Google is finally testing a new feature that allows users to change their Gmail address username. As mentioned in the recently updated support documentation, Google has started rolling out an experimental feature that allows users to change the first part of their email address, the part that precedes “@gmail.com.”
The rollout has begun quietly (there is no official blog post or update), with India being the company’s first test market. Initial findings suggest that the feature is based on Google account settings and not Gmail.
Finally a solution to your embarrassing Gmail address
While the experimental feature will allow some users to change their email username, it won’t allow them to convert a Gmail address to a completely different domain or reuse a username they’ve already adopted.
Considering that users’ Gmail addresses are part of their digital identity, the ability to change them could give them the flexibility they need and save them the need to create an entirely new Gmail account.
If your Gmail address still contains a decades-old nickname, random numbers (the ones you wanted weren’t available), or certain alphanumeric options that you don’t want mentioned on your resume, you should be able to change your Gmail address once the feature is rolled out to a wider user base.
Instead of juggling between accounts and forwarding emails from one to another, the new feature lets you clean up your address while keeping your email, Drive files and subscriptions intact.
It’s worth noting that Google hasn’t confirmed when and if the feature will roll out globally. It’s also unclear whether Google will place a limit on how often you can change your email address or username, or how the company will handle third-party logins with the changed username.
