Gmail finally lets you change your account name! Google is allowing U.S. users to change their @gmail.com username, and the old address will be kept as an alias

After decades of awkward Gmail addresses, there’s finally a chance to replace them. On March 31, Google announced that U.S. Google account holders can now change the primary username for @gmail.com, while fully keeping all emails, Google Photos, Google Drive, and other services’ data and account history.

Google announced the news on X: “You asked, we did it. If you’re a U.S. Google user, you can now change your account username for tools like Gmail, Photos, and Google Drive, while keeping your email, data, and account history.”

How it works: the old address becomes an alias—both can receive mail

According to Google’s official explanation, the feature works as follows:

You can choose any @gmail.com address that hasn’t been used yet and that complies with Google’s rules as your new name (you can’t use names that were deleted or retained to prevent abuse)

The original @gmail.com address will automatically become an “alternate address (alias),” which can still be used to log in with the old address, receive and send emails, and you can switch back to the old name at any time

You can change it only once every 12 months, up to a maximum of three times in a lifetime (meaning an account can have up to four @gmail.com addresses); within 12 months after a change, you can’t create any new @gmail.com addresses

All existing data is fully retained, and the new username will be reflected across Google products. However, some older records (for example, old Google Calendar invitations) may still show the original old address.

How to do it

Eligible U.S. users can go to myaccount.google.com on a computer and follow the path “Personal info > Email > Google Account email,” then select “Change your Google Account email.” Google says the feature is being rolled out gradually, so not every eligible account will be able to see this option immediately.

Google recommends users back up their data before changing, and warns about possible minor impacts: you may need to re-update the “Sign in with Google” links on third-party websites, re-pair Chrome Remote Desktop, or reset app settings on certain devices.

“I can finally get rid of minecraft”—the internet reacts enthusiastically

Since the news broke, U.S. users have been reacting strongly. Many people shared the Gmail addresses they made up during their teenage years. Someone commented: “I can finally remove the word minecraft from my inbox.” Many people also lamented that this feature has arrived too late—since Gmail launched in 2004, “can’t change the account name” has been one of the most frequently criticized pain points.

On the technical side, Gmail usernames are deeply tied to OAuth authorization and identity verification across services. Implementing a name change without breaking the links is highly challenging from an engineering standpoint, which is also a major reason why this request has been put on hold for years.

Only available in the U.S. for now—Taiwan users have to wait

This feature is currently only available in the United States. Among international users’ comments, there’s no shortage of questions like “What about other countries?” Users from Europe, Asia, and elsewhere have been calling for a global rollout. Google has not yet published a timeline for expansion to other regions; official support documentation only describes it as part of a “gradual rollout.”

For complete instructions and FAQs, refer to the Google Support website.

This article: Gmail can finally change the account name! Google allows U.S. users to change the @gmail.com username, and the old address is kept as an alias. First appeared in Lianxin ABMedia.