Google users are celebrating a long-awaited update affecting a major change to users' email addresses.
The company announced in April that users in the United States would be able to change their email address without setting up a new account -- great news for anyone who set up their account as a teenager with an embarrassing Gmail address.
In a video to the official Google YouTube account, a spokesperson confirmed that the company is "rolling out a way to change your Google Account username without starting over," with just a few simple steps.
Users in the U.S. should go to their Google Account settings, tap Personal Info, then Email, then Google Account Email.
There, users should see the Change Google Account Email option, where they can tap it and pick a new, unique username for their email address. Some users have reported in the comments that it is not yet accessible to them; however, Google has noted that the ability to change your email is rolling out gradually and may not yet be available to every user.
For those who can change their username, the spokesperson said: "Don't worry about your old emails. Your original addresses will stay on your accounts as an alternate."
Users were urged to remember that they can create just one new address every 12 months, so anyone wanting to change their email should be sure about their new address before making the switch.
It's been a long-awaited and welcomed change, and commenters praised the company in the comments, one writing: "Finally, thank you so much."
"Thank you. I needed this," another wrote in all-caps, as others pleaded to "please roll this out worldwide."
One user suggested the update is actually an "April Fool's Joke," as the announcement was made on April 1 -- but it's real, and the announcement comes exactly 22 years since Gmail was first launched on April 1, 2004.
In an online report, Google explained further. After changing a Google Account email, the previous email will become an alternate email address, and you will continue to receive emails to both your old and new addresses.
Photos, messages and emails sent to a user's previous address will not be affected, and you can use both your old and new addresses to sign into Google services such as Gmail, Maps, YouTube, and Google Play.
While you can't change your email address more than once every 12 months, and cannot delete any new addresses, you can change back to your previous email address any time, at which point the new address would become the alternate address.