Google is relaxing its long-standing strict rule, making a change that will please Gmail users. Until now, users with Google accounts could only change third-party email addresses, but not those with the gmail.com extension. According to newly revealed support pages, the company is removing this restriction and preparing to offer users the freedom to change their email addresses without deleting their accounts.

The old address will remain as an alias.

This new feature, which is stated to be rolled out gradually on Google support pages, will allow users to change their existing gmail.com addresses to a new one. During this process, your old email address is not deleted; instead, it remains as an alias in your account. This means that emails sent to your old address will continue to arrive in the same inbox, preventing communication disruptions.

Google is reassuring users about data loss, a major concern. Google Photos Drive files and past emails will not be affected in any way after the change. Users can also use either their newly acquired or old Gmail address when logging into Google services. Since your old address remains your property, security risks such as another user taking over that name and performing actions in your name are eliminated.

Google isn’t offering this freedom without limits. Each account holder can change their gmail.com address a maximum of three times in total. This means you can have a total of four different addresses. Furthermore, a 12-month waiting period is required before making further changes or deleting your address. This feature, which is currently appearing on support pages in some regions, is expected to be activated worldwide soon.

So, are you thinking of changing your embarrassing Gmail address from high school? Or are you happy with your current address? Share your thoughts in the comments!