How To Change Your Gmail Address? Easy Alternatives You Can Try

Are you tired of your old Gmail address? Maybe it’s too long, or it’s not professional enough for your new job. Whatever the reason, changing your Gmail address can feel like a daunting task. But don’t worry, it’s actually not as difficult as it seems.

In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of changing your Gmail address. We’ll cover everything from creating a new Gmail account to forwarding your emails to your new address. By the end of this post, you’ll be able to confidently update your Gmail address.

Can I Change My Gmail Address?

If your email address ends with @gmail.com, you generally can’t change it. Once you create a Gmail account, the email address is fixed, and there’s no option to modify it directly. This limitation applies to all regular Gmail users, and it can be frustrating if you want to update your email for personal or professional reasons.

However, if your Gmail is part of a Google Account managed by an organization, such as a workplace or school, there may be options. In these cases, your administrator has control over the account settings, and they might be able to assist you in updating or adjusting your email address. It’s always best to reach out to them for guidance.

Although changing your Gmail address might not always be an option, there are other methods available. For instance, you can create a new Gmail account or set up email forwarding to manage multiple addresses under one primary account. We’ll explore these options in more detail in the following sections.

How To Change Your Gmail Address?

Changing a Gmail address isn’t always simple, but there are a few methods you can use depending on your situation. Whether you’re creating a new account or making adjustments to an existing one, options like email forwarding, adding aliases, or modifying your display name are available. Each method has its own process, and we’ll explore them in detail in the next sections. Let’s begin by looking at the most effective ways to manage or change your Gmail account details.

Method-1: Change Your Gmail Address Through Your Google Account

As mentioned earlier, if your email address ends with @gmail.com or is managed by an organization like a workplace or school, changing your Gmail address is not an option. However, if your account is linked to a custom domain or doesn’t end with @gmail.com, you can change it directly through your Google account settings. This process allows you to update the email address connected to your Google account without creating a new account entirely.

Note: If your Gmail ends with @gmail.com or is managed by an organization, skip to the next method.

To change your Gmail address through your Google account, follow these steps:

• Go to your Google account and sign in using your current Gmail address.
• Once logged in, look for the “Personal Info” tab on the left side and click it.
• Scroll down to find the Contact Info section and click the small arrow next to “Email.”

• Select “Google Account email”. If you can’t open this setting, it’s likely that changing your email is not possible with your account and you should skip to the next method.

• If the option is accessible, next to your current email address, click “Edit.”
• Enter your new email address and follow the on-screen instructions.
• Google will send a verification email to your new address. Click the verification link to confirm the change and complete the process.

Method-2: Create New Gmail Account And Redirect Your Emails

If changing your Gmail address directly isn’t possible, creating a new Gmail account is another solution. Once you have a new account, you can set up email forwarding from your old address to the new one, ensuring you don’t miss important messages. This method works well if you’re ready to start fresh with a new Gmail address but still want to manage emails from your old account.

To create a new Gmail account and set up email forwarding, follow these steps:

Step 1: Create a New Gmail Account

• Go to the Gmail sign-up page and click on “Create account.”

• Fill in the sign-up form with your desired new Gmail address, password, and other necessary details.

• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the account creation process.
• Accept Google’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy to finish creating the account.
• Now, you have a new Gmail address ready for use.

Step 2: Set Up Email Forwarding from Your Old Account

• Sign in to your old Gmail account where you want to forward emails from.
• Click on the gear icon in the top right corner and select “See All Settings”.

• In the settings menu, navigate to the “Forwarding and POP/IMAP” tab.
• Click the button labeled “Add a forwarding address”.

• Enter your new “Gmail email address” in the field provided and click “Next”.

• Click “Proceed”, and a verification email will be sent to your new Gmail account.

Step 3: Verify the Forwarding Address

• Open your new Gmail account and find the verification email from Google.
• Click the link inside the email to confirm the forwarding address.

• After verifying, go back to your old Gmail account’s settings.

Step 4: Enable Email Forwarding

• Go back to your old account and refresh your browser
• Select “Forward a copy of incoming mail” to your new Gmail address.

• Scroll down and click “Save Changes” to complete the setup.

Now, any emails sent to your old Gmail address will automatically be forwarded to your new Gmail address.

