It is now officially certain that Google is allowing this change. As of January 16, 2026, Google has updated its global English-language support documentation to confirm that the feature is rolling out to the general public. While the option was initially spotted on regional support pages late last year, its appearance on the primary Google Account FAQ site serves as the definitive confirmation. However, because it is a gradual rollout, the option may not appear for every single user immediately. If you do not see it yet, Google recommends checking back periodically as the feature expands to more accounts over the coming days and weeks.
To verify if your account is ready for the switch, you can visit the Google Account portal and navigate to the Personal Info section. Under the Email card, you should see a specific field for your Google Account email. If the feature is live for you, a Change Google Account email option will be visible. Once you select a new handle, your existing address does not disappear; instead, it is automatically converted into an alternate email, also known as an alias. This means you will continue to receive any messages sent to your old address, and you can still use that old handle to sign in to services like YouTube, Maps, and Drive.
The most important aspect of this update is the protection of your personal information. Google has confirmed that all photos, emails, messages, and Drive files remain completely untouched throughout the process. However, there are strict rules to prevent abuse of the system. You are limited to one change every twelve months, and there is a lifetime cap of three subsequent changes per account. Additionally, once you move to a new address, you cannot delete it for at least one year. This ensures account stability and prevents users from frequently rotating identities for spamming purposes.
There are a few technical caveats to keep in mind before you proceed. If you use a Chromebook, you may need to remove and re-add your account for the change to sync correctly across the operating system. Furthermore, while Google will continue to provide your old username to third-party apps to maintain your logins, some external sites that use your email as a primary identifier might require a manual update. This represents the most significant change to Gmail account management since the service launched in 2004, finally allowing users to retire embarrassing or outdated handles without the massive headache of starting from scratch.
