How to Change Your Gmail Address to a New One

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

Gmail does not have a built-in feature to change the address you use to sign in. If you want a different email address, you need to create a new Gmail account and move your emails, contacts, and settings over. The process takes about an hour and does not delete your old account — it stays active unless you close it later.

The reason Gmail works this way is that your email address is your permanent identifier across Google services. Changing it would break your YouTube account, Google Drive, Google Photos, and any other Google product linked to that address. Creating a new account and transferring what matters is simpler than trying to swap the address underneath everything.

Key Takeaways

Gmail addresses cannot be changed; you must create a new account and transfer your data manually.
Before you start, download your emails and contacts from your old account so you have a backup copy.
Set up mail forwarding from your old address to your new one so you do not miss messages sent to the old address.
Update your new Gmail address in any accounts that use it for sign-in or password recovery, including banking and social media.
You can keep your old Gmail account open for forwarding, or close it after a few months once you are sure everything has moved over.

Create your new Gmail account first

Go to accounts.google.com and click "Create account". Choose "For myself" unless you are setting up a business account. Fill in your name, choose your new email address, and create a password. Google will ask you to verify a phone number — this is required and takes about two minutes.

Pick an address you actually want to use long-term. You cannot change it later, so avoid addresses that are tied to a job you might leave or a nickname you might outgrow. Once you finish verification, you have a working Gmail account. Do not add any data to it yet — you will import everything from your old account in the next steps.

Download your emails and contacts from your old account

Sign into your old Gmail account. Go to takeout.google.com — this is Google's tool for downloading your data. You will see a list of all your Google services. Uncheck everything except "Gmail" and "Contacts" unless you want to download other data like Drive files or Photos.

Click "Next step" and choose your download format. For Gmail, select "MBOX" format, which works with most email programs. For Contacts, the default CSV format is fine. Google will prepare a file and email you a download link within a few minutes. Download this file to your computer and save it somewhere you can find it — you will need it in the next step.

Import your emails and contacts into your new account

Sign into your new Gmail account. Click the gear icon in the top right, then select "Settings". Go to the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab and scroll down to "Import mail and contacts". Click "Import mail and contacts".

Gmail will ask you to upload the file you downloaded from your old account. Select the MBOX file for emails and the CSV file for contacts. The import process can take several hours if you have thousands of emails — Gmail will send you an email when it is finished. Your old emails will appear in your new inbox with their original dates and labels intact.

Set up forwarding from your old address

Go back to your old Gmail account. Click the gear icon, select "Settings", and go to the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab. Click "Add a forwarding address" and enter your new Gmail address. Gmail will send a confirmation email to your new address — open it and click the confirmation link.

Once confirmed, select "Forward a copy of incoming mail to [your new address]" and choose whether to keep or archive the original. Most people keep the originals for a few months as a safety net, then delete them later. Now any email sent to your old address will automatically go to your new one.

Update your new address in other accounts and services

Your Gmail address is probably linked to other accounts — banking, social media, shopping, work email, and password recovery for other services. Go through each one and update the email address to your new Gmail. Start with the most important: your bank, email providers, and any account that controls money or sensitive data.

For accounts that use your Gmail to sign in (like Spotify or Slack), you may need to change the email address in settings, then sign out and sign back in with the new address. For accounts that just use your Gmail for password recovery, updating the email in settings is usually enough. This step takes time but prevents you from losing access to important accounts later.

Decide what to do with your old account

You can leave your old Gmail account open indefinitely — it will continue forwarding emails to your new address and does not cost anything. Many people keep it open for three to six months while they make sure all their contacts have updated their address books. After that, you can close it if you want.

To close your old account, go to myaccount.google.com, click "Data & privacy" on the left, scroll down to "Your data & privacy options", and select "Delete your Google Account". Google will ask you to confirm and will give you a final download of your data. Your emails will be permanently deleted, but forwarding will stop, so make sure you have already updated your address everywhere important.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to emails sent to my old address after I close the account?

If you set up forwarding before closing your account, emails will forward to your new address. If you close the account without forwarding, new emails to the old address will bounce back to the sender. Set up forwarding first, then wait a few months before closing the account to catch any stragglers.

Can I use my old Gmail address again if I close the account?

No. Once you close a Gmail account, Google does not let anyone — including you — create a new account with that same address. The address is permanently retired. This is why you should wait a few months and be absolutely sure you have updated your address everywhere before closing.

Will my old emails disappear if I import them to the new account?

No. Importing copies your emails to the new account; it does not remove them from the old one. Both accounts will have the same emails until you manually delete them from the old account or close it. This is actually helpful because it gives you a backup while you transition.

Do I need to tell everyone my new email address?

You should tell people you contact regularly, but forwarding means you will not miss emails sent to your old address. However, some people may not update their address books, so sending a quick message to close contacts with your new address is a good idea. For less frequent contacts, forwarding will catch their emails automatically.

What if I change my mind and want to go back to my old address?

You cannot undo the import, but you can keep both accounts open and use whichever one you prefer. However, you cannot change your Gmail address back once you have closed the account. If you think you might want to return to your old address, keep the account open and do not close it.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.