Google has introduced a long-awaited feature that lets Gmail users change their existing email address. This is useful for people who have old or embarrassing email IDs, like ones from high school.
The important points are:
Users can replace their current @gmail.com address with a new one.
All data and services remain intact- emails, contacts, Google Drive files, etc. will not be lost.
Currently, the update appears only on the Hindi version of Google’s. When you change your Gmail address, the original email address still works.
Emails sent to the old address will continue arriving in your inbox.
You can also sign in to Google services (Drive, Maps, YouTube) using the old address.support page, hinting that the rollout may start in India or Hindi-speaking regions.
Google says the feature is gradually rolling out, so it may take some time before it’s available to everyone globally.
This feature lets users change their Gmail address without losing data or access to Google services.
Here’s how it works and what to know:
Keep the old address as an alias:
When you change your Gmail address, the original email address still works.
Emails sent to the old address will continue arriving in your inbox.
You can also sign in to Google services (Drive, Maps, YouTube) using the old address.
No data loss:
Your emails, messages, photos, and other data remain intact.
This avoids the complicated process of creating a new account and transferring everything manually.
Restrictions:
Once you change your Gmail address, you cannot change it again for 12 months.
You cannot delete the new email address after changing it.
Reuse old email anytime:
The original Gmail address remains linked to your account and can be used at any time.
Rollout status:
The feature currently appears in the Hindi version of Google’s support page, suggesting it may first launch in India or Hindi-speaking regions.
The English support page still says Gmail addresses “usually cannot be changed.”