It seems that “Google” is about to launch a long-awaited feature by users, which is the ability to modify their “Gmail” email address without having to create a completely new account.
According to an official support page that recently appeared, and is currently available in Hindi only, “Google” is working to provide an option that allows users to change their email address ending in @gmail.com to another new address with the same extension, while maintaining all account data.
Millions of people rely on “Gmail” as the main gateway to various “Google” services, from “YouTube” and the Play Store to Android phones and cloud services, according to a report published by “phonearena” and reviewed by “Al Arabiya Business”.
Despite this importance, changing the username in “Gmail” was not possible in the past, but it seems that this will change soon.
According to the support page, this feature will be launched gradually, which means that it may take some time for it to reach all users.
One user on the “X” platform pointed out that this option is already available in his account.
It is worth noting that “Google” will not delete the old address after changing it, but it will remain as an alias, allowing the user to continue receiving messages on it.
It will also be possible to use both addresses to log in to various “Google” services, without any loss of data or disabling of accounts associated with the email.
But this feature will not be available indefinitely, as “Google” explains that changing the address:
– Is allowed once every 12 months.
– And a maximum of only three times throughout the life of the account.
It seems that these restrictions are aimed at limiting misuse or potential security risks.
Until now, “Google” only allows modifying the email for accounts linked to domains other than “Gmail” such as “Yahoo” or others, while considering the “Gmail” address a unique identity within its system.
Changing this identity may complicate the process of linking purchases, subscriptions, invitations, and even security aspects, especially if the feature is exploited to impersonate others.
But it seems that “Google” has finally found a way to strike a balance between flexibility and security.
For many, this step represents a valuable opportunity to get rid of email addresses that were created at a young age and were not well thought out.
These addresses were appropriate at the time, but are now unsuitable for professional or formal communication.
If “Google” implements this feature globally, it may be one of the most important practical updates affecting the “Gmail” experience in years, finally giving users the opportunity to correct past digital mistakes.
