Google has announced the rollout of a new feature allowing users in the United States to change their Gmail address without needing to create a new account or forfeit access to their existing data and emails. The update, which began appearing for users on Tuesday, enables a long-requested functionality for managing Google Account identities.
To access the feature, eligible users must navigate to their Google Account settings, select 'Personal info', then 'Email', and find the 'Google Account email' option. A 'Change Google Account email' button will initiate the process. The company has implemented a restriction permitting users to change their primary email address only once within a 12-month period, during which the new address cannot be deleted.
Data Preservation and Sign-in
A key aspect of the change is the preservation of all existing user data. Google confirmed that emails sent to the old address will remain accessible within the account. Furthermore, the previous email address will be retained as an alternate alias, allowing account holders to sign in to all Google services using either their old or new email address seamlessly.
The feature's introduction follows a limited rollout in some Hindi-speaking territories, as previously documented by technology news outlet 9to5Google. The discovery was made through updates to Google's Hindi-language support pages, which detailed the username modification process before the wider US announcement.
Gradual Rollout and Availability
Google has stated that the feature is being released gradually. Consequently, not all users in the United States will see the option to change their Gmail address immediately. The company's official support page advises users that availability may vary as the update is progressively distributed across its user base.
The move addresses a common user constraint and aligns Google's account management tools with evolving digital identity needs, where a single, lifelong email address may become impractical or undesirable.