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New Delhi: Google has started rolling out its most-awaited feature that will enable users to change their primary Gmail address, by making the major shift from its long-standing policy of keeping @gmail.com IDs permanent.
This upgrade was confirmed by CEO Sundar Pichai in a post on X, where he wrote, “2004 was a good year, but your Gmail address doesn’t need to be stuck in it. To say goodbye to your old username, go to your Google Account settings and choose any name available. You’ll keep your old username, and you can sign in with both.”
This latest feature will enable users to switch to the latest Gmail address without losing their existing data. Emails, Drive Files, photos, and other linked services will go on to remain intact.
The old email ID will continue to stay linked to the account as an alternate address, which actually means the users can still receive emails sent to it and use it to sign in.
The feature will be rolled out gradually, so it might not be available to all users immediately. Those who do get the access will be able to make the change through the Google Account email section in settings. The change might lead to minor disruptions in services like Sign in with Google and Chrome sync. It has also advised the users to back up important data as a precaution.
While the users can switch back to their previous email ID, that address cannot be used to create a new Gmail account for up to 12 months. Gmail users had no other option but to change to their primary email ID without creating a new account.
This upgrade also removes the limitation by offering users more flexibility to move on from outdated or less professional usernames without losing access to their data.
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