An updated Google account help page states that, after a long-requested change, account owners can now replace their existing @gmail.com address with a new one while retaining all their data and services. It’s time to get rid of those embarrassing email addresses from High School.
Since Gmail debuted in 2004, users have been permanently tied to the username they chose on day one. Whether it was a college nickname or a username that no longer suited their professional life, the only option was to abandon their account and start over. The new option offers a different path, allowing users to update their address while keeping everything else the same.
Under the new policy, users who change their address will automatically keep their original address as an alias. Emails sent to the old address will continue to be delivered to your inbox, and the original address will still work when signing in to Google services like “Drive”, “Maps”, and “YouTube”.
Previously, users who wanted to get a new Gmail address had to create a new account and manually transfer their data through a complicated and fraught process that could disrupt integration with third-party apps.
In general, there are limitations. Once a user changes their Gmail address, they can’t change or delete it for 12 months. The previous address remains reserved and can’t be claimed by another user during that period.
Google also limits the total number of changes, allowing the process to be used up to three times, meaning that one account can ultimately have up to four active Gmail identities, all of which fall into the same inbox. Updated Google documentation confirms that the alias system is a key part of the change.
However, the updated guidelines for changing your email address are only available on the Hindi version of Google’s help page, suggesting that the rollout may start in India or Hindi-speaking markets. The help page states that the feature is gradually rolling out to all users, which suggests that full global adoption is coming, but it may take some time.
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