Method-3: Add Alias To Your Gmail Account

If creating a new Gmail address or changing your current one doesn’t suit your needs, another option is to add an alias (another email) to your Gmail account. An alias is an alternate email address you can use to send and receive emails, while still keeping your original Gmail address active. This method allows you to manage multiple Gmail email addresses without needing to switch between accounts. Here’s how to add an alias to your Gmail account:

• Log in to your Gmail account using your current email address and Gmail password.
• Click the gear icon in the top right corner and select “See All Settings” from the dropdown menu.
• In the settings menu, go to the “Accounts and Import” tab.
• Look for the section labeled “Send mail” as and click on “Add another email address”.

• A pop-up window will appear. Enter the “alias email address” you wish to use.
• Check the box next to “Treat as “ and click “Next Step”.

• Follow the on-screen instructions to verify the alias email address.
• Gmail will send a confirmation email to the alias email address you provided.
• Open the alias account, locate the verification email, and click on the verification link to confirm your alias.
• If you want to send emails from your alias by default, go back to the Send mail as section in Gmail settings.
• Select the alias as the default address for sending emails.
• Alternatively, when composing an email, click the From section of the message and choose your alias from the dropdown menu.

Method-4: Change Your Email Name

If you don’t want to change your actual Gmail address, but you’d like to modify how your name appears when sending emails, you can easily update your email display name without affecting your email address itself. This can be helpful if you’ve had a change in personal or professional circumstances and want your emails to reflect your updated identity. Here’s how you can do it:

• Log in to your Gmail account using your current email address and password.
• Click the gear icon in the top right corner and select “See All Settings” from the dropdown menu.
• In the settings menu, navigate to the “Accounts and Import” tab.
• Look for the section labeled “Send mail as”.
• Next to your current email address, click “Edit Info”.

• A pop-up window will appear, where you can enter the new name you want to display when sending emails.

• Select the new name and click “Save Changes”.

Now, whenever you send an email, the new name you’ve entered will appear in the recipient’s inbox. This change does not alter your Gmail address, only how your name appears when sending emails.

Method-5: Add Or Remove Dots(.) And Plus(+) To Your Gmail Address

One of the lesser-known features of Gmail is that you can add or remove dots (.) and plus signs (+) to your Gmail address without changing its functionality. This trick allows you to create variations of your Gmail address for better organization or filtering of incoming emails, all while maintaining the same inbox.

Here’s how dots and plus signs work with your Gmail address:

Using Dots (.):

Gmail ignores dots in your email address, meaning any variation with or without dots will still be delivered to the same inbox. For example:

• email@gmail.com
• youremail@gmail.com
• e.mail@gmail.com

All of these addresses will direct emails to the same account. You can share any of these versions, and they’ll always reach your inbox.

Using Plus Signs (+):

You can also add a + followed by any text after your email address. The plus sign can be added to your Gmail address to create unique versions for sorting emails. For example, if your Gmail address is youremail@gmail.com, you can use:

• youremail+newsletters@gmail.com
• youremail+shopping@gmail.com

Emails sent to these addresses will still go to your primary inbox, but you can set up filters to automatically organize them based on the unique identifier after the plus sign.

Simply provide the variation of your Gmail address with dots or a plus sign when subscribing to services or giving out your email. You can then create filters in Gmail to sort emails based on the plus sign or dot variation. Using these features helps manage your inbox more efficiently while keeping your Gmail address intact.

Gmail Address Vs. Gmail Name

When using Gmail, it’s important to distinguish between your Gmail address and your Gmail name. Although they are linked, they serve different purposes in email communication.

• Gmail Address: Your Gmail address is the actual email address you use to send and receive messages. It’s the unique identifier that allows people to reach you via email. Once an account is created, the Gmail address typically can’t be changed, especially if it ends with @gmail.com.
• Gmail Name: Your Gmail name, on the other hand, is how your name appears in the recipient’s inbox when you send an email. You can modify this name at any time without altering your email address. This allows for flexibility if you want to update how you’re identified in your email communications, whether for personal or professional reasons.

Overall, your Gmail address stays constant, while your Gmail name can be updated whenever you need. Both play different roles, but together, they define how you appear in the digital world of email.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, while it’s not possible to directly change your Gmail address, the workarounds outlined in this guide can help you achieve a similar effect. By creating a new Gmail account and forwarding emails, or by using a custom domain and email forwarding, you can effectively manage your online identity and communication preferences. Did you find a solution that works for you? Let us know in the comments below if you have any other questions.