can you change your gmail address
You can now change your Gmail address in most cases, but how you do it depends on what exactly you want to “change.”
Quick answer
- If your Gmail address ends in @gmail.com , Google now offers a way (rolling out globally since late 2025–2026) to change your primary Gmail username without creating a new account or losing your data.
- If the option is not available to you yet, you can still:
- Create a new Gmail and forward mail from the old one.
* Add aliases or change the display name people see.
How the new “change Gmail address” feature works
Google has been rolling out a feature that lets you change the actual @gmail.com address tied to your existing Google Account (so Drive, Photos, YouTube history, etc. stay intact).
Typical flow (when it’s available on your account):
- Go to your Google Account (account.google.com) and open Personal info.
- Under Google Account email , select Change your Google Account email address.
- Enter a new Gmail username that isn’t already taken or previously used and deleted.
- Confirm and follow the on‑screen steps. When it’s done, your old Gmail shows as an alternate email on the same account.
Google warns that some app or Gmail UI customizations (like themes or chat layout) might reset and need to be set again.
In other words: same account, new main @gmail.com login, old address still linked in the background.
If you don’t see the new option yet
The feature is still rolling out and was first spotted via support docs and tech news in late 2025, with coverage noting Google would “finally allow you to change your @gmail.com address” or set a new primary Gmail while keeping your old one.
If your account doesn’t show Change your Google Account email for a Gmail address, you can use the traditional workarounds:
- Create a new Gmail + forward mail
- Make a new Gmail address.
* In the old account, go to **Settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP → Add a forwarding address** , enter the new Gmail, confirm via the code/link sent, then choose **Forward a copy of incoming mail to [new address]**.
* Optionally, set the old account to keep a copy in Inbox or archive/delete as mail is forwarded.
- Use “Send mail as” / alias
- In Gmail, open Settings → See all settings → Accounts and Import.
* Under **Send mail as** , click **Add another email address**.
* Enter your name and the new email address, send the verification, and confirm from that address.
* After that, you can send mail from your old inbox but with the new “From:” address.
- Just change the display name
- Same tab: Settings → Accounts and Import → Send mail as → Edit info.
* Enter a new name and save.
* This doesn’t change the address, but it does change the name people see.
How forums are talking about it
On tech forums and Reddit, people had long threads about Google “finally” letting users fix old, embarrassing addresses (like gamer handles from high school) without splitting their Google life across two accounts.
A few themes from those discussions:
- Relief from having to juggle multiple accounts and migrations.
- Security and privacy worries for people with very common names who kept getting other people’s sensitive mail.
- Jokes about what ridiculous addresses people would switch to now that changing is easier.
Specialist blogs also contrasted the new feature with older workarounds like aliases and forwarding, emphasizing that this is the first time you can truly keep your whole Google identity and just swap the Gmail username.
Mini how‑to checklist
If you’re wondering “can I change my Gmail address right now?” use this quick checklist:
- Check Google Account → Personal info → Google Account email for a Change email address option.
- If it’s there, follow the prompts to pick a new Gmail address.
- If it’s not, create a new Gmail, set up forwarding from the old account, and optionally configure Send mail as and change your display name.
Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.