Google Will Finally Let You Change Your Gmail Address
Google is finally preparing to do something users have been asking for since Gmail launched in 2004: let people change their Gmail address without having to start over from scratch.
The change quietly surfaced through Google Support documentation, first spotted on the Hindi-language version of the company’s help pages and later reflected across other translated versions worldwide. While Google hasn’t issued a formal announcement yet, the documentation makes it clear this isn’t an experiment. It’s a feature rolling out gradually.
A long-requested fix for regrettable email names
For years, anyone stuck with an old, currently “cringe” Gmail address could only create a brand-new account and go through the painstaking process of transferring everything. That often meant re-logging into apps, updating subscriptions, and risking broken integrations.
Now, with the new update, users with addresses ending in @gmail.com will be able to switch to a new Gmail address while keeping their account, data, and Google services fully intact. That includes emails, Google Photos, Drive files, YouTube history, and more.
Even better, the original Gmail address won’t disappear. It becomes an alias. Emails sent to both the old and new addresses will still arrive in the same inbox, and both addresses remain valid for logging into Google services.
Limitations and rules
The feature comes with firm boundaries:
- You can only change your Gmail address once every 12 months
- Accounts are limited to three total address changes
Some support pages still display the older message stating that Gmail addresses “usually cannot be changed,” indicating that Google is rolling this feature out gradually. The updated guidance first appeared on the Hindi-language help pages, suggesting it may reach certain regions before others, but it is ultimately expected to expand worldwide.
How to change your Gmail address
Once the feature is active for your account, it should work through standard Google Account settings. Here’s what the process looks like based on Google’s documentation:
- Sign in to your Google Account at myaccount.google.com or open the Settings app on your device and tap Manage your Google Account
- Go to Personal info
- Under Contact info, tap or click Email
- Tap or click Google Account email
- If the new option is available, you’ll see a Change email address or Change Google Account email option
- Enter the new @gmail.com address you want
- Follow the on-screen prompts to confirm the change
If you don’t see the option yet, it simply hasn’t rolled out to your account or region.
Be careful, scammers will try to exploit this
Any big Gmail change attracts phishing attempts. Expect fake emails claiming to “activate your Gmail name change” or links asking you to re-enter credentials. Ignore them.
If this feature applies to you, you’ll be able to find it inside your official Google Account settings, not in emails or random links.