Google appears to be rolling out a long-requested fix for anyone stuck with a cringe-worthy Gmail handle. Support pages updated in several languages — notably a Hindi version that surfaced first — show an option to replace an existing @gmail.com address with a new one while keeping everything tied to the same Google Account.
What the change actually does
According to the updated guidance, if your Google Account email ends in @gmail.com you may be able to change it to another address that also ends in @gmail.com. Crucially, the old address doesn’t disappear: it becomes an alternate email (alias). That means:
- Messages sent to the old or new address arrive in the same inbox.
- The old address can still be used to sign in to Google services like Drive, YouTube and Maps.
- Existing data — photos, emails, Drive files, etc. — remains attached to the account.
Reports from multiple outlets add small but important details: after a switch you may be prevented from creating another new Gmail address for a period (roughly 12 months in most accounts), and some write-ups note a cap on how many new addresses you can create overall. One early report also recommended making a full backup on ChromeOS before switching because some settings and files may not carry over cleanly.
Where it’s rolling out and how to check
So far the clearest evidence of the change has come from non-English Google support pages and user forums — the Hindi help page was updated first and other languages have followed, while the English page has lagged behind. Google has not issued a formal, global announcement.
To see whether the option is available for your account, visit your Google Account page at myaccount.google.com. Go to Personal information → Email → Google Account email address; if you’re in the rollout you should see a “Change Google Account email” button.
Why this matters (and a few caveats)
For many people this removes a messy migration: until now the only reliable way to get a new Gmail address was to create a new Google Account and manually move data and service connections — a chore that could break sign-ins for apps and services tied to the old address.
This change, by converting the old address to an alias and preserving data, promises to make a fresh start far less painful. That said, early reports mention limits (a months‑long cooldown before another change, and possible limits on total new addresses), and there are hints of quirks on specific platforms such as ChromeOS. If your account is tied to third‑party services, expect to double-check logins and integrations after any address swap.
Google’s broader push into Gmail and Workspace features — including tighter AI integration — makes account flexibility more useful than it sounds; tools that search your mail and Drive benefit when account identities are stable. For background on how Google is adding deeper Gmail and Drive tooling, see coverage of Gemini’s Deep Research linking into Gmail and Drive. And this kind of account-level change sits alongside other Google UI experiments such as new AI tools in Chrome and Search Google’s AI Mode is expanding agentic booking features.
If you decide to switch, treat it like a small migration: back up important files, review apps that use your Google sign‑in, and be ready for a short waiting period before another change is permitted. For now, the rollout looks gradual — but for anyone ready to retire an old username, this could be the simplest escape hatch yet.