Google to offer option to change your user ID on Gmail soon

Search engine giant Google has announced that it will gradually roll out the username change option to all Gmail users in the coming months.

"The email address associated with your Google Account is the address you use to sign in to Google services. This email address helps you and others identify your account. If you'd like, you can change your Google Account email address that ends in gmail.com to a new email address that ends in gmail.com," says the revised Google Account help page.

And, when the user changes his/her 'Google Account' email address, the old username will continue to remain active as an alias. It will continue to be linked to the new @gmail.com account. With this, the user will continue to receive emails at both the old and new email addresses, but will have one inbox.

Also, important photos and videos in the Google Photos, files in the Google Drive, Google Sheets and other workspace accounts will continue to be accessible on both Gmail accounts.

And, no other users will be able to create a new account with the old discarded username.

If the user wants to revert to the old @gmail.com user ID or try to once again change email ID, they will have to wait for 12 months.

However, if the user has linked his/her '@gmail.com ID' to other online accounts such as Facebook, Apple ID, Instagram, WhatsApp, Aadhaar (in India), users are advised to proceed with caution.

Some offer the option for users to change their email. However, if the third-party apps or services don't offer the option to switch to new email ID, then users are advised not to proceed with changing to a new Gmail ID.

Google's new feature will be rolling out in phases, so it will take some time to reach all corners of the world.

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