**Google Allows Indian Users to Change Their @gmail.com Address, Marking a Major Policy Shift**
For over 20 years, Gmail users have been tied to the username they originally chose when creating their accounts. This long-standing policy meant that once a @gmail.com address was set, it could never be changed. Many users found themselves stuck with email addresses that were embarrassing, unprofessional, or simply not reflective of their current identity.
Because Google did not allow changes to @gmail.com addresses, anyone wishing to update their email identity had to create a new Google account. However, this workaround presented significant challenges. Many people have numerous apps, services, and important data connected to their original accounts, making it difficult to switch without disruptions. Although Google offered a manual data transfer process between accounts, it was complicated and often broke integrations with third-party applications.
### A Welcome Change for Users
In a dramatic policy shift, Google LLC is now giving Indian users the opportunity to change their @gmail.com address associated with their existing Google accounts. This new feature is currently limited to India, but an updated Hindi language support page indicates that Google plans to roll it out globally in the future. For now, it appears the feature is in a testing phase.
When Hindi-speaking users change their Gmail address, they will automatically retain their original address as an alias. Emails sent to the old address will still arrive in the inbox of the new one. Furthermore, the original account will continue to work for signing into Google services such as Google Drive, Maps, and YouTube. All existing data—including photos, messages, and emails—will remain intact after the address update.
### Things to Keep in Mind
There are some limitations and considerations users should be aware of:
– Users will need to wait 12 months before they can change their Gmail address again.
– Each user is allowed a maximum of three address changes, meaning a total of four Gmail addresses over the lifetime of their Google account.
– It’s unclear if the new Gmail address will be recognized by third-party services that use “Sign in with Google.” Users may need to manually update their contact email on platforms like Spotify, Airbnb, and others.
Google has not yet made an official announcement about this feature, and there is no confirmed timeline for when it will be available globally. The discovery of this new option was first reported by Fast Company.
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*Image Credit: SiliconANGLE/Meta AI*
https://siliconangle.com/2025/12/28/google-planning-update-will-allow-users-change-embarrassing-old-email-addresses/
