Gmail might finally let you switch to a new address without starting over

What you need to know

• Google is preparing a feature that allows users to change their Gmail username without making a new account.
• All data like emails, photos, Drive files, and messages will stay intact, and both old and new addresses will work.
• Users can only change their Gmail address once every 12 months, with a total limit of up to three changes.
• The feature isn't live yet, but a Google support page update suggests the rollout could begin very soon.

Google may soon allow users to switch to a brand-new Gmail username without losing access to their old address, data, or account history.

Right now, Gmail users are locked into the email address they created on day one. You can always make a new account and set up forwarding, so that emails sent to your old account land in your new inbox, but there is currently no easy way to change your Gmail username itself. That finally looks set to change.

As spotted by Google Pixel Hub on Telegram, a recently updated Google Account support page states that: "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."

The feature appears to be in early rollout, and oddly enough, the support page currently only shows up in Hindi, which suggests Google may have jumped the gun on publishing the information before the feature is officially live.

Once the update rolls out fully, Gmail users will reportedly be able to switch to a new @gmail.com username while keeping everything intact. That includes access to all account data, emails, messages, photos, and connected Google services.

Better yet, Google will let users continue using both the old and new Gmail addresses for signing in, sending emails, and receiving messages. In simple terms, your old Gmail will not be deleted or suspended. It will become an alias.

What happens to your old Gmail address and data

According to the page, when a user chooses a new Gmail address, all data, including emails sent to the old address, will remain accessible. Users will also be able to receive mail on both email addresses, and no one else will be able to claim your old username.

There are some limitations though. Users will reportedly be able to choose a new Gmail username only once every 12 months. You will also only be allowed to change it three times after the original address, meaning a total of four possible Gmail usernames can be linked to a single Google Account.

Once available, the process to change your Gmail username will be fairly straightforward. You will need to head to the Personal info section of My Google Account, where you will find the option labeled Change Google Account Email Address. From there, you should be able to enter the new @gmail.com username you want to use.

The feature has not begun rolling out publicly yet, but the support page being updated this early almost always means a launch is imminent. We'll be keeping a close eye on it and will update once the feature officially becomes available.