Google has unveiled a new feature that allows Gmail users to change their existing email addresses without losing data or access to services, marking a major shift in the company’s long-standing policy.
Gmail
According to an update on Google’s account help page, the new option enables account holders to replace their current @gmail.com address with a new one while retaining all associated data, including emails, photos, and integrations with services such as Google Drive, Maps, and YouTube.
The guidance, however, was first spotted on the Hindi version of Google’s support page, suggesting that the rollout may begin in India or Hindi-speaking markets before expanding globally.
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The English-language support page still carries the older advisory that Gmail addresses “usually cannot be changed.”
Google explained that under the new policy, users who update their Gmail address will automatically keep their original address as an alias.
This means emails sent to the old address will continue to arrive in the inbox, and the original address will remain valid for signing in to Google services.
Previously, users seeking a new Gmail address had to create an entirely new account and manually transfer their data, a process that often disrupted third-party app integrations. The new feature eliminates that inconvenience, ensuring continuity for users.
The company further clarified that while users can reuse their old Gmail address at any time, accounts that change their address will face certain restrictions.
These include a 12-month waiting period before another new Gmail address can be created, and the inability to delete the newly chosen address once it has been set.
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Google assured users that all existing data would remain intact after an address update, including stored photos, messages, and emails.
The gradual rollout of the feature indicates that full global adoption is expected in the coming months, a move likely to be welcomed by millions of users who have long requested the ability to update their Gmail identities without starting afresh.
