SAN FRANCISCO, California: Google is rolling out a long-awaited feature that allows users to change their Gmail addresses, offering relief to those stuck with outdated or awkward email IDs.

The update was introduced quietly in India late last year and is now available to all Google Account users in the United States, the company said. It did not specify when the feature would expand to other regions.

The change addresses a long-standing limitation that forced users to keep their original Gmail address even as their needs evolved.

"2004 was a good year, but your Gmail address doesn't need to be stuck in it," CEO Sundar Pichai wrote in a post on X, adding that users can now "say goodbye to v0t3f0rp3dr02004@gmail.com or mrbrightside416@gmail.com (or whatever you were into at the time)."

Google has updated its help documentation to reflect the new option, outlining a relatively straightforward process for making the switch.

Users can navigate to their Google Account settings on the homepage or in the mobile app, then select "Manage your Google Account," then "Personal info," and finally "Email." From there, they can choose to change their Google Account email, if the feature is enabled for them, and enter a new address.

The company said new email addresses must be unique and cannot match an existing address or one that was previously used and later deleted.

The update does not fully replace a user's old address. Instead, Google creates a second Gmail address linked to the same account.

Messages sent to either the old or new address will appear in the same inbox, and users can identify which address received a message by checking the "to" field. Users can also switch back to the original address through account settings.

However, there are limits. Users can change their Gmail address up to three times and must wait 12 months between changes.

Google also warned of potential compatibility issues with some third-party apps and services that rely on Gmail credentials for sign-in. These platforms may not immediately recognize a newly changed email address.

Chromebook users could also experience temporary issues, though Google said many of these problems should resolve within a few hours. If issues persist, users may need to revert to their previous email address for login purposes, even though the new address can still send and receive messages.

The feature marks a notable shift for Gmail, which has largely required users to create entirely new accounts to get a different email address.