Have an embarrassing Gmail address? You can now change it.

For those who made their Google email addresses something cringe and have been longing to change it, the time has come.

Google announced it is rolling out a way for users to change their Gmail addresses and their Google Account usernames. A user's Google Account and username let them use an email address and password or passkey to log in to different Google services. Gmail is one of those services and uses the Google Account username in front of the domain name, or @gmail.com, to send and receive emails.

The rollout of the updating feature began last year, Google said in a March 31 announcement. All Google Account users in the United States now have the ability to change a username, Google stated in the announcement.

Here's how users with longstanding and no longer wanted email addresses can change their Google Account usernames.

How can I change my Gmail address?

For users who want to change their Google Account username, also known as the part before @gmail.com, here are Google's steps:

• Visit myaccount.google.com/google-account-email on your computer or phone
• Click on the "Personal info" tab, then "Email," then "Google Account email."
• Click "Change Google Account email." Users without this option might not be able to change their Google Account email, the Google Help Center states.
• Enter your new desired username. The username will need to be one that is neither being used by another Google Account nor one that was used by someone in the past and then deleted.
• Click "Change email," then "Yes, change email" and follow the rest of the steps on the screen.

Once those steps are complete, users will have a new Google Account email with the previous address appearing as an alternate email, the help center said.

For those with the change option, Google recommends first checking to see if there are extra precautions to take if you use a Chromebook, if you use Sign in with Google for non-Google sites, or if you connect remotely with Chrome Remote Desktop. It also recommends backing up user data before changing your Google Account email that ends in @gmail.com to a new address that ends in @gmail.com.

Will my Google data save if my email changes?

Data saved in users' Google accounts will not be affected if the address changes, Google said, including photos, messages and emails sent to the previous email address.

Once a user changes their Google Account email, the previous address will become an alternate email, with emails going to both the old and new addresses.

Users can also always opt to return to their old Gmail address at any time while also keeping the new Gmail address. However, users cannot create a new Google Account email ending in gmail.com for the next 12 months or delete the new email address.

Do I have to use my new email to sign into Google?

Users who switch out their Google Account username can use the new or previous Google email address to sign into Google services like Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, Google Play and Google Drive.

Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected] or on X @katecperez_.