Google will now allow you to change your Gmail address. The tech giant was believed to be working on this feature since late last year. And now, Google is making it available for all users. 

Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote on X that now, you no longer need to use an email address that might’ve been stuck in time.

On X, Pichai wrote, “2004 was a good year, but your Gmail address doesn’t need to be stuck in it.”

How to change Gmail address?

If you want to use this feature to get a new Gmail address while keeping the same account. You can go to the settings page on Gmail and choose any available address.

Sundar Pichai added, “To say goodbye to v0t3f0rp3dr02004@gmail.com or mrbrightside416@gmail.com (or whatever you were into at the time), go to your Google Account settings and choose any name available.”

Do note that this feature is currently available for select users.

What happens to my old Gmail address?

After your Gmail address has changed, people can send you mails via the new address. However, your old address remains linked to your account. That is, no one else can claim it, and those who do not have the new address can continue to send you mails on the old one.

The emails received on both addresses will come in the same inbox.

Google is bringing AI to your inbox

Google is also bringing more AI features to Gmail. The company has announced an “AI Inbox” for Gmail. According to Google, Gemini can now “cut the clutter” of your inbox by prioritising important emails. Users will be able to see sections such as “suggested to-dos” – including high priority mails such as bill payments. 

These emails will be shown in bold with the due date to grab your attention.

Another feature of AI Inbox is the “topics to catch up on” section. This section will give you updates on your travel bookings, and restaurant reservations in one place.

The AI Inbox is available to select users in the US only for now. Do note that Gemini can already summarise your emails in your Gmail inbox. (India Today)

2004 was a good year, but your Gmail address doesn't need to be stuck in it.

To say goodbye to v0t3f0rp3dr02004@gmail.com or mrbrightside416@gmail.com (or whatever you were into at the time), go to your Google Account settings and choose any name available. You'll keep your old…

— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) March 31, 2026

The post Google now lets you change Gmail ID without losing mails appeared first on Newswire.

A warning has been issued to 2.5 billion Gmail users over a ‘devastating scam’ that is said to allow hackers to steal banking and sensitive data.

While we can all everything we can to ensure our devices are as secure as they possibly can be, some things are sometimes just out of our hands.

Cybercriminals are seemingly using all the right tricks to take advantage of innocent web users and recently, they have been targeting Gmail customers, which sees them use AI to create realistic phone calls and send out seemingly legitimate emails.

Following these hyperrealistic phone calls, an email is then sent which prompts users to a website that seemingly looks identical to that of the Google website. But the link is very much scam.

And if that link is pressed, then the hackers have the ability to commit identity, financial and information theft.

Spencer Starkey, a vice president at SonicWall, has stated companies such as Google need to be on their toes to ensure their users are safe.

He said: “Cybercriminals are constantly developing new tactics, techniques, and procedures to exploit vulnerabilities and bypass security controls, and companies must be able to quickly adapt and respond to these threats.

“This requires a proactive and flexible approach to cybersecurity, which includes regular security assessments, threat intelligence, vulnerability management, and incident response planning.”

Victim Sam Mitrovic recalled his ordeal, saying to the Metro: “The scams are getting increasingly sophisticated, more convincing and are deployed at ever larger scale.

“People are busy and this scam sounded and looked legitimate enough that I would give them an A for their effort. Many people are likely to fall for it.”

Back in May 2024, the FBI issued a warning about the increasing threat of cybercriminals using AI in their scams to make it difficult for users to spot.

Robert Tripp, from the FBI, said at the time: “Attackers are leveraging AI to craft highly convincing voice or video messages and emails to enable fraud schemes against individuals and businesses alike.

“These sophisticated tactics can result in devastating financial losses, reputational damage, and compromise of sensitive data.”

The FBI also warned about staying vigilant to ensure you don’t become a victim of these scams.

“Be aware of urgent messages asking for money or credentials. Businesses should explore various technical solutions to reduce the number of phishing and social engineering emails and text messages that make their way to their employees,” the website states.

“Additionally, businesses should combine this technology with regular employee education and employees about the dangers of phishing and social engineering attacks and the importance of verifying the authenticity of digital communications, especially those requesting sensitive information or financial transactions.”

Adding a multi-factor authentication is also a good idea, according to the agency to ensure you’re as best protected as possible.

Zach Lata, who is the founder of Hack Club and nearly became a victim to the hack, revealed how cybercriminals used a pretty simple method in an attempt to steal sensitive data. (Unilad)

The post Gmail Scam : Warning issued to 2.5 billion users appeared first on Newswire.

Google will start deleting inactive Photos and Gmail accounts next week, on December 1st.

This is a planned move that Google announced back in May, with the company explaining that accounts that haven’t been active for two years will face deletion. 

That includes wiping all content associated with an account, which could be Drive, Google Photos and Docs files.

In a post on its blog, The Keyword, Google’s VP of product management, Ruth Kricheli, explained that this is a necessary security measure.

“If an account hasn’t been used for an extended period of time, it is more likely to be compromised. This is because forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on old or re-used passwords that may have been compromised, haven’t had two factor authentication set up, and receive fewer security checks by the user.

“Our internal analysis shows abandoned accounts are at least 10x less likely than active accounts to have 2-step-verification set up. Meaning, these accounts are often vulnerable, and once an account is compromised, it can be used for anything from identity theft to a vector for unwanted or even malicious content, like spam.”

As of 2019, Gmail had 1.5 billion global active users and is one of the most popular email services around. Because of that popularity, and the ease of setting up an account, scammers have been known to target Gmail users. It also makes sense that Google will want to close dormant accounts to free up names and space. Google hasn’t released any figures on how many accounts are classified as inactive, but considering the size of the user base, there could be a lot of free storage the company is funding for accounts that aren’t active.

How to keep your account 

Some users and use cases are, however, exempt from deletion. An account will be saved from execution if it has been used to purchase a Google product or subscription (such as paying for extra storage space), or if it’s an account for an organization. The new policy only applies to personal Google accounts.

The deletions begin next week on December 1st, but they won’t all happen in one day. Google says it will take a “phased” approach by starting with accounts that were created and never used again. The company will also send out warnings to the account’s email address, and recovery address, beforehand.

If you want to make sure your account isn’t included in the cull, simply sign-in to your Google dashboard (or just sign into your Gmail account) and Google will count that as activity. Signing into YouTube, Drive or downloading an app on the Play Store also counts as activity. (Forbes)

The post December 1st : Important notice for all Gmail users appeared first on Newswire.