What you can and cannot change about your email address

Most email providers do not let you change the username part of your email address — the part before the @ symbol. Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and most others treat your username as permanent once the account is created. If your email is marcus.chen@gmail.com, you cannot turn it into marcus.tech@gmail.com by editing a setting.

What you can change is your display name — the name that appears when you send an email. This is different from your username and is much simpler to alter. You can also create a new email address with a different username and transfer your important contacts and data to it, which is what most people actually need to do.

The path you take depends on why you want the change. If you just want emails to show a different name when you send them, that takes two minutes. If you need a completely different email address, you will need to set up a new account and move your information over, which takes longer but is straightforward.

Key Takeaways

  • Your email username (the part before @) cannot be changed on Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or most other major providers — it is permanent once created.
  • You can change your display name (the name that appears when you send mail) in account settings within minutes.
  • If you need a different username, you must create a new email account and forward your old messages or manually move important contacts.
  • Before creating a new account, read or export your contacts and any messages you want to keep from your current email.
  • Set up forwarding from your old email to your new one so messages sent to the old address still reach you.

Changing your display name in Gmail

Open Gmail and click the gear icon in the top right corner, then select "See all settings." Go to the "Accounts and Import" tab. Under "Send mail as," you will see your current email address. Click "Edit" next to it.

In the box that appears, change the name field to whatever you want people to see when you send them an email. This name is separate from your username and can be anything — "Marcus Chen," "M. Chen," "Marcus," or any other text. Click "Save changes" and you are done. The next email you send will show the new name.

If you have multiple email addresses set up in Gmail, you can give each one a different display name. This is useful if you use one account for work and another for personal mail but manage both from the same inbox.

Changing your display name in Outlook

Sign into your Outlook account and click your profile picture in the top right corner. Select "View account" or "Manage your Microsoft account." Click "Your info" on the left side.

Look for the name field at the top of the page. Click "Edit name" and type in the name you want to display. This is the name that will appear when you send emails. Click "Save" when you are finished. Like Gmail, this change does not affect your username — only what recipients see when they get mail from you.

Creating a new email account with a different username

If you need an actual different username (not just a different display name), you will need to create a new email account. Go to the sign-up page for your email provider — Gmail.com/signup, Outlook.com, or Yahoo.com — and follow the steps to create a new account. Choose the username you want during this process.

Before you switch to the new account, export your contacts from your old email. In Gmail, click the Google apps menu (nine dots) in the top right, select "Contacts," then click the menu icon on the left and choose "Export." In Outlook, go to Settings, select "Mail," then "Contacts," and look for the export option. Save this file to your computer.

Once you have your contacts backed up, import them into your new email account. In Gmail, open Contacts, click the menu, select "Import," and upload the file you saved. In Outlook, click the menu, select "Import contacts," and choose your file. Your contacts will now be in your new account.

Setting up forwarding from your old email to your new one

Set up automatic forwarding so that any mail sent to your old address reaches your new one. In Gmail, go to Settings, click "Forwarding and POP/IMAP," and select "Add a forwarding address." Type in your new email address. Gmail will send a confirmation email to that address — open it and confirm the forwarding.

In Outlook, click Settings, go to "Mail," then "Forwarding," and enter your new email address. Confirm the forwarding when prompted. Once this is set up, every email that arrives at your old address will automatically go to your new one.

Keep your old account active for at least a few months while you notify contacts of your new address. This ensures you do not miss messages sent to the old email. After that time, you can decide whether to keep the old account or close it.

Notifying your contacts about your new email

Send an email from your new account to the people and organizations you contact regularly. Keep the message brief: explain that you have a new email address and ask them to update their records. Include both your old and new addresses so there is no confusion.

For important accounts — banking, work, medical providers, subscription services — log in and update your email address in the account settings. This ensures password resets and important notifications go to your new address. Many services have an "Account Settings" or "Profile" section where you can change your email.

Check your old email periodically for the next few weeks to catch any messages from people or services you forgot to notify. Forward important messages to your new account if needed, or reply to let them know your new address.

Moving old emails to your new account

If you want to keep old messages, you can read them from your old account and import them into your new one. In Gmail, go to Settings, click "Forwarding and POP/IMAP," and enable IMAP. Then open your new Gmail account, go to Settings, click "Accounts and Import," and select "Import mail and contacts." Follow the prompts to connect to your old account and import your messages.

In Outlook, you can export messages as a file and then import them into your new account. Go to Settings, select "Mail," then look for "Export" or "Backup" options. The exact steps vary depending on whether you use Outlook.com or Outlook desktop software, so check Microsoft's support pages for your specific version.

Alternatively, you can leave your old account as-is and straightforward use forwarding. This way, new messages go to your new address, but your old messages stay in the old account. You can access both accounts from one inbox if your email provider allows it, so you do not have to choose between them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my Gmail username from @gmail.com to something else?

No. Your @gmail.com address is permanent and cannot be changed. You can create a new Gmail account with a different username, but the old address will remain active unless you delete the account. Forwarding can send new mail to your new address automatically.

Will changing my display name affect my password or security?

No. Your display name is only what appears in the "From" field when you send an email. Your password, username, and account security settings are completely separate and will not change. You can update your display name as many times as you want without affecting how you log in.

What happens to emails sent to my old address after I create a new one?

If you set up forwarding, they will automatically go to your new address. If you do not set up forwarding, they will stay in your old account and you will not see them unless you log back in. Forwarding is free and takes a few minutes to set up, so it is worth doing even if you plan to stop using the old address.

Can I delete my old email account right away?

You can, but it is risky. Many services send password resets and important notifications to your email address. If you delete your old account before updating those services, you may lose access to them. Wait at least a month and update your email on any accounts that matter to you first.

Do I need to tell my email provider that I am switching to a new address?

No. Creating a new email account is free and does not require notifying anyone. You only need to tell the people and organizations you contact regularly. Your email provider will not care that you have stopped using the old address — it will remain active in your account unless you delete it.