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Original poster

I don't like my gmail address, what can I do?

41 replies

TurkishClouds · 28/02/2023 17:24

My gmail address is often misread as it has 'rn' in it and people read that as 'm'.

For this reason I'd like to change it.

I know I can't actually change it without setting up a new Google account which I don't really want to do, but is there anything else I can do that would have the same effect? For example, can I create a new gmail address that will automatically direct to the same inbox?

What do people do if they change their name? Are the only options to keep their original gmail address or create a new Google account?

OP posts:
BreviloquentBastard · 28/02/2023 17:27

Put a dot between the r and n when giving the email to people/filling in forms etc. if it wouldn't disrupt the flow too much. Emails will still come to you, the . is irrelevant

So for instance [email protected] and [email protected] or even [email protected] are all the same and will all direct to the same inbox.

ouch321 · 28/02/2023 17:36

BreviloquentBastard · 28/02/2023 17:27

Put a dot between the r and n when giving the email to people/filling in forms etc. if it wouldn't disrupt the flow too much. Emails will still come to you, the . is irrelevant

So for instance [email protected] and [email protected] or even [email protected] are all the same and will all direct to the same inbox.

Are you sure?

Never heard that before...

I thought it was just as much part of the email address as the alphabet letters or numerals.

If that's true then I feel I have learnt something big today...

PlimplePlop · 28/02/2023 17:41

ouch321 · 28/02/2023 17:36

Are you sure?

Never heard that before...

I thought it was just as much part of the email address as the alphabet letters or numerals.

If that's true then I feel I have learnt something big today...

Show quote history

I just tried this and got a 'your message was undeliverable' email

FelicityBeedle · 28/02/2023 17:45

I would be careful with the .
I am felicity.Beedle @ gmail.com and I have spoke to another felicity Beedle who uses [email protected] they are definitely separate addresses. I think google used to allow you do full stops to make an address, but stopped quite a few years ago.

Quartz2208 · 28/02/2023 17:46

It certainly can I have [email protected] and a very nice golf playing lady in North Carolina has [email protected] and I am forever getting her emails.

rbe78 · 28/02/2023 17:48

BreviloquentBastard · 28/02/2023 17:27

Put a dot between the r and n when giving the email to people/filling in forms etc. if it wouldn't disrupt the flow too much. Emails will still come to you, the . is irrelevant

So for instance [email protected] and [email protected] or even [email protected] are all the same and will all direct to the same inbox.

I refused to believe this, so tested it out: my gmail address is [email protected]. I tried [email protected] and I did indeed get the message.

Mind blown!

Aquamarine1029 · 28/02/2023 17:48

BreviloquentBastard · 28/02/2023 17:27

Put a dot between the r and n when giving the email to people/filling in forms etc. if it wouldn't disrupt the flow too much. Emails will still come to you, the . is irrelevant

So for instance [email protected] and [email protected] or even [email protected] are all the same and will all direct to the same inbox.

The "." is very much relevant.

rbe78 · 28/02/2023 17:49

[email protected] also worked. Who knew!

Kranke · 28/02/2023 17:52

Yep I use the dot all the time when I need a new email address for a discount!

tommika · 28/02/2023 17:52

Gmail/Google mail ignores extra dots in the name, but there are arguments online about people who have existing addresses with dots and the risk of mail going to someone creating a new address without dots

I would prefer to create ‘spare’ accounts with spelling variations and to set a forward from each of them

That covers most eventualities

WeeMadArthur1 · 28/02/2023 17:53

You can set up autoforwarding in Gmail - instructions here

WeeMadArthur1 · 28/02/2023 17:54

I'm very confused about this:

Zmlyc3RuYW1lbGFzdG5hbWVAgmail.com - what does it mean??

maximist · 28/02/2023 18:12

WeeMadArthur1 · 28/02/2023 17:54

I'm very confused about this:

Zmlyc3RuYW1lbGFzdG5hbWVAgmail.com - what does it mean??

Your cat walked on your keyboard?

RainBow725 · 28/02/2023 18:19

You should be able to create an alias email address to give out - another email address that will go to the same mailbox. It won't change the outgoing email address though.

support.google.com/a/answer/33327?hl=en#

FelicityBeedle · 28/02/2023 18:19

It seems mumsnet doesn’t like us posting ‘real’ fake emails and scrambles them.

