The change is straightforward for most users, but on Chromebooks you must log out and back in and it’s advised to back up local files beforehand.

Security guidance warns that attackers may exploit the update’s legitimacy to lure users into phishing for credentials.

Experts warn the feature could heighten phishing and credential-theft risk as attackers deploy fake prompts and links around the change.

Google’s rollout sits within a broader pattern of uneven feature updates, contrasting this improvement with slower progress in areas like Calendar and AI features.

Chrome Remote Desktop connections may break and need re-association under the new address; other issues are expected to be temporary and resolve within hours or after a restart.

Some users will only see the option if their region has rolled out the feature, so regional status matters for consideration.

To mitigate risk, users should run Google’s security checkup, enable 2-step verification, and consider passkeys as stronger authentication.

The update helps users remove a deadname, present a more professional address, or hide birth year, among other reasons.

The option is rolling out gradually and may not be accessible to everyone immediately.

Google has begun letting all U.S. Gmail users change the portion before @gmail.com, effectively updating their email username while preserving the old address as an alternate.

Users can change their username only once every 12 months, and the old address remains usable for that period.

The piece sources Shimul, a Digital Trends contributor with over five years in tech.