New York: Google has begun allowing users to change their Gmail addresses, offering relief to those who wish to update old or outdated email IDs.

Rollout Underway
The feature was rolled out in India late last year and is now available to all Google Account users in the United States, the company said, adding that timelines for other countries are yet to be announced.

Simple Process
Users can change their email address through the Google Account settings by navigating to the “Personal info” and “Email” sections and selecting the option to modify the address, if available.

Old Address Retained
Google said the existing Gmail address will remain active as an alternate, with emails sent to both old and new addresses appearing in the same inbox.

Restrictions Apply
The company noted that new addresses must be unique and cannot match any previously used or deleted Gmail IDs. Users can change their address only once a year and up to three times in total.

Possible Issues
Google cautioned that some third-party apps and services may not immediately recognise the new email address. Chromebook users may also face temporary issues, though most are expected to resolve within a few hours.