SmartHome · 28/02/2023 18:22

I too do multiple addresses for discounts using the dots.

so [email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
etc etc

is definitely works

[email protected] is also the same as
[email protected]

so you can do that too.

Failing that you could set up a new gmail account and alias it to the old one so all of new ones emails end up in old ones inbox? = forwarding

toodlesofoodles · 28/02/2023 18:29

The "." Matters on outlook and other providers, on gmail it is irrelevant. And gmail.com and google mail.com are also interchangeable.

tribpot · 28/02/2023 18:33

@Quartz2208 your golf-playing lady doesn't have yourname.yoursurname @ gmail, you own both. However, just like my variety of US- and Canada-based email twins, she thinks she owns 'yourname.yoursurname' and so is giving it out to all and sundry and not getting these emails herself. In normal email, the dot is significant, but Gmail dots don't matter.

I've had all sorts intended for my Gmail twins, including patient medical records, information on how to get 'admitting privileges' at a hospital, chasing for debts, information on being struck off from one hospital (that's all one person), detailed information on travel and wedding arrangements to attend a wedding in the UK, quotes for new blinds, cruise itineraries, information on the programme of films at a community centre in Michigan.

titchy · 28/02/2023 18:34

Wow! Never knew about gmail ignoring dots! Another one mind blown!!!

tribpot · 28/02/2023 18:37

Whilst we're blowing minds with the dot trick, let us also discuss the plus trick with Gmail. (This blog post is from 2008, but it's still valid).

You can use this as a way of testing who is leaking your email address, e.g. blahblah+mumsnet @ gmail.com (I actually just use Anonaddy for Mumsnet)

TheOnlyKoiInAPondOfGoldfish · 28/02/2023 18:39

Quartz2208 · 28/02/2023 17:46

It certainly can I have [email protected] and a very nice golf playing lady in North Carolina has [email protected] and I am forever getting her emails.

indeed - same here - forever getting important messages from a church in the southern US about their potluck suppers - and she has signed up to some job sites but the emails come through to me. Sorting out the match.com subscription was the real fun! I had to use a VPN to get onto the US site to try and sort it as the UK and US versions are different companies (they tell me), and clicking on the link in the email kept defaulting to the UK site.

I am [email protected] and she doesn't have the dot. I do wonder if she ever gets any email.... I've had my address since the very early days of gmail, when you needed an invite to get one.

JanglyBeads · 28/02/2023 18:39

Quartz2208 · 28/02/2023 17:46

It certainly can I have [email protected] and a very nice golf playing lady in North Carolina has [email protected] and I am forever getting her emails.

Oh my goodness, I have this too.
I was even invited to a hen weekend. I know about her pest control, where she shops, which political party she supports.
I often get more of her mail than my own.

And can't seem to find a way to stop it!

tribpot · 28/02/2023 18:47

There's not a lot you can do to stop it, as the mail is being delivered to the 'right' person. @TheOnlyKoiInAPondOfGoldfish and @JanglyBeads you own both the 'no dot' and 'dot' version of your gmail address. What's happening is the other person is giving out the wrong email address, either because they genuinely believe it's correct, or their email address is yourname.yoursurname55 or similar. The problem then perpetuates as they get on these mailing lists and can't get off, or they've emailed someone and now that person has the wrong email address coming up as an auto-complete suggestion and so keeps adding it again, thinking it's right.

It took me three or four goes to get the wedding people in the UK to correct their records, to make sure their aunt from Canada actually did make it to the wedding.

All you can do is write back and say it's been sent to the wrong address. Sometimes this works (mostly it doesn't). I had the same thing with Match.com btw @TheOnlyKoiInAPondOfGoldfish - bloody painful to sort out.

I now have a Gmail rule set up that files everything that's sent to mynamemysurname (as this seems to be the version which is most misused, I use the dot version myself).

CobraChicken · 28/02/2023 18:47

Quartz2208 · 28/02/2023 17:46

It certainly can I have [email protected] and a very nice golf playing lady in North Carolina has [email protected] and I am forever getting her emails.

She absolutely 100% does not have your Gmail address but with a "." in it.

You own every variant of it with a "." anywhere before the "@"

What she's probably got is yourname1@ or yournamesomerandomdigits@ and keeps forgetting to add the extra characters when she signs up for stuff...

BitterGreen · 28/02/2023 18:50

Kranke · 28/02/2023 17:52

Yep I use the dot all the time when I need a new email address for a discount!

Well I never knew that Smile