Google might finally let you change your Gmail address: Here’s what that means for you

Gmail

For the longest time, Gmail users have had to accept one irritating limitation. If your Google Account email ended in @gmail.com, the username part of it was permanent. You could not change it, even if you had outgrown the name or simply wanted something cleaner. Google did allow email changes for accounts created using non-Gmail addresses, but Gmail users were excluded. Over the years, this became a source of frustration, especially for those who created their Gmail IDs as children, or during a time when email usernames did not feel like a serious choice. But today, your Gmail address is often the key to almost everything online. From travel bookings and app logins to Google Drive files, contacts, bills, photos, and even work profiles, one email ID quietly connects your entire digital life.

Now, it looks like Google is finally opening the door for change, a report by 9to5 Google claims.

A long awaited update

A Google support page that is currently being updated (and showing the new details only in Hindi for now) talks about a new option that is “gradually rolling out to all users.” The company has not announced this elsewhere yet, but the instructions clearly explain that users will soon be able to change their @gmail.com email address to a new @gmail.com address, while keeping the same Google Account. This update was first spotted in a Telegram group called Google Pixel Hub. The timing of the support page going live only in Hindi may have been accidental, but the information feels deliberate. Google is clearly preparing to give Gmail users more freedom to reshape their online identity without starting over.

What will change and what will stay the same

When this feature becomes available to everyone, you will be able to replace your Gmail username with a new one of your choice. But even after the change, your old Gmail address will not disappear. It will become an alias, which means emails sent to the old address will continue to arrive in the same inbox. You will also be able to sign in to Google services using both the old and new email addresses. Most importantly, all your saved data will remain untouched. Your photos, Google Drive files, contacts, Google Play apps, purchases, subscriptions, Maps history, YouTube watch history, and emails will all stay exactly where they are. No access will be lost. No data will be deleted.

The rules Google is attaching to this change

Google is adding some restrictions to make sure this flexibility is not misused. Once you change your Gmail address, you cannot edit it again or remove the new email for 12 months. You also cannot create a brand new Google Account using your old Gmail username for the next year, because the alias will stay connected to your existing account. In some older places, like Google Calendar events created before the email change, your old address might still show up for a while, but the email remains yours forever. No one else can claim it. Google is also allowing users to continue sending emails from the old address even after the switch, which means the update is not about removing ownership. It is about adding room to evolve.

How many times can you do this?

Google has also placed a limit on the number of email changes. Each Google Account can change its @gmail.com address up to three times, meaning one user can have a total of four Gmail addresses linked to the same account over time. For the average user, this feels fair and generous. It gives enough space to fix old usernames, match the email to your current name, or simply choose a handle that feels more aligned with who you are today.

Why this update matters to millions

Email addresses have become more than just sign-in IDs. They are often deeply tied to personal and professional identity. The ability to change a Gmail address while keeping the same account means fewer missed messages, fewer password recovery headaches, and more freedom to present your name the way you want it to appear today.

In short, Google is finally letting Gmail users change their email username without losing anything they already own. This option is not fully live yet, but when it does reach you, it will appear inside the “My Account” section on Google. Once you see it, you can follow the steps and update your Gmail username, while your entire digital world remains exactly where it is. For millions of users who have had Gmail for years, this could be one of the most meaningful and practical updates of 2025.