Say goodbye to old Gmail usernames

Google has begun rolling out a long‑anticipated feature that allows users to change their “@gmail.com” address without losing emails, files or account data, the company says on its updated support documentation. The functionality is being introduced gradually and is not yet available to all users.

According to Google’s updated guidance, users with a Gmail address will be able to switch the username portion of their email address to a new one that also ends in @gmail.com while keeping the same Google Account. 

Once the change is made, the previous Gmail address automatically becomes an alias, and emails sent to both old and new addresses will arrive in the same inbox. Users will also be able to sign in to services such as Gmail, YouTube, Maps, Drive and Google Play with either address.

Google says this update does not affect existing account content or settings. All data — including messages, photos, Drive files and contacts — remains intact after the address change, and the original email remains linked to the account.

The feature comes with limitations designed to maintain security and prevent abuse: users cannot change or delete the new Gmail address for 12 months after making the update, and each account is limited to a maximum of three address changes, allowing up to four Gmail addresses per account over time. Some older features, such as previously created Google Calendar events, may continue to display the original address.

By Jeyhun Aghazada