If your Google account is also gathering dust, then it's time to give it a little attention as it might disappear after December 1, 2023. For the unversed, Google recently updated its policy for inactive accounts, a move they announced in May. Now, if you haven't touched your Google account in over two years, there's a chance it might face deletion. The cleanup of inactive accounts is scheduled to start this Friday. So, if your account falls into the inactive category, it could vanish, and this process begins at the end of the week. If you want to avoid that, log in and give your account a little activity.
If your account is labelled as 'inactive' and in danger of being deleted, Google will send you notifications to the email linked to that account and its recovery address (if you've set one up). However, if you're learning about this new policy and want to make sure your stuff on Google Drive, Docs, Gmail, and other services is safe, here's what you should be aware of.
Follow these 3 tricks to keep your Gmail account active
- To ensure your Google account stays active and avoids deletion, the simplest approach is to sign in at least once every two years.
- Beyond that, engaging in various activities can also meet the account activity criteria. This includes sending or browsing through emails, utilizing Google search, and watching YouTube videos (remember, YouTube is a part of Google).
- Additionally, any existing subscriptions linked to your Google account, such as profiles for third-party apps and publications, can contribute to maintaining the required level of activity. So, keep your account alive by staying engaged through these actions.
Inactive Google Account Policy
An inactive Google Account is an account that has not been used within a 2-year period. Google reserves the right to delete an inactive Google Account and its activity and data if you are inactive across Google for at least two years. This policy applies to your personal Google Account.
This policy doesn't apply to any Google Account that was set up for you through your work, school, or other organization. Google also reserves the right to delete data in a product if you are inactive in that product for at least two years. This is determined based on each product's inactivity policies.
Google products reserve the right to delete your data when your account has not been used within that product for a 2-year period.
December 1, 2023 is the earliest a Google Account will be deleted due to this policy.
