Google's New Policy: Inactive Gmail Accounts to Be Deleted in December 2023

Highlights

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• Google will start deleting inactive accounts in December 2023 to protect users from security threats.

• Inactive accounts are vulnerable to hackers and may have weak passwords or lack two-factor authentication.

• Google will send multiple notifications to users before deleting their accounts.

• Users can keep their Gmail accounts active by signing in at least once every two years.

• Deleting a Gmail account will also remove data from other Google services, but not from third-party apps or services linked to the account.

• Google's policy aims to protect user privacy, improve Gmail performance, and prevent spam and abuse.

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If you have a Gmail account that you haven't used for a long time, you might want to sign in soon. Google has announced that it will start deleting inactive accounts later this year to protect its users from security threats. Here's what you need to know about Google's new policy and how to keep your account active.

What is Google's new policy?

Google's new policy states that it may delete Google accounts that have not been used or signed into within the past two years. This policy will start in December 2023 and will affect Google accounts that use services such as Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, YouTube and Google Photos. If your account is deleted, you will lose all your data and content from these services.

Google says that it has updated its policy to prevent account hijacking, spam, phishing and other malicious activities. According to Google, inactive accounts are more likely to have weak or compromised passwords and less likely to have two-factor authentication enabled. These accounts are vulnerable to hackers who can use them for identity theft or spreading unwanted content.

How will Google notify you before deleting your account?

Google says that it will send multiple notifications to users whose accounts are at risk of being deleted. These notifications will be sent to both the account email address and the recovery email address if one is provided. Google will also display warnings on its services when you sign in with an inactive account.

Google says that it will take a phased approach to deleting accounts, starting with accounts that were created and never used again. The first deletion will take place in December 2023, but Google has not specified the exact date or frequency of the deletions.

How to keep your Gmail account active?

The easiest way to keep your Gmail account active is to sign in at least once every two years. You can sign in from any device or browser using your username and password. You can also use your Gmail account to access other Google services such as Drive, YouTube or Play Store.

Alternatively, you can use your Gmail account to sign in to third-party apps or services that support Sign In with Google. This will also count as activity and prevent your account from being deleted. However, you should be careful about which apps or services you trust with your Google account information.

If you have a subscription through your Google account, such as Google One, a news publication or an app, your account will not be affected by the new policy. Your subscription will keep your account active even if you don't sign in regularly.

What if you don't want to keep your Gmail account?

If you don't want to keep your Gmail account anymore, you can delete it yourself at any time. You can follow the instructions here at https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/32046. You can also download a copy of your data before deleting your account by using Google Takeout.

Deleting your Gmail account will also delete your data and content from other Google services such as Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, YouTube and Google Photos. However, it will not delete your data from third-party apps or services that you signed in with using your Google account. You will need to contact those apps or services separately to delete your data from them.

Why Google is deleting inactive accounts?

• To protect user privacy: Google wants to make sure that users' data is not being stored indefinitely if it is not being used.

• To improve the performance of Gmail: By deleting inactive accounts, Google can free up space on its servers, which can help to improve the performance of the Gmail service for everyone.

• To prevent spam and abuse: Inactive accounts are more likely to be used for spam and abuse, so Google is deleting them to help prevent this.

Google's new policy of deleting inactive accounts serves as a proactive measure to safeguard users from security threats and privacy risks. By addressing account hijacking, spam, and malicious activities, Google aims to enhance the overall user experience and protect sensitive data. It is crucial for users to stay informed about this policy and take the necessary steps to keep their Gmail accounts active, ensuring the safety of their information. 

With this approach, Google strives to create a more secure and efficient environment for its users, emphasizing privacy, performance, and the prevention of spam and abuse. Read the Google's blog post for the official announcement here at - https://blog.google/technology/safety-security/updating-our-inactive-account-policies/