Google may allow Gmail users to switch addresses

Google is preparing to let users change their Gmail addresses without losing access to existing emails and files, according to information posted on a company support page.

A Hindi-language version of the Gmail support site says Google is “gradually rolling out to all users” the ability to change the email address linked to a Google account, including changing from one “@gmail.com” address to another. The update was first spotted by the Google Pixel Hub group on Telegram and later reported by 9to5Google.

If users switch to a new Gmail address, their old address will continue to work as an alias, allowing them to receive emails in the same inbox and sign in to Google services using either address. Google says account access will remain unchanged. However, users will not be able to change or delete their email address again for 12 months after making the switch.

As of Sunday, the English-language version of the Gmail support site still states, “If your account’s email address ends in @gmail.com, you usually can’t change it,” and suggests changing the display name or creating a new account and transferring emails and contacts instead.

Google has long allowed users with third-party email addresses linked to their accounts to change those addresses, but Gmail users were previously unable to do so. The company now says this limitation is changing as the new option rolls out.

Under the new system, each account will be able to change its “@gmail.com” address up to three times, allowing a total of four addresses. Google says the original address will remain reserved for the user and cannot be taken by anyone else. Users will also still be able to send emails from the old address.

Google notes that the old address may continue to appear in some places, such as calendar events created before the change, and that updates “won’t be immediately reflected in older instances.”

The support page detailing the process is currently visible only in Hindi, and the feature is not yet live. Google says the option will be available through the ‘My Account’ section once the rollout is complete.