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Google typically doesn’t let you change your primary Gmail address—but that doesn’t mean you’re out of options, either. In this tutorial, we’ll guide you through all the different ways you can modify your Gmail address, like adding dots or pluses, creating an email alias, setting up a forwarding system, or changing the name connected with your Gmail account. In no time at all, you can find a workaround that suits you and your account’s needs.
Changing Your Address in Gmail
Set up an email alias in your Gmail, which is a secondary address that you can send emails from on the same Gmail account. Alternatively, you can make a new Gmail account and redirect your old address to your new account.
Steps
Creating an Email Alias
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Click the icon and See all settings . It’s easiest to do this on a computer.
- An email alias is basically a secondary profile that you attach to your primary email. It allows you to send emails from a different address on the same account, essentially allowing you to “change” your Gmail address.
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Click on the Accounts and Import tab. This tab should be between the “Inbox” and “Filters and Blocked Addresses.”
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Select Add another email address . You can find this in the “Send mail as” section.
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Type in your name and the email address you’d like to use as an alias. Make sure that this is an email account you have access to, whether it’s an old or new one.
- This second email address doesn’t have to be a Gmail account. [1] X Research source
- Your name might already be filled in. If you’d like a different name attached, feel free to change it.
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Check the Treat as an alias box. Checking this box allows the new email address to be attached to your old Gmail address. If anyone emails your old or new address, the message will pop up in the same inbox. [2] X Research source
- You can also fill in the “Reply-to address” bar if you’d like replies to your emails to go to a specific email address.
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Click Send Verification to confirm your other email. Whichever email you typed in should receive an email from Google confirming that you want to add this email as an alias. Confirm your decision by following the instructions in the email. You’ve now successfully added an alias!
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Send future emails from your alias. As you’re drafting a new message, put your alias in the “From” section of the Gmail interface. Your recipient will receive the message from your alias email, rather than your primary one.
Redirecting Your Old Gmail
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Start by making a new Gmail account . In order to redirect your old emails, you’ll need a new address to complete the process. Log out of your existing Gmail account, hit “Use another account,” and click the “Create account” option.
- This process is easiest to do at a computer.
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Click Add a forwarding address and type in your new email. If you haven’t made your new profile yet, head over to the Gmail sign-in page and click the “Create new account” button to set up your new Gmail address.
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Click Next , Proceed , and OK . This automatically sends a confirmation email to your new Gmail.
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Log into your new email and confirm the redirect . Follow the onscreen instructions provided in the email.
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Go back to the settings on your old Gmail account. You can access it by hitting the gear icon and clicking “See all settings.”
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Go to the Forwarding section in the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
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Select the Forward a copy… option in the Forwarding: section. In the first drop-down menu, choose your new Gmail profile; in the second drop-down address, select “keep Gmail’s copy in the Inbox.”
- Want to import your old mail to your new account? Check out this guide to get started.
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Click Save Changes . Your email forwarding system is now officially set up!
Expert Q&A
Tips
References
- ↑ https://support.google.com/mail/answer/22370?sjid=11940457696999650626-NA
- ↑ https://support.google.com/a/answer/1710338?ctx=gmail&hl=en&authuser=0&visit_id=638545172977148454-1982247840&rd=1
- ↑ https://support.google.com/mail/answer/10957?hl=en&ref_topic=7280290&sjid=11940457696999650626-NA#zippy=%2Cturn-automatic-forwarding-on-or-off
- ↑ https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/14175304?hl=en&ref_topic=7188671&sjid=11940457696999650626-NA
- ↑ https://gmail.googleblog.com/2008/03/2-hidden-ways-to-get-more-from-your.html
- ↑ https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/19870?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&oco=0
About This Article
While you can’t actually change your Gmail address, you can create a new account and link it to your original account so you don’t miss any emails. To make your new account, first, sign out of your current account, then hit “Create an account.” Once you've created a new account, click the gear icon on the upper right corner of your inbox. Then, click “Settings” and select the “Forwarding and POP/IMAP” tab. Put in your other Gmail address and click “Add a forwarding address.” All you need to do now is sign in to your other account and click the verification link in your inbox. To learn how to send mail from a new address, read on!
