Do you still have an embarrassing Gmail ID? You can now change it — Here’s how

Until now, users who wanted a different Gmail address had to create an entirely new account.

Sundar Pichai announces major update

Announcing the change, Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote on X: “2004 was a good year, but your Gmail address doesn’t need to be stuck in it.”

2004 was a good year, but your Gmail address doesn't need to be stuck in it.

To say goodbye to [email protected] or [email protected] (or whatever you were into at the time), go to your Google Account settings and choose any name available. You'll keep your old…
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) March 31, 2026

He added:“To say goodbye to old usernames like [email protected] or [email protected], go to your Google Account settings and choose any available name. You’ll keep your old username and can sign in with both.”

What’s changing?

According to Google, users — starting in the US — can now change their account username across services like Gmail, Photos, and Drive.

You asked, we delivered. If you’re a U.S. Google user, you can now change your account username for tools like Gmail, Photos, Drive and more — while keeping your emails, data and account history. Here’s what to know:

1️⃣ You can choose any available @gmail.com username.

2️⃣… pic.twitter.com/eF2lgbJaFg
— Google (@Google) March 31, 2026

How it works

Users can choose any available @gmail.com username

The old email address will remain as an alias

You can send, receive, and sign in using both addresses

You can revert to your old username if needed

Username changes are allowed once a year, up to three times in total