Google has recently introduced a Christmas present to Gmail users who are still using their old high school-era email addresses.
According to an update to Google’s account help page, account holders can now swap their existing @gmail.com address with a new one while keeping all data and services.
The new instructions about changing the email address are only visible in the Hindi version of the Google support page, indicating that the implementation can start in India or Hindi-speaking markets.
However, the support page indicated that the feature was being rolled out to all users gradually, implying that the feature is in the process of going global, although that might take some time.
The English-language page still has previous instructions claiming that @gmail.com addresses “usually cannot be changed.” Google did not respond immediately to CNBC’s inquiry about which regions would be the first to receive the feature.
Users who modify their addresses under the new policy will retain their original address as an alias. All emails addressed to the old address will still be received in the inbox, and the old address can still be used to sign in to Google applications such as Drive, Maps, and YouTube.
Previously, users who needed a new Gmail address were forced to create a new account and transfer their data manually through a complex and stressful process that could break integrations with third-party apps.
Google announced that the current data, such as photos, messages, and emails, would be unchanged following an address change. As per Google’s translation of the support page in Hindi, users may also reuse the email address of the old Google account at any time.
Therefore, those accounts that change their Gmail address will not be in a position of creating another new Gmail address within the next 12 months and will be unable to delete the newly selected address.
Google has not officially released a press statement or announcement regarding the change, which was initially apparently found in user forums and tech communities.
