You cannot change your Gmail address itself, but you can create a new one and transfer your data

Gmail does not offer a built-in tool to change the address you use to log in. Once you create a Gmail account with an address like yourname@gmail.com, that address is permanent. 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. You will need access to both your old and new Gmail accounts at the same time, plus any recovery email or phone number attached to your old account.

Key Takeaways

  • Gmail addresses cannot be edited or changed — you must create a new account if you want a different address.
  • You can forward all incoming mail from your old address to your new one, so you do not miss messages after the switch.
  • Gmail's built-in export tool lets you read your emails, contacts, and calendar in a format you can import into your new account.
  • Update your new Gmail address in any accounts that use it for login or password recovery before you stop checking your old inbox.
  • You can keep your old Gmail account open to receive forwarded mail, or delete it after a few months once you are sure nothing important is still arriving there.

Create your new Gmail account first

Go to accounts.google.com/signup and fill in the form with your name and the new Gmail address you want. Choose a password you have not used before. You will be asked for a recovery email (a different email address) and a phone number — these let you regain access if you forget your password later.

Do not use your old Gmail address as the recovery email. Use a personal email address you control, such as one from your workplace or a different email provider. Once you finish creating the account, Google will send a confirmation code to your recovery email. Enter that code to verify the account is real.

Set up forwarding from your old Gmail to your new one

Log into your old Gmail account. Click the gear icon in the top right, then select See all settings. Go to the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.

Under Forwarding, click Add a forwarding address. Type in your new Gmail address and click Next. Gmail will send a confirmation email to your new address. Log into your new account, find that confirmation email from your old account, and click the link inside it. Once confirmed, go back to your old account settings and select Forward all incoming mail to [your new address]. Choose whether to keep a copy of forwarded emails in your old inbox or delete them after forwarding — keeping a copy is safer in case something goes wrong.

From this point forward, every new email that arrives at your old address will automatically go to your new one. This does not move your existing emails — it only handles mail that arrives after you turn on forwarding.

Export your existing emails and contacts

Your old Gmail account still holds all the emails you received before you set up forwarding. To move these to your new account, use Google Takeout, which is Google's tool for downloading your data.

Go to takeout.google.com while logged into your old Gmail account. You will see a list of Google services. Uncheck everything except Mail and Contacts (and Calendar if you use it). Scroll down and click Next step. Choose .zip file as the format and click Create export. Google will prepare a file containing all your emails and contacts — this can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours depending on how much email you have. You will receive an email with a read link when it is ready.

read the file and extract it on your computer. Inside you will find folders for Mail and Contacts. The Mail folder contains your emails in a format called MBOX. To import these into your new Gmail account, log into your new account and go to mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#settings/forwarding. Click Import mail & contacts (you may need to search for this option in Settings). Select the MBOX file from your old account and upload it. Gmail will import all those emails into your new inbox over the next few hours.

Update your new Gmail address everywhere it is used

Before you stop using your old Gmail address, search through any accounts that have it on file. This includes social media, banking, shopping sites, work accounts, and any service that uses Gmail for password recovery.

Log into each account and change the email address to your new Gmail address. Pay special attention to accounts where Gmail is your recovery method — if you do not update these, you will not be able to reset your password if you forget it. Make a list as you go so you do not forget any.

For accounts you use frequently, test the new email address by logging out and using the password recovery feature to confirm it works. This takes only a minute and prevents you from being locked out later.

Decide what to do with your old Gmail account

You have three options: keep it open to receive forwarded mail, delete it when ready, or wait a few months and then delete it.

Keep it open if you are worried you missed updating some account. Forwarding will continue to send new mail to your new address, so you can check the old inbox occasionally without actively using it. This is the safest choice if you have many accounts tied to your old email.

Delete it when ready if you are confident you updated everything and you do not want to maintain two accounts. To delete your account, go to myaccount.google.com, click Data & privacy on the left, scroll to Your data & privacy options, and select Delete your Google Account. Google will ask you to confirm and may require you to enter your password. Once deleted, the address becomes unavailable for a period of time, and all emails in that account are permanently removed.

Wait three to six months if you want a safety net. Keep forwarding on so new mail reaches your new address. After a few months with no surprises, you can delete the old account knowing you caught anything important.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get my old Gmail address back if I delete my account?

Not when ready. Once you delete a Gmail account, the address is locked for several months before Google releases it. Even then, you cannot reclaim it — anyone can create a new account with that address. If you think you might want the address again, keep the account open instead of deleting it.

What if I forgot to update an account with my new Gmail address?

Forwarding will still send new emails from that account to your new address, so you will not miss messages. When you remember, log into that account and update the email address. If you cannot log in, use the password recovery feature — it will send a reset link to your old Gmail address, which will forward to your new one.

Does forwarding work for spam and promotional emails too?

Yes. Forwarding sends everything that arrives at your old address to your new one, including spam. If your old account received a lot of spam, consider letting forwarding run for only a few weeks instead of permanently. After that, you can turn it off and let your old inbox collect mail without sending it anywhere.

Can I use both Gmail addresses at the same time?

Yes. You can log out of one account and log into the other, or use Gmail's multiple account feature to switch between them without logging out. However, most people find it easier to pick one address and use it consistently. Forwarding ensures you do not miss mail sent to the old one.

What if I created a Gmail address with a typo and want to fix it?

You cannot edit the address itself, so you need to create a new account with the correct spelling and move your data over using the steps above. This is the only way to fix a typo in your Gmail address.