Gmail can now be renamed without losing correspondence

Google has finally introduced a feature that users have been asking for for years: Gmail owners can now change their @gmail.com address without losing emails, files and services tied to the account.

The innovation allows you to get rid of embarrassing or outdated addresses created when you were a teenager, while keeping all your account details intact. Moreover, the old address will continue to work - emails will come to both the old and the new email.

What happens to your data after an address change

After you change your Gmail address:

• all emails, photos, messages, and files remain in place;

• google services (Drive, Photos, YouTube, and others) continue to work unchanged;

• the old address remains active and accepts incoming emails.

Thus, the change of address does not affect the history of correspondence and does not require data migration.

The feature appears gradually

Google specifies that the ability to change address is being introduced gradually and is not yet available to all users. You can check if the feature is available in your account settings.

The update caused an active reaction in social networks. Users joke that they have been waiting for this feature since the mid-2000s, and also rejoice at the chance to get rid of "cringe" nicknames invented many years ago.

This feature has become especially important for people who have changed their name, including representatives of the transgender community, who now find it easier to distance themselves from their former personal data.

What restrictions apply

• You can only change your address for @gmail.com accounts - corporate and third-party domains are not supported.

• The new address must also end in @gmail.com.

• Once you change your address, you cannot register another email for the same account for 12 months.

• You can use the old address again in the future if you wish.

How to change your Gmail address

If the feature is already available for an account, the procedure is as follows:

1. Go to Manage Your Google Account.

2. Go to Personal Info.

3. Click your current Gmail address.

4. Select Change your Google Account email address and follow the instructions.

Google recommends making sure the update is already available for your specific account and region.