After two decades, Google finally rolls out a way to change your Gmail address — here's how

How to change your Gmail address

Start by going to myaccount.google.com and sign in with your current Gmail address. Once you're in your account dashboard, click "Personal info" at the top left. This is where Google stores all your account details.

From here, scroll down until you find the "Email" section. Click on the email address listed there to access your email settings. You'll see a blue button labeled "Change Google Account email" — click it to proceed.

Now comes the important part: entering your new Gmail username. Take time choosing this carefully, because you can only make this change once per year. The new username needs to be unique and can't already be taken by another Gmail account.

Once you've selected a username that works, follow the prompts Google provides. The company takes security seriously here, so expect to verify your identity. Google will send a verification code to your recovery email or phone number. Complete this step to confirm the change.

Your old address doesn't disappear or get deleted; instead, it becomes a permanent alias attached to your account. This means emails sent to your old address will still arrive in your inbox under your new primary address.

The feature is rolling out gradually, so you might not see the option yet. If you don't see the "Change Google Account email" button, check back in a few days or weeks —Google is still activating this for users.