Google has begun introducing a new feature that allows Gmail users to change their email addresses without losing access to existing data or services.
For more than two decades, Gmail users have been required to keep their original email addresses if they wished to retain their account history and connected Google services. This limitation has long frustrated users whose usernames no long reflect their identities, particularly those created during their teenage years or prior to name changes.
This is great news for users who wish to update their identity, as Google has started gradually rolling out a feature that enables users to change their @gmail.com addresses while keeping all emails and account data intact.
Image credit: Be Connected
What changes for users
With the new feature, the previous Gmail address will remain active as an alias, ensuring that incoming emails are still received. Users will also be able to sign in using either the old or new address across Google services such as Gmail, Drive, YouTube, Maps, and Google Play, without disruption to stored files, subscriptions, or purchase records.
The update was first observed through Google’s support documentation and is currently available to a limited number of users, with broader availability expected over time.
Image credit: Getty Images
Conditions and scope
The feature includes several restrictions. Users may update their Gmail address only once every 12 months and can create a maximum of four Gmail addresses per account over its lifetime. Newly created addresses cannot be removed. The update applies solely to personal Gmail accounts and does not extend to email addresses issued by workplaces or educational institutions.
Although Google has not provided a detailed rollout schedule, the feature marks a significant shift in account flexibility and addresses a long-standing request from users worldwide.
Follow Wah Piang for more.
