3 min read
Google is preparing to introduce a long awaited change that would allow users to modify their Gmail email addresses, including those ending in “@gmail.com,” according to newly updated information published on an official Google support page.
For years, Google has allowed users to change their Google Account email only if it was linked to a third party address, while Gmail addresses remained permanent. Google’s existing policy stated that accounts ending in “@gmail.com” usually could not be changed, a restriction that has frustrated users who created addresses years ago under different names or circumstances.
That policy now appears set to shift. The updated support documentation, which Google says is “gradually rolling out,” outlines a new process that enables users to change their Gmail address to a new “@gmail.com” address with a different username.
Google explains:
The email address associated with your Google Account is the address you use to sign in to Google services. This email address helps you and others identify your account. If you’d like, you can change your Google Account email address that ends in gmail.com to a new email address that ends in gmail.com.
The page is currently visible only in Hindi, suggesting the update may have been published just in India as a testing ground, ahead of a wider announcement, but it clearly describes functionality that Google has not previously offered.
Under the new system, users will be able to change their Gmail address while keeping their existing account, data, and access intact. Google says emails sent to the original address will continue to arrive in the same inbox, as the old address will be converted into an alias. Users will be able to sign in using either the old or new address, and all saved data, including emails, photos, and messages, will remain unaffected.
However, the change comes with limitations. After updating a Gmail address, users will not be able to modify or delete the new address for 12 months. Each account will be allowed to change its Gmail address up to three times, resulting in a maximum of four associated addresses. Google also notes that older services, such as calendar events created before the change, may still display the original address for some time.
The company emphasized that the original Gmail address will remain tied to the account and cannot be claimed by another user. Users will also retain the ability to send emails from the old address.
The feature is not yet live, but it is likely that it will eventually be accessible through the “My Account” settings once the rollout is complete.
