Google Launches Feature to Change Gmail Address While Keeping Email and Data Secure
News Summary
Prepared after editorial review.
- Google has introduced a new feature allowing users to change their old Gmail addresses.
- This feature limits users to changing their email address only once per year.
- Currently, the feature is available only to users in the United States, with other countries to follow later.
March 31, Kathmandu – Many people have faced difficulties with Gmail addresses created during school years or early internet use, which seemed immature or embarrassing for professional work. Now, Google is offering new hope to these users.
According to Google’s new policy, users can conveniently change their Gmail address without affecting their old emails, data, or account history.
On Tuesday, the company officially announced this highly anticipated feature in a video released on YouTube.
“Tired of your old Gmail address? Now you can change your username without opening a new account,” said a Google representative in the video.
Since Gmail’s launch in 2004, many created email addresses with playful or youthful names. Over time, these addresses became inconvenient for professional purposes. Recognizing this issue, Google introduced this feature.
How to Change Your Email Address?
Google describes the process as simple:
1. Go to your Google Account settings.
2. Click on ‘Personal info’.
3. Select ‘Email’ and then ‘Google Account email’.
4. If the option ‘Change Google Account email’ appears, click it to set a new and unique username.
This feature is currently available only in the United States. Users in other countries will need to wait for some time before gaining access.
Don’t worry about losing your old email address after changing it. According to Google, the old email will remain active as an ‘alternative address,’ and emails sent there will be automatically forwarded to the new address.
Change Allowed Only Once Per Year
The feature comes with some conditions. Users can change their email address only once per year. If a user prefers their old address, Google has also provided the option to revert to the previous username.
A Google spokesperson explained that for the past year in the U.S., the most searched question on Google was ‘Can I change my Gmail address?’ Google developed this feature to meet that demand.
Many users welcomed the feature on the social platform X, though some questioned why it took Google 15 years to provide such a small but useful option. One user humorously remarked, “I wish we could’ve avoided the mental stress caused by emails like ‘coolboy123@gmail’ earlier.”
This feature is currently available only in the United States. It may take additional time before it becomes accessible to users in other countries. This will be especially beneficial for journalists, technology enthusiasts, and professionals who frequently exchange emails and work extensively at their desktops daily.