Google may soon allow Gmail users to change their email address

Google may soon fix one of Gmail’s oldest frustrations of being stuck with an email id you created years ago and now regret the address.

According to a recent update spotted in Google’s Hindi-language support documentation and reported by Forbes, Google is preparing to allow users to change their Gmail addresses without losing any account data. Until now, this option was largely unavailable for users with @gmail.com addresses.

Under the new system, users will be allowed to change their Gmail address once every 12 months, with a lifetime limit of three changes. Importantly, the original email address will not disappear. Instead, it will turn into an alias, meaning emails sent to the old address will still be delivered to the account.

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Google has clarified that all existing account data- including emails, messages, photos, and other stored content-will remain completely intact after the change.

“If you wish, you can change the email address of your Google Account, the last part of which is gmail.com. It can be replaced with a new email address that finalises gmail.com,” Google stated in its support document on its website.

Previously, Google only allowed users to change their account email if it was linked to a third-party service. Gmail addresses themselves were usually permanent. The feature has been warmly welcomed on social media, with many users saying it would finally allow them to update outdated or embarrassing email IDs created during childhood.

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However, the updated guidance currently appears only on Google’s Hindi support page, suggesting the rollout may begin in India or Hindi-speaking regions. The English-language support page still states that Gmail addresses “usually cannot be changed.”

The documentation notes that the feature is being rolled out gradually to users worldwide. Once an address is changed, users will not be able to create another new Gmail address for 12 months and cannot delete the newly chosen address.

Google has not yet made an official announcement. The update was first noticed through user forums and tech communities.