You may finally be able to fix your embarrassing Gmail address - here's how
Official documents indicate a long-awaited change might be coming.
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ZDNET's key takeaways
- Google might soon let you change your Gmail address.
- You can log in to all accounts with your old and new address.
- All data from your old account will stay.
Are you still stuck with that embarrassing Gmail address from college or an address that contains an old name you'd rather forget? Google might finally let you change it.
The company hasn't made an official announcement, but official documents reveal that the ability to change your Gmail address could be on the way soon. A Google support page was recently updated to detail the process of changing the email address for your Gmail account, explaining that the option might not be available for everyone.
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"The ability to change your Google Account email address," the next line reads, though, "is gradually rolling out to all users."
Google goes on to explain that you will receive emails at both your old and new address and that data related to your old address, like photos, messages, and emails, will not be affected. You will be able to sign in to Google services like Gmail, Maps, Drive, and YouTube with your old or new email address, and you can reuse your old email address at any time.
You will not be able to delete your new email address, though, and you can't create a new Google Account email address for the next 12 months (at least not one that ends in gmail.com).
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Oddly, all of this verbiage is only available on the Hindi version of the document (I used Chrome to translate the page and verify what it said). This could mean the feature is coming to Hindi-speaking markets first, or it could just mean that was the first page officially updated. The English-language support page still contains the old wording that your Gmail address "usually cannot be changed."
Most of Google's competitors already offer this feature, and have for some time, so it's good to see Gmail catch up. Of course, you can always create a new Gmail address with any name you want, but you'll lose any data tied to that address, like photos, music, and Google Play purchases. If this does eventually roll out to all users, it will be a pretty big deal.
I've reached out to Google for more details.
How to change your Gmail address
Here's the process to change your Gmail when the feature rolls out:
- Open your device's Settings app, tap Google, then Your name, and then Manage your Google Account (or visit myaccount.google.com).
- Tap Personal info and then Email.
- Tap Google Account email. If you can't open this setting, your account isn't eligible for change.
- If your account's email address ends in @gmail.com, you usually can't change it.
- If you're using a Google Account through your work, school, or other group, ask your administrator for help.