You cannot change your Gmail address directly, but you can create a new Gmail account and transfer your data
Gmail does not have a built-in feature to rename your existing email address. Once you create an account with an address like yourname@gmail.com, that address stays the same for the life of the account. If you want a different Gmail address, you must create a new account and move your emails, contacts, and settings over manually.
The process takes between one and three hours depending on how much email you have stored. You will need access to both your old and new Gmail accounts during the transfer, and you should tell your important contacts about the address change before you start.
Key Takeaways
- Gmail addresses cannot be renamed; you must create a new account with the address you want.
- You can forward all incoming mail from your old address to your new one so you do not miss messages.
- Gmail's built-in tools let you read your emails, contacts, and calendar data to move to the new account.
- The transfer works best when you do it in stages: set up forwarding first, then move your data, then notify your contacts.
Create a new Gmail account with your preferred address
Go to accounts.google.com and click "Create account". Choose "For myself" unless you are setting up a business account. Enter your first and last name, then click "Next".
On the next screen, enter your desired Gmail address in the field labeled "Gmail address". Gmail will tell you when ready if the address is taken. If it is, you can add numbers or periods to the name (Gmail treats firstname.lastname@gmail.com and firstnamelastname@gmail.com as different addresses, even though they receive mail the same way). Once you find an available address, click "Next" and create a password.
Complete the phone verification step by entering your phone number and the code Google sends you. Add a recovery email address (this should be a different email account you control, not your old Gmail). Finish the setup by confirming your date of birth and gender, then click "Create account". Your new Gmail account is now active.
Set up mail forwarding from your old address to your new one
Sign into your old Gmail account. Click the gear icon in the top right corner and select "See all settings". Go to the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab.
Under "Forwarding", click "Add a forwarding address". Enter your new Gmail address and click "Next". Gmail will send a confirmation email to your new address. Sign into your new account, open the confirmation email from Google, and click the link inside it. Once you confirm, go back to your old account's settings.
Return to the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab and select "Forward all mail to [your new address]". Choose whether to keep a copy of forwarded emails in your old account or delete them after forwarding (keeping a copy is safer while you transition). Click "Save Changes". From this point forward, every new email that arrives at your old address will automatically go to your new one.
read and import your existing emails
Sign into your old Gmail account. Click the Google apps menu (the grid of nine dots in the top right) and select "Google Takeout". On the Takeout page, scroll down and uncheck everything except "Mail". Click "Next step".
Choose your file format (ZIP is standard), file size (the default is fine), and delivery method (Gmail will email you a read link). Click "Create export". Google will prepare your email archive, which can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours depending on how much mail you have. You will receive an email with a read link when it is ready.
read the file to your computer and extract it. Open your new Gmail account, click the gear icon, and go to "Settings" then "Labels". Scroll to the bottom and click "Import mail". Select the extracted email file and choose which label to import the messages under (you can create a new label called "Imported" to keep them organized). Gmail will import your emails over the next few hours.
Transfer your contacts to the new account
Sign into your old Gmail account and go to contacts.google.com. Click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) on the left side and select "Export". Choose "Google CSV" as the format and click "Export". Your contacts will read as a file to your computer.
Sign into your new Gmail account and go to contacts.google.com. Click the menu icon and select "Import". Choose the CSV file you just downloaded and click "Import". Your contacts will appear in your new account within a few seconds.
Update your recovery information and security settings
In your new Gmail account, go to myaccount.google.com and click "Security" on the left side. Scroll down to "How we can reach you" and make sure your recovery phone number and backup email are current. These are critical if you ever get locked out of your account.
Review the "Your devices" section to see which devices have access to your account. Sign out of any devices you do not recognize. If you use Gmail on your phone or tablet, you will need to remove your old Gmail account from those devices and add your new one. Go to your device's email settings, delete the old account, and add the new Gmail address.
Notify your contacts and update your subscriptions
Send an email from your new Gmail address to the people and organizations that matter most — your employer, bank, doctor, and close contacts. Keep the message short: tell them your new address and ask them to update their records. Do not delete your old account yet; leave it active with forwarding turned on for at least three months so you catch any messages sent to the old address.
Go through your email and identify subscriptions, accounts, and services tied to your old Gmail address. This includes online shopping accounts, social media, streaming services, and work systems. Update the email address in each one to your new Gmail account. You can search your old inbox for common keywords like "confirm", "verify", or "welcome" to find accounts you may have forgotten about.
Delete your old account after the transition is complete
After three months of forwarding, sign into your old Gmail account one last time. Go to myaccount.google.com, click "Data & privacy" on the left, then scroll down to "Delete your Google Account or services". Click "Delete a service" and select Gmail. Google will ask you to confirm and will give you one final note to read your data.
Before you delete, make sure forwarding is still working and that you have not missed any important messages. Once you delete the account, you cannot recover it, and no one will be able to send mail to that address. The address itself becomes available for someone else to claim after a few months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep my old Gmail address active while using the new one?
Yes. You can keep both accounts open indefinitely. Many people keep their old account active with forwarding turned on so they never miss a message sent to the old address. You can delete it later if you want, but there is no requirement to do so.
What happens to emails I receive after I set up forwarding?
New emails arrive at both your old and new address. If you chose to keep a copy in your old account, the message appears in both inboxes. If you chose to delete after forwarding, the message only appears in your new account. Emails that arrived before you set up forwarding stay in your old account and do not move automatically.
Do I need to tell Gmail I am changing addresses?
No. Gmail does not have a formal address-change process. You straightforward create a new account and set up forwarding. Google does not notify your contacts or update any external services; that is your responsibility.
Can I use a Gmail address with a custom domain instead?
Yes, if you own a domain name. You can set up Google Workspace (Google's business email service) to send and receive mail from yourname@yourdomain.com instead of a standard Gmail address. This requires purchasing a domain and paying a monthly subscription, but it gives you a professional email address you can keep even if you change email providers.
What if someone else has already taken the Gmail address I want?
Gmail addresses are first-come, first-served. If the exact address you want is taken, you can try adding a number, period, or underscore to make it unique. For example, if john.smith@gmail.com is taken, you might use john.smith.2024@gmail.com or john_smith@gmail.com instead. You can also check if the address is available by trying to create it; Gmail will tell you when ready.