You can finally change your embarrassing Gmail username

(Photo Credit: Credit: Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images)

We’ve all got that cringeworthy email address — the username that was hilarious ten years ago but now feels like a permanent mistake. After tying your whole digital life to it, most of us just accepted the embarrassment. Good news: Google is finally letting people change their Google account username.

Good news for Gmail users in the US: Google is now letting you change your Gmail username — the part before “@gmail.com”. The feature started rolling out last year and has now been widely released across the country.

To change your Gmail username in the US:

• Sign in to any Google service (like Gmail).
• Click/tap your profile photo → Manage your Google Account.
• Go to Personal info > Email > Google Account email > Change Google Account email.
• Follow the prompts.

Google states that your old email address will be saved as an alternate address, which you can use for sign-in or account recovery. You’ll still receive emails sent to your old address and can continue sending from it.

You can only change your username once every 12 months. You’re allowed to revert to a previous address, but you won’t be able to create a new one for 30 days afterward. In total, you can create up to three new email addresses for your Google Account (for a maximum of four addresses).