Can you change your Gmail address?
For years the answer was no. Now Google's help page says you may be able to change your @gmail.com address to a new @gmail.com address, keeping your emails, files and photos. Not every account has the option. Here is how to check, what the limits are, and what to do if you can't.
Maybe. As of October 30, 2026, Google's help says that if your Google Account email ends in @gmail.com, you may be able to change it to a new @gmail.com address. Go to myaccount.google.com › Personal info › Email › Google Account email. If you see Change Google Account email, you can. Limits: once every 12 months, up to three times (four addresses in total). Your old address becomes an alternate address and still receives mail. If the option isn't there, create a new account and forward your mail, or just change your display name.
Step 1: Check if your account can change it
- On a computer, go to myaccount.google.com/google-account-email and sign in.
- Or go to myaccount.google.com, click Personal info, then Email, then Google Account email.
- Look for Change Google Account email.
If it's there, you can change it. If it isn't, Google says it might not be possible to change your Google Account email. Accounts from work, school or another organization are managed by an administrator, so ask them.
Step 2: Before you change it
Google asks you to review a few things first:
- Back up your data. Google says some app settings may reset.
- Chromebooks, "Sign in with Google" and Chrome Remote Desktop may be affected. Check Google's list on the help page before you go ahead.
- Websites where you signed up with your old address (not "Sign in with Google") still have the old address on file. Mail will keep arriving, but you may want to update important ones like your bank.
Step 3: Change your Gmail address
- Under Google Account email, select Change Google Account email.
- Enter a new username. It can't be one that is taken or was used before and deleted.
- Click Change email, then confirm with Yes, change email.
- Follow the on-screen prompts.
Not sure if a username is free? See how to check if a Gmail address is taken and the email name ideas list.
The rules and limits
| Rule | What Google's help says |
|---|---|
| Who can | Accounts whose email ends in @gmail.com, if the option shows |
| New address | Must also end in @gmail.com |
| How often | Once every 12 months |
| How many times | Up to 3 times, for 4 addresses in total |
| Old address | Becomes an alternate email address on your account |
| Switching back | You can switch back to a previous address any time, but it doesn't reset the limit |
| Reuse | Nobody can take your old address, including you for a new account |
| Deleting | The new address can't be deleted |
Checked on Google's Account Help page on October 30, 2026. Google gives no rollout dates and says the option may not show for every account, so check your own account.
If you can't change it: four alternatives
1. Create a new Gmail account and forward your mail. Make the new account (see how to create a Gmail account). Then in the old account, go to Settings › See all settings › Forwarding and POP/IMAP, choose Add a forwarding address, enter the new address, and click the verification link Google sends to it. Tell your contacts about the new address and update important accounts over a few weeks.
2. Change only your display name. If what bothers you is the name people see, not the address, change that instead: Settings › See all settings › Accounts and Import › Send mail as › Edit info. Google notes this can't be done in the Gmail app, and that this name isn't your Google Account name.
3. Use an alias. Adding +anything after your username or using dots doesn't give you a new name, but it helps you sort mail. See our Gmail alias guide.
4. Use your own domain. For a business, an address like you@yourbusiness.com looks more professional than any Gmail name. See how to make a business email.
Changing your recovery email (a different thing)
Many people searching "change Gmail address" actually want to change the recovery email: the backup address Google uses if you're locked out. Go to your Google Account, click Security & sign-in, and under How you sign in to Google choose Recovery email. Google says changes to recovery info may take up to 7 days to take effect. More on staying in control of your account in how to recover an email account.
Questions people ask
- Can I change my Gmail address without making a new account?
- Possibly. Google now lets some @gmail.com accounts change to a new @gmail.com address. Check under Personal info, Email, Google Account email for "Change Google Account email."
- How often can I change my Gmail address?
- Google says once every 12 months, up to three times, for four addresses in total.
- Will I still get email at my old Gmail address?
- Yes. Google says your old address becomes an alternate email on your account.
- Will I lose my emails if I change my Gmail address?
- The change keeps the same Google Account. Google still advises backing up your data first because some app settings may reset.
- Can someone else take my old Gmail address?
- No. Google says old addresses can't be reused by anyone, including you for a new account.
- Can I change my Gmail name instead?
- Yes. Settings, See all settings, Accounts and Import, Send mail as, Edit info. That changes the name people see, not the address.