Change Your Email Address: A Daunting Task?
Changing gears in the digital world might seem daunting, especially when it involves something as personal as your email address. After all, you probably have hundreds or even thousands of important messages in your inbox, and you don’t want to risk losing any of them when changing your email address.
But with the right steps and tools in hand, you can change your email address smoother than you think. That’s where our comprehensive guide on how to change your email address comes in.
Step 01:
Choose a New Email Provider
The first and perhaps the most pivotal step when changing your email address to a new one is picking a reliable email provider. Think of it as laying the foundation for your digital house. The last thing you want is to build your online reputation on a foundation that’s shaky or unreliable.
If you’re scratching your head, wondering which email provider to go for, then we recommend you narrow down your options by focusing on the following factors:
- Security: Always ensure your chosen provider takes security seriously. At the very least, your email provider of choice should offer two-factor authentication, in-transit and at-rest encryption, and spam protection. The good news is that all major email providers, such as Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo! Mail have incorporated these measures into their platforms.
- Privacy: Even though privacy is often considered to be another aspect of security, the two don’t often go hand in hand. For example, Gmail, while highly secure, collects user data to tailor ads, which might raise privacy concerns for some. Fortunately, there are services like Proton Mail, which prioritizes user privacy above all else.
- Features: Email services have come a long way since the early days of AOL Mail. Today, the best providers offer a wide range of useful features, including the ability to schedule messages to be sent at a later time, organize emails with labels and folders, and even draft messages with the help of AI.
- Integrations: Your email account shouldn’t exist in isolation. A robust email platform will easily integrate with third-party apps, be it your CRM system, productivity tools, or social media accounts. Such integrations can drastically streamline your workflow by putting all essential tools just a click away within your email dashboard.
- Pricing: While many email providers offer generous free versions, it’s essential to be aware of storage limits. For example, 1 GB of free storage space isn’t much if you frequently receive emails with large attachments or if you prefer to archive your messages for long periods. That’s why you should always check how much money additional storage costs.
Take the time to weigh each factor, keeping in mind your priorities. In the end, it’s all about striking the right balance between functionality, security & privacy, and cost when you decide to change your email address.
Step 02:
Create a New Email Address
You are sure that your username and password are correct, but the IMAP login still failed? In this case, it’s very likely that the mail server name is incorrect.
Once you’ve selected a new email provider, it’s time to sign up and create an email address. This might sound simple, but considering the vast number of email users globally, getting that perfect, unique email address can sometimes be a challenge.
We recommend you keep in mind the following best practices so that you end up with an email address that you can be proud of and confidently share with others:
Best Practices:
Keep it professional:
Unless the address is strictly for personal use, you should always keep it professional by sticking to variations of your name, such as john.doe@emailprovider.com or jdoe@emailprovider.com.
✅ john.doe@emailprovider.com
❌ cooldude71@emailprovider.com
No personal information:
For safety and security, avoid using sensitive details like your birth year in your email address. When you make this information readily available, it becomes much easier for cybercriminals to target you with phishing attacks.
✅ jdoe@emailprovider.com
❌ john20220824@emailprovider.com
Avoid special characters:
While some email providers allow characters like underscores, dashes, and diacritics, they can often lead to confusion when sharing your email verbally or over the phone.
✅ s.gonzales@emailprovider.com
❌ sebastián.gonzales@emailprovider.com
Don’t include your job title:
Roles and positions can change; keeping them out of your email ensures it remains relevant throughout your career.
✅ jd@emailprovider.com
❌ john-ceo@emailprovider.com
Consider using a custom domain:
If common name variations are unavailable, think about using a personalized domain. Just know that not all email providers support custom domains, so make sure to do your research first.
✅ john.doe@tastybakery.com
❌ john.doe@emailprovider.com
Step 03:
Migrate Your Messages After a Change of Email Address
Migrating messages after changing your email address doesn’t have to be a time-consuming process regardless of how large your inbox has become over the years. That’s because third-party email migration tools exist.
Email migration tools simplify the process of transferring all your messages from your old email address to your new one, and they also guarantee that none of your precious data is lost in the transition.
Among the myriad of tools available, MailJerry stands out with its user-friendly interface, the ability to automatically recognize the correct settings for major email providers, respect for your privacy and security, as well as many other features. This makes it an ideal tool for those who are looking to change their email address and want a seamless migration experience without any hiccups.
Here’s what you need to do to migrate your messages using MailJerry:
1. Download MailJerry and get it up and running on your device. Alternatively, you can start the migration online using the web app.
2. Launch MailJerry, enter your current email address, and then click “Proceed.”
3. Click the “Start Your Migration!” button.
4. For your old email address, select the correct account type (e.g. IMAP) and enter your username, password and mail server address (as required).
5. Do the same but for your new address (the one you’re migrating to) in the sections labeled “New Address.”
6. Click the “Check Settings” button. MailJerry will take a moment to ensure everything’s in order before the big move.
7. Review the migration summary and, optionally, enable inbox synchronization. Finally, click the “Start Your Migration” button and watch MailJerry migrate your data.
ℹ️ While migrating your messages, MailJerry diligently checks for duplicates so that your new inbox remains clutter-free and organized!
Step 04:
Configure Automatic Email Forwarding
Alright, you’ve changed your email address and migrated your old messages. But what about the emails still winging their way to your old inbox? You don’t want to miss out on any essential work updates or that surprise party invite, do you?
Fortunately, most email providers let you configure automatic email forwarding. With it, every email that lands in your old inbox will be instantly rerouted to your new one. It’s like having an invisible postal worker making sure your mail gets to the right address.
If you’re not sure how to configure automatic email forwarding, then we recommend you refer to your email provider’s support page, such as:
⚠️ Important: For automatic email forwarding to work correctly, the old email address must have enough free storage space. If your old inbox is full or near its storage capacity, incoming emails could be rejected, preventing them from being forwarded to your new address.
Step 05:
Inform Your Contact About the Change of Your Email Address
Even with automatic email forwarding configured, you still shouldn’t leave your contacts in the dark about the change to the new email address. After all, you probably want to maintain a consistent online presence or image, and having everyone on the same page helps with that.
We recommend you send a succinct yet informative message that clearly states the reason for the change, mentions your new email address, and kindly asks them to update their records or contact lists.
Here’s an example of how the message can look like:
Subject: Important: Email Address Change
Hi [Recipient’s Name],
I wanted to let you know that I’ve recently changed my email address because [the reason for the change].
My new email address is [YourNewEmail@emailprovider.com].
I kindly ask you to update your records or contact lists with this new address.
Thank you!
[Your Name]
👉 Remember, the primary goal is to keep things transparent because people are less likely to feel bothered by change of your email address if they understand the reason behind it.
FAQ:
Change Email Address: Common Questions
How long does the email migration process typically take?
The duration of the email migration process largely depends on the number of messages you have in your old email account. For a few hundred emails, it could be quite quick, but thousands of emails may take a while.
Is it possible to keep using my old email address after migrating to a new one?
Yes, you can continue to use your old email address even after migrating to a new one. The migration doesn’t deactivate your previous account.
Do email migration tools also transfer email status and flags?
If both your old and new email providers utilize the IMAP protocol, then tools like MailJerry will seamlessly transfer email statuses and flags, such as read and unread. When dealing with Exchange servers, most flags are also transferred, though there can be rare exceptions.
