Google has rolled out a long-awaited feature that allows users to change their Gmail address without creating a new account or losing years of emails,
files, or subscriptions. Your old Gmail address is retained as an alias, ensuring all incoming emails continue to reach the account even after the switch.
The feature is being rolled out in phases, so it may not be available to all users right away.
What stays the same
The update does not affect access to any core services. Users retain their Gmail messages, Google Drive files, Photos, YouTube subscriptions, Maps data, Play Store purchases, contacts, account history, and paid subscriptions.
How to change your Gmail address: Step by step
If the feature is available for your account, here’s how to update your Gmail ID:
Step 1: Log in to your Google Account
Visit myaccount.google.com and sign in.
Step 2: Go to Personal info
Select the “Personal info” tab from the menu.
Step 3: Open email settings
Scroll to the “Contact info” section and click on “Email.”
Step 4: Check eligibility
Look for an option labelled “Google Account email.”
If it is greyed out or unavailable, the feature may not have reached your account yet, or your account type (such as work or school accounts) may have restrictions.
Step 5: Edit your Gmail address
If eligible, select the edit option and enter your new Gmail ID.
Step 6: Verify the change
Google may ask for additional verification via phone number or backup email before confirming the update.
Rules and limitations
There are several restrictions attached to the new feature.
- You can change your Gmail id only up to three times. This means you can have only four addresses in all.
- You can change it only once every 12 months.
- The old email address cannot be deleted and will continue to receive messages as an alias.
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After changing your Gmail ID
While Google handles the data transfer automatically, users should update their email address on third-party apps and websites where it is used as a login, change their Gmail signature to reflect the new ID, and inform important contacts such as colleagues, banks, and service providers about the update.
You can sign in to your account using both your old id and the new one.
