One of our amazing employees got married and it clued me in to help write a guide to help others in a similar scenario!

Whether you've recently gotten married, changed your name for personal reasons, or want to ensure your email reflects your current identity, Microsoft 365 makes it possible to update your display name and primary email address—while keeping your original address active and forwarding all emails into a single inbox. Here's how to do it the right way, with no disruption to your daily workflow.

Why It Matters

Your email address is a key part of your professional identity. Ensuring your display name and email address are current helps maintain consistent communication with patients, vendors, and coworkers—especially in a tight-knit professional community like dentistry. But don’t worry: with the steps below, your old email address will still work, so you'll never miss a message.

Step-by-Step Instructions

🔁 Step 1: Request the Change Through Your IT Team

At Darkhorse Tech, we recommend contacting your IT provider first (that’s us!) before making any changes yourself. Why? Because this update typically requires administrator access to Microsoft 365, and if it’s not done correctly, it could lead to lost access, mail delivery issues, or duplicate accounts.

To request the update:

• Send a support ticket or email to our help desk.
• Include your current name and email, the new name you'd like to use, and when you’d like the change to take effect.

🧑‍💼 Step 2: Admin Updates Your Display Name

Once we receive your request, our IT team will:

1. Log into your Microsoft 365 Admin Portal.
2. Navigate to Users > Active Users.
3. Locate your account and click into your profile.
4. Update your Display Name to reflect your new name (e.g., from Jane Smith to Jane Doe).
5. Save the changes.

This is the name that will appear in Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and any other Microsoft 365 service.

📧 Step 3: Change Your Primary Email Address

Next, we’ll:

1. Update your User Principal Name (UPN), which is your login/email address, to match your new name (e.g., jane.doe@yourpractice.com).
2. Set this new email address as your Primary SMTP Address (this is what shows up when you send email).
3. Retain your original address (e.g., jane.smith@yourpractice.com) as a Secondary Alias.

All emails sent to your old email will automatically land in the same inbox—no need to monitor multiple accounts.

📨 Step 4: Confirm the Transition

We’ll confirm with you when the changes are complete, and we recommend:

• Logging out and back into your Microsoft 365 apps (Outlook, Teams, etc.).
• Updating your email signature.
• Letting your coworkers and contacts know about the update, if needed.

Final Thoughts

Changing your name shouldn’t mean missing emails or getting lost in your inbox. At Darkhorse Tech, we help dental professionals like you keep IT simple and seamless. If you're planning a name change or just want help managing Microsoft 365, we’ve got your back.

📩 Need help? Reach out to our support team and we’ll handle the change securely and quickly.

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Darkhorse Dental IT Is Here For You

We understand that caring for your patients is your top priority. Dealing with a computer issue, slow IT response time or HIPAA compliance requirements just aren’t high on your list of to-do’s. That’s where Darkhorse Dental Tech comes in. Our team of Dental IT specialists are experts when it comes to running a great, secure and successful practice —and so much more. Whether you’re looking for IT services for startups, or existing support and security services for your practice, Darkhorse can do it all for you, so you can get back to your patients.

Have questions? Looking for ideas? Just want to talk teeth? Drop us a line at sales@darkhorsetech.com to get the conversation started! Or head to our Contact page to send us a message. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!

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