After years of being stuck with the same username, Google is finally allowing users to change their primary Gmail address. This applies to the email tied to a Google Account, which is used across services like Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Photos, and Google Drive. For now, the feature is limited to U.S. accounts, with no confirmation on when it will roll out globally.
Users can switch to any available @gmail.com address, and the previous one will automatically become an alias. This ensures that the original email remains under the user’s control, while both the old and new addresses can still be used to sign in, as well as send and receive emails.
There are some limitations. Google allows users to change their primary email address once per year, with a maximum of three changes in total. Despite the switch, all emails, account data, and history will remain intact. If needed, users can also revert back to their old email address.
The update is particularly useful for longtime Gmail users who may have created accounts with casual or outdated usernames. It allows them to move to a more professional address without losing access to their existing account.
While Gmail has supported aliases before, this change goes further by letting users replace their primary email address entirely, rather than just adding alternatives.