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.

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.

A Hindi version of Google's support page suggests that Google is testing a service to let users change their Gmail addresses without sacrificing data.

Google is quietly testing a long-requested Gmail feature that would let users change their email address without losing their account data.

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.