Google rolls out option to change a Gmail address without losing data
Google is starting to roll out a long-requested option that lets some users change their Gmail address while keeping their existing Google account data, including emails, files, and photos. The change appears in Google’s updated Account Help documentation in Hindi, which notes the feature is “gradually rolling out” and may not be available to everyone yet.
In the Hindi help page, Google says users with a Google account that ends in @gmail.com may be able to replace it with a new @gmail.com address. Google adds that, after a change, the old Gmail address becomes an alternate address on the account. That means messages sent to either the old or the new address should continue arriving in the same inbox, and users can sign in to Google services with either address.
Google also lists limits tied to the switch. The Hindi documentation says users can reuse the old address at any time, but they will not be able to create another new Gmail address for 12 months, and the newly chosen address cannot be deleted.
The updated guidance has not appeared on the English version of the same help page, which still says Gmail addresses “usually can’t be changed.” A report tracking the change says the updated instructions showing Gmail-to-Gmail address replacement were first spotted via Google’s Hindi support content, suggesting a phased rollout by region or language.
