In a significant policy shift, Google has begun lifting a long-standing restriction that prevented users from changing their core Gmail addresses. For years, individuals who created their accounts, perhaps during their teenage years, were stuck with usernames they later regretted or found unprofessional. While users with third-party email addresses linked to Google could switch, those with the standard @gmail.com domain faced a permanent lock on their chosen username. This limitation is now coming to an end.
What Is Google's New Gmail Address Change Feature?
Google is gradually introducing a functionality that, for the very first time, permits users to alter their @gmail.com email address to a different one within the same domain. The company updated its official support page with this information, which initially appeared in Hindi, hinting at an early-stage rollout ahead of a global announcement. According to the revised support documentation, users can make this change without losing any account data, saved emails, or access to Google services.
This marks a major departure from the previous stance where Google explicitly stated that users "usually can't change" their Gmail addresses. The feature is being made available incrementally, so it might not be visible to all users immediately. The exact timeline for a full worldwide release remains unclear.
How to Change Your Gmail Address and How It Works
Once the feature is active on an account, users will find the option to change their Gmail address within the "My Account" settings. The process is designed to be seamless. Crucially, the old email address does not get deleted. Instead, it transforms into an alias for the account.
This means all emails sent to both the old and the new addresses will land in the same inbox. Users can also sign in to any Google service—be it YouTube, Drive, Maps, or Gmail—using either the old or the new address. During this transition, nothing in the account is touched; photos, messages, and historical emails remain perfectly intact. The old address is retained on the account to protect the user's identity and cannot be claimed by anyone else.
Important Limitations and Rules to Know
Google has implemented several rules to govern this new flexibility. Users will be allowed to change their Gmail address a maximum of three times. Furthermore, each account can have a total of four addresses associated with it, including the primary one and its aliases.
There is also a mandatory cooling-off period. After creating a new address, users must wait 12 months before they can alter or remove it. The old address cannot be immediately recycled to create a brand new account during this period.
It's important to note that in some specific places, like calendar events created before the change, the old email address will continue to display and won't update automatically. However, users will still have the option to send emails from their old address if they prefer.
This update finally brings parity and much-needed control to millions of Gmail users in India and worldwide, allowing them to refresh their digital identity without starting from scratch.
