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What has changed

I have recently changed the master email address used for my Google account. My issue is that my phone (Nexus 5X) is requesting I re-sign into my account, however it is specifying my old email address, and not letting me change it to the new one.

What I have tried

  • I have tried adding a new account to my phone and logging in with my new email address, for some reason the new account has not got my apps, folders, preferences, background, fingerprints, android pay e.t.c. settings, despite apparently having finished syncing with my google account. The new account is the same account that was logged in previously, so now I have two accounts on my phone for the same account, the old one with all my settings but the wrong email address and log in issues, and the new account which is logged in but has none of my user data/settings. This question suggests doing this.
  • Turning it off and on again (it was worth a try!)

What I haven't tried

  • I could add the old email address to my Google account as an extra address, though the email account doesn't actually exist anymore and I'd be left with a phone logged into my account with an invalid email adress, so I'd still need to update it and be asking this question.

Related Questions

  • This question has an answer suggesting what I tried above, claiming "You don't risk any data loss by doing this" however none of my data synced so that clearly wasn't what they meant.
  • This question has an answer claiming that if I change my account I cannot avoid a factory reset, though this question does suggest a way around it using 3rd party tools (which I'd like to avoid).
  • This question and this question suggest updating individual apps, though I have no idea how that would help change the actual email attached to the account in settings.

TL:DR

The main email of my Google account has changed, my android phone insists I log back into my account, but insists I use my old email address (which doesn't exist anymore). What do I do?

Troyseph
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  • Can you not just backup the information and remove the Google account from the phone, then add the "new" account? I would not suggest the factory default since the introduction of Factory Reset Protection, if that Google account email address doesn't exist you could be permanently locked out of your phone. – acejavelin Jul 28 '17 at 13:05
  • @acejavelin How would I do that? Is there something Google based approach or will it require 3rd party software? – Troyseph Jul 28 '17 at 15:07
  • Can't you just go to Settings - Accounts and tap the Google Account and then the 3-dot menu and select Remove Account? – acejavelin Jul 28 '17 at 15:09
  • Remove account? How does that help me maintain my apps and settings? Seems a little extreme! If adding a new account cannot maintain two years of settings, how will remove account help me? – Troyseph Jul 28 '17 at 16:27
  • @acejavelin it seems to have sorted itself out overnight, the original profile is gone and all my settings have remained with the new one, I'm not sure how it happened or when... – Troyseph Jul 29 '17 at 07:54

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