How to Change Your Gmail Email Address

You can now change your Gmail address

For years a personal @gmail.com address was permanent. The username you chose was the one you kept. The only real options were changing the display name or building a brand new account. That changed in 2026. Google now lets you change the username on a personal Gmail account without creating a new account and without losing your data. It keeps your emails, Drive files, contacts and history in place. The rollout is gradual, though: it reached India first in late 2025, then the United States in April 2026. It is still spreading to other regions in stages, so it may not be in your account yet.

Change your Gmail email address directly

If the feature has reached your account, the change takes a few steps and no data moves.

1. Go to account.google.com and sign in.
2. Open Personal info, then Email, then Google Account email.
3. Select Change Google Account email.
4. Enter the new username you want. It has to be one that no other Google Account uses now or used in the past. It also still ends in @gmail.com.
5. Select Change email, then Yes, change email. Follow the steps on the screen.

What the change does to your account

This is the part people worry about, so here it is plainly. Nothing in your account is lost. Your emails, Drive files, photos, contacts and history all stay, so you are not signed out. The details that matter:

• Your old address becomes an alternate. Mail sent to either the old or the new address arrives in the same inbox.
• You sign in with either address across Google services such as Gmail, Google Play, Maps and YouTube.
• You can switch back anytime. Go to Personal info, Email, Google Account email, find the old address and select Make this your Google Account email.
• There are limits. After changing, you cannot create another new Gmail address for 12 months. The new one also cannot be deleted during that time.

One small note: a few app settings, like the Gmail background, may reset. A handful of non-Google apps might also need the new address entered before they recognize you.

Check if the option is available for you

Because the rollout is gradual, the quickest way to know is to look. Open account.google.com, go to Personal info then Email then Google Account email, then see whether Change Google Account email appears. If it does, use the steps above. If it does not, the feature has not reached your account. It lands without any notice, so checking again in a week or two is worth it. In the meantime, the method below gives you a new address today.

No option yet? Change it with a new account

If the direct change is not available in your region, the classic route still works: create the address you want, then move your history across so nothing is lost.

1. Create a new Gmail account with the username you want.
2. Bring your old mail and contacts in. In the new account, open Settings then Accounts and Import then Import mail and contacts. For a larger mailbox, a migration tool is faster.
3. On the old account, set up forwarding to the new one. In the new account, add the old address under Send mail as so replies still go out from the right address.

For the full walkthrough, see our guide on how to migrate Gmail emails to another Gmail account. If you plan to leave the old account behind, it is worth a backup of the old Gmail before deleting it.

Change only your display name

Sometimes you do not need a new address at all, only the name people see when you email them. That is a separate setting and has always been available. Open Gmail Settings, then See all settings, then Accounts and Import, find your address under Send mail as, select edit info and set the name you want. The address stays the same. Adding a plus sign or dots to your address, like yourname+news@gmail.com, only helps you filter incoming mail. It does not change the address either.

Work or school (Google Workspace) accounts

If your address is a work or school one on Google Workspace, you do not change it yourself. The organization’s administrator renames it in the Google Admin console under Directory then Users. The old address usually stays on as an alias, so mail keeps arriving. If that is your situation, ask your admin rather than looking in your own settings. Switching a Gmail account to a non-Gmail address is also possible, but it means deleting the Gmail service from the account, which is a bigger step most people do not need.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change my Gmail address without creating a new account?

Yes, where Google has rolled out the feature. Open account.google.com, then Personal info, Email, Google Account email, then select Change Google Account email. You pick a new @gmail.com username and keep all your data. If the option is missing, you still need a new account.

Will I lose my emails if I change my Gmail address?

No. The direct change keeps your emails, Drive, contacts and history. Your old address stays as an alternate that still receives mail. The create-new-account method also keeps your history when you import or migrate the mail.

Why is there no option to change my Gmail address?

The feature is rolling out gradually and may not have reached your country or account yet. Check again in a week or two. In the meantime, the create-a-new-address method works.

How often can I change my Gmail address?

Once every 12 months. After a change you must wait a year before another. The new address also cannot be deleted during that time. You can switch back to the old address at any point.

How do I change just the name shown on my emails?

Open Gmail Settings, See all settings, Accounts and Import, find your address under Send mail as, select edit info and set the new name. This changes the display name only, not the address.

Can I change a Google Workspace email address myself?

No. A Workspace administrator changes it in the Google Admin console under Directory then Users. Ask your admin, as it is not in your personal settings.