Change Your Gmail Address: Google Announces Gradual Rollout
â–Ľ Summary
– Google is rolling out a new feature allowing users to change their “@gmail.com” email address to a new “@gmail.com” address, a previously restricted action.
– The old email address becomes an alias, so users will receive emails at both addresses and can sign in with either one.
– Account data, including photos and messages, remains unaffected by the change, and the old address cannot be claimed by another user.
– Users are limited to changing their “@gmail.com” address up to three times and cannot delete or change the new address for 12 months.
– This functionality is gradually rolling out and will be accessible via “My Account” when live, though detailed support information appeared early in Hindi.
Google is introducing a significant update that will finally allow users to change their primary @gmail.com email address, a long-requested feature. This new capability is currently in a gradual rollout phase, as detailed on a Google support page. For years, the company has permitted changes only for accounts using third-party email providers, leaving standard Gmail addresses locked in place. This shift represents a major policy change for one of the world’s most popular email services.
The updated support information, first spotted in a translated Hindi version, outlines a clear process. Users will be able to switch their existing @gmail.com address to a new @gmail.com address with a different username. It’s important to understand that this change does not delete your old address. Instead, Google will convert it into an alias for your inbox. All emails sent to your previous address will continue to arrive in the same mailbox, and you can still use it to sign into all Google services like YouTube, Drive, and Maps.
Google has established specific rules to manage this new flexibility. After making a change, you cannot alter or delete the new email address for a period of 12 months. Furthermore, each account is limited to a total of four @gmail.com addresses over its lifetime, meaning you can change your address up to three times. Your old address remains permanently associated with your account and cannot be claimed by another person, though it may still appear in older calendar events or documents.
The company assures users that no account data, including saved photos, messages, or existing emails, will be lost or affected by the address change. You can also choose to send new emails from your old address if you prefer. When the feature becomes widely available, the option to make this change will be accessible through your Google Account management settings. While the full English support page and functionality are not yet live for all users, this early glimpse confirms the update is on its way, offering Gmail users unprecedented control over their digital identity.
(Source: 9to5 Google)
