Gmail address change feature lets users replace their @gmail.com email while keeping inbox history, Google Drive files, photos and purchase data intact.

Under the shift, which Google said would eventually be rolled out to all users, old addresses would remain active. Messages and services would not be lost.

Changing your Gmail address isn’t always straightforward, as Google treats it as your account’s identity. Here’s a simple guide on when changes are allowed, how to make them, and what to know before you proceed.

Though there has not yet been a public announcement of the policy, here's what we know.Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning. More: Gmail just fixed one of the worst things about email.

As of Sunday afternoon, the English-language version of the support site still states, “If your account’s email address ends in @gmail.com, you usually can’t change it” and instead suggests changing the name associated with the address or signing up for a new address and then transferring emails and contacts over.