BUSINESS

Google Introduces Gradual Rollout of Option to Change Your @gmail.com Email Address

Staff December 26, 2025

Google is gradually rolling out a new feature allowing users to change their @gmail.com email addresses. Previously restricted to third-party addresses, this update lets users modify their Gmail usernames while retaining access to both old and new addresses.

Featured image for: Google says it is ‘gradually rolling out’ option to change your @gmail.com address On a Google support page, the company says it is rolling out a new option to let users change their email address even if it is an “@gmail.com” address. Related: Google One discounting annual 2 TB and AI Pro plans by 50% For quite some time now, Google has allowed users to change their account email address if they are using a third-party email address, but users with an “@gmail.com” address are left unable to change it, as Google says: If your account’s email address ends in @gmail.com, you usually can’t change it. It appears this is changing. On the same support page that currently says that you usually can’t change your email, Google is detailing a new process that is “gradually rolling out.” The altered page weirdly only shows in Hindi at the moment, meaning you can’t see the changes in English. Everything quoted below is translated. The page was first spotted in the “Google Pixel Hub” group on Telegram. Google explains: The email address associated with your Google Account is the address you use to sign in to Google services. This email address helps you and others identify your account. If you’d like, you can change your Google Account email address that ends in gmail.com to a new email address that ends in gmail.com. This is new functionality that Google hasn’t detailed elsewhere yet, but says is “gradually rolling out to all users.” With this change, Google will allow users to change their “@gmail.com” email address to a new “@gmail.com” address with an altered username. After changing, Google details that your original email address will still receive emails at the same inbox as your new one and work for sign-in, and that none of your account access will change. Users will be unable to change or delete their email within 12 months of the change. When you change your Google Account email address from an email address ending in gmail.com to a new email address ending in gmail.com: The old email address in your Google Account that ends with gmail.com will be set as an alias. Learn more about alias email addresses . You will receive emails at both your old and new email addresses. Data saved in your account, including photos, messages, and emails sent to your old email address, will not be affected. You can reuse your old Google Account email address at any time. However, you can’t create a new Google Account email address that ends with gmail.com for the next 12 months. You can’t delete your new email address either. You can sign in to Google services like Gmail, Maps, YouTube, Google Play, or Drive with your old or new email address. Each account can only change its “@gmail.com” address up to 3 times for a total of 4 addresses. Google further details that your old Gmail address will still appear in some cases, and “won’t be immediately reflected in older instances” such as events on Calendar created before the change. You’ll also still be able to send emails from the old address. The old address remains yours and cannot be used by another user.

Google has announced the gradual rollout of a new feature that will allow users to change their @gmail.com email addresses. Until now, users with Gmail addresses were unable to modify their primary email username, a restriction that applied only to those with third-party email addresses linked to their Google accounts.

The development was first spotted on a Google support page that, unusually, was available only in Hindi at the time of discovery. The page was shared in the "Google Pixel Hub" group on Telegram and provides a translated explanation of the new process.

Current Limitations on Changing Gmail Addresses

Previously, Google allowed users to change their Google Account email address only if it was a third-party email (e.g., Yahoo, Outlook). According to Google's support documentation, "If your account’s email address ends in @gmail.com, you usually can’t change it." This restriction meant that Gmail users could not alter their primary username once an account was created.

New Functionality: Changing Your @gmail.com Address

The updated support page outlines a new option that lets users change their Gmail address from one @gmail.com email to another. This change is described as "gradually rolling out to all users," suggesting a phased deployment rather than an immediate global release.

Google explains the process as follows:

The user can change their Gmail username while keeping the @gmail.com domain.
The original email address will become an alias, meaning emails sent to the old address will still arrive in the same inbox.
Users can sign in to Google services like Gmail, Maps, YouTube, Google Play, and Drive with either the old or new email address.
Data saved in the account—including photos, messages, and emails sent to the old address—will remain unaffected.
The user cannot delete the new email address or change it again within 12 months.
Each account can change its Gmail address up to three times, allowing for a total of four unique addresses.

Alias Feature and Account Management

Google emphasizes that the old Gmail address will be retained as an alias. This means users will continue to receive emails sent to their former address, and the alias can be used for signing in. Importantly, the old address remains exclusively linked to the original account and cannot be reused by others.

Some legacy issues may arise temporarily, as older instances such as calendar events created before the change might still display the original email address. Users will also be able to send emails from the old address.

Implications for Users

This feature has the potential to offer more flexibility for Gmail users who want to update their email addresses without losing access to their existing data or contacts. For instance, users who have changed their names or want to rebrand their email identity can benefit from this update.

However, the limitations on frequency of changes and the inability to delete the new address for a year indicate that Google intends to prevent abuse of the system and maintain account security.

Related Offers

Separately, Google is currently offering discounts on its Google One subscription plans, including annual 2 TB and AI Pro plans at 50% off. This promotion complements the company's broader strategy to enhance user experience across its services.

Conclusion

Google’s gradual rollout of the ability to change Gmail addresses marks a significant shift in account management policies. While details remain limited and the feature is still being introduced, this change promises greater convenience for Gmail users seeking to update their primary email addresses without losing access or data.

Users are advised to monitor official Google channels for updates as the rollout progresses and to review any specific instructions or limitations related to the feature when it becomes available in their region.