Choose carefully, though -- you can only create one new email address every 12 months, as per The Verge.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great feature, but only once per year? That's a bit restrictive. What if you make a typo or change jobs? They should allow at least one free change and then charge a small fee for more. Otherwise, good update.
My old ID was 'cool_dude_rohit99'... cringe max! 😅 Time to get something sensible like firstname.lastname. Good move by Sundar Pichai and team.
As someone who works with Indian startups, this is very useful. Many young founders have emails from their teenage years. A professional email address creates a better first impression with investors.
Finally I can ditch 'dragon_slayer_2005'! But careful, beta. Choose wisely because you're stuck with it for a year. Old messages will still come, which is good.
Good for privacy too. If you've used your old silly email on many sites, you can now start fresh with a new one for important stuff like banking, while the old one still works for subscriptions.